The Meadowlands Announces $1 million Graduate Series for Four Year Olds

East Rutherford, NJ - The Meadowlands is pleased to announce the $1 million Graduate Series, a new initiative designed to provide racing opportunities for four-year-old trotters and pacers in 2015.

While the schedule will not be finalized until the December stakes meetings, the series will offer three legs tentatively beginning in late May with $50,000e legs at Tioga Downs, continue through June at The Meadowlands with the purse increasing to $75,000e then $100,000e for legs two and three. The Graduate Finals will be raced at The Meadowlands in early July with the purse for each gait guaranteed at $250,000.

Meadowlands Chairman Jeff Gural has been vocal in his advocacy of keeping the equine stars of the sport on the track beyond their sophomore season and spoke on the intent of the series.

“I consider keeping the best horses on the racetrack a priority to generate fan interest in racing. This series will provide what the connections of those horses have indicated a need for, a chance to race against horses of their own age until mid-season, when they will graduate into the open stakes,” said Gural. "I appreciate the support of Tommy Luchento, Leo McNamara and the New Jersey horsemen in recognizing the importance of creating races that will appeal to our customers by bringing back recognizable names that hopefully will attract new younger customers while appealing to our regular customer base as well."

Further details on the Graduate Series will be made available as they become final.

MICHELLE RUVOLA WINS BILLINGS TROT AT DAYTON RACEWAY

On October 20^th In the C.K.G. Billings Trotting Series preliminary leg at Dayton Raceway “Michelle the Belle” Ruvola duplicated her dad’s fete of the previous week when she too won a Billings Trot with Lifelong Hanover. Her dad, “Chicago George” Bonomo, was victorious in the Billings with that same trotter the previous week at the new Dayton, Ohio racetrack.

Ruvola is an accomplished horse-woman and a good harness driver as she has proven over the years in Billings’ finales and in other amateur competitions. For the gal who drives when she doesn’t have  business obligations, it marked her second win in seven seasonal starts and 37^th of her driving career.

On occasion George and Michelle drive together on the same card and at times in the same race but the past two weeks marks the first time that they raced against one another and then switched horses following week, and that both were victorious with the same horse (Lifelong Hanover) marks a first for them, and maybe a first for any other father-daughter driving duo, who have two horses in the same race.

In the Dayton race last Saturday Ruvola got away in fourth position from the five-hole and was content to hug the pylons until late in the mile as Steve “You’re Never too” Oldford and TK’s Diva cut the quick early fractions.

However, when Oldford’s trotter reached the head of the lengthy homestretch she began to get leg weary and “Lawbook Larry” Farley and Margarita Man took a shot at the leader. They did pass Oldford’s trotter but trouble was looming when Ruvola and Lifelong Hanover whizzed by everyone and finished 1-1/2 lengths ahead of  Margarita Man to take  home the lion’s share of the  $7500 purse. Third place went to the betting favorite Soulful Delight, driven by Dave “Linemaster” Ehrenberg II .

By the way Michelle’s dad George Bonomo got parked-out with their other entrant, Tioga  Thunder, and  finished off the board.

The race winner, Lifelong Hanover, and for that matter Tioga Thunder, are both owned by George and Rose Bonomo. Lifelong Hanover returned a $9.20 payoff.

The event at Dayton Raceway  was the final preliminary leg of the C.K.G. Billings Harness Driving Series in the Midwest Region and with her triumph Ms. Ruvola has earned a berth against the boys in the in the $25,000 Delvin Miller Memorial Gold Cup Final which will be contested at Harrah’s Chester Downs on Sunday, November 23^rd.

Ruvola is the seventh driver to qualify for the Billings finale. Others who also have earned the right to participate include: Bob “the Headhunter” Hechkoff, “Coach Paul” Minore, Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford, “Marvelous Marvin” Raber, “Mighty Matt” Zuccarello, and “Chicago George” Bonomo, which again will set-up a father –daughter tussle.

MACH’S BEACH BOY WINS SATURDAY 26G FEATURE

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

YONKERS, NY, Saturday, November 1, 2014—Mach's Beach Boy (Pat Lachance, $7.30) lasted on the lead Saturday night, annexing Yonkers Raceway's "sloppy" $26,000 winners-over feature.

            Leaving from post position No. 3, Mach's Beach Boy pocketed 6-5 choice Mystician (Jason Bartlett), then went the distance through soggy intervals of  :28.3, 59.3, 1:27 and 1:55.3. Mystician ducked inside and missed a scant schnoz, with a rallying Life Up Front (Jordan Stratton), McDynamite (Mark MacDonald) and a first-up American Venture (Eric Carlson) settling for the remainder.

For second choice Mach's Beach Boy, a 5-year-old Mach Three geleing trained by his driver for co-owners Jeffrey Oborne and Dan Mogridge, it was his eight win in 29 seasonal starts.  The exacta paid $19, with the triple returning $59.50.

Note that since no one hit Saturday’s Pick  5, Monday’s gimmick begins with a carryover of $2,679.39 (50-cant bases wager, races 5 through 9).

            The Raceway's five-night-per-week live schedule continues, with first post every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:10 PM (note Sunday matinees begin Nov. 9, replacing Tuesdays [beginning Nov. 11]). Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available daily.