Per Engblom’s trotting enigma Beads, whose frequent breaks in stride shadowed his speed, put the pieces together on Saturday (May 22) at The Meadowlands to win the second of two $50,000 opening-preliminary divisions of the Graduate Series Trot.
Away from post 6, driver David Miller floated Beads to the top as 8-5 favourite Lovedbythemasses broke stride moving to the first turn. Beads cleared command through a :26.4 opening quarter while pocketing Sorella into the backstretch, and slowed the tempo to a :55 half before the backfield began to move.
Sorella crept out of the pocket with Amigo Volo in tow as Beads cruised by three-quarters in 1:23.4. Off the turn, Beads started to step away from the competition and continued to widen his margin to the finish of a 1:50.2 mile. Amigo Volo rallied for second with Moon Bridge and Gangster Hanover sliding into contention for third and fourth, respectively.
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Large purses are again for the taking at The Meadowlands, with this Saturday’s (May 15) program highlighted by a pair of Graduate preliminaries and the $141,250 Arthur J. Cutler Memorial.
The Cutler Memorial, the second high-prize trot on the calendar, drew a stacked field of 10 mixed with heavy hitters of yester season and those trying to break through into the big leagues.
Forbidden Trade, the 2019 Hambletonian winner, makes his first start since Aug. 2020. The now five-year-old stallion by Kadabra scratched from the John Cashman Jr. Memorial last season before sustaining an injury that sidelined him the rest of the year. Driver Bob McClure reunites with the millionaire Luc Blais trainee wide of all his competition from post 10.
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A number of high-profile Standardbreds made solid strides toward a return to the races during the Saturday (April 24) session of qualifiers at The Meadowlands.
Calle Palema (Ake Svanstedt) was a wire-to-wire winner in 1:56.1 over 2020 freshman standouts Zenith Stride (Brian Sears) and In Range (Tim Tetrick). The gelded son of Muscle Hill - Fillyanthropy, a three-time winner as a rookie, took a new lifetime mark for owner Bender Sweden Inc. of Vero Beach, Fl.
Balenciaga didn t make any starts at two, but the $270,000 yearling started on the path to justifying that price tag with a first-over grinding win in 1:56.3. The son of Chapter Seven - Iluvmyjimmychoos was guided to victory by Scott Zeron for trainer Paul Kelley and owners SRF Stable and Crawford Farms. Maverick, harness racing s highest priced yearling by virtue of his $1.1 million sale price, made a break in stride while closing in the stretch.
The Meadowlands will again host some of the sport’s top prospects, but this time with an expanded roster of stakes talent hitting the track.
A 16-qualifier session on Saturday morning (April 24) begins with three-year-old trotting fillies, with $400,000 yearling and full-sister to The Ice Dutchess, The Ice Countess ($2,500, 1:56.3M), going to post. Todd McCarthy will steer the Tony Alagna trainee as she makes just the fourth start of her career. She’ll be followed in the next qualifier by several other prominent Hambletonian Oaks eligible including Hello I Love You ($105,987, 1:54.2M), Illuminata ($131,933, 1:54.4F) and Pub Crawl ($225,725, 1:53.4M).
Breeders Crown elimination winner and final runner-up In Range ($411,003, 1:54.1S) returns to the track in the third qualifier against Peter Haughton winner Zenith Stride ($226,168, 1:53.2M), who will go his second qualifying mile of the year. Tim Tetrick steers In Range for trainer Marcus Melander, while Brian Sears will handle th