It appeared not to be Western Joe’s night in the featured $22,500 winners-over $11,500 pace Saturday night (Feb. 6) at The Meadowlands after getting passed at the three-quarter-mile marker, but the veteran warhorse showed his class through the stretch in a thoroughly dominant performance to chalk up a second win in his last three Big M starts.
“I wasn’t surprised that he came back to win,” said winning trainer Chris Choate. “When he hits that last turn, it looks like he’s going to finish fifth, but then he kicks in.”
Driver Simon Allard had Joe –a seven-year-old gelded son of Western Ideal-Ante Fay–on the go from the get-go, barreling four-wide into the first turn from post 8 in the 10-horse field and taking over the top just after quarter, which was set by Western Fame in :27.3.
All-source wagering on the 15-race card totaled $3,646,603.
Just like one week ago (Jan. 2), a big first-race guaranteed 20-cent Pick-5 pool set the tone for the night. The wager carried not only a $100,000 pool promise but had a $25,000 seed as well, which was provided by track management and the Standardbred Owners Association of New Jersey. In the end, the total P5 pool represented $195,759 of the $411,664 bet overall in the opener.
Play was steady all night long, as three times single-race totals exceeded the $300,000 mark. The track’s Pick-4s were predictably popular with players, as a total of $180,909 was pushed through the windows on the two wagers.