Seventh heaven for Dunn

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Dexter Dunn was on fire Friday night at The Meadowlands, guiding seven winners on the harness racing card to come within one of tying the all-time track record.

With the first race being a GSY Series event for amateur drivers, Dunn had work in all 13 races that remained. His first win of the night came in the second race with Always A Force (as the 7-2 third choice in the betting) before completing a natural hat trick by taking the third and fourth, respectively, with even-money choice May I Cruise West and 3-5 favorite Southwind Frost.

Did you think you were going to have a big night?

“I don’t really think like that,” said Dunn, the two-time defending United States Harness Writers Association Driver of the Year. “But I sort of thought I had some good chances later on the card.”

The native New Zealander ran his win total to five after Caviart Lotus exploded home to take the sixth as the even-money choice before Think Of Galaxies went wire-to-wire as the 5-2 second choice, holding on by a nose in the seventh.

Dunn upped his victory total to a half-dozen in the 10th after taking the featured high-end conditioned trot with Chaptiama, who won from first-over as the second most popular wagering entity at odds of 2-1, then came right back in the next race to score win No. 7 from post 10 with 1-2 public choice Stonebridge Soul.

CHAPTIAMA REPLAY

“Chaptiama was awesome,” said Dunn. “A really nice horse to drive. He has a good attitude. He does what you want him to do. He couldn’t have done it any easier.

“I knew I had seven winners [after Stonebridge Soul won], but only after Jessica [Otten of The Big M] told me.”

The 31-year-old pilot was now just one winner away from tying the all-time Big M mark of eight winners on a card – a record shared by Mike Lachance and Brett Miller – but his big night would end there.

He had two good chances to possibly tie – and break – the record but went a tough parked-out trip with The Devils Own N (who finished fourth in the ninth at 4-5) and went off stride down the backstretch with Stirling Ensign (the 3-1 second choice) in the 14th and final.

“Stirling Ensign didn’t feel good on the first turn,” said Dunn.

Maybe so, but Dunn’s fans certainly did on this night.

SEVENTH HEAVEN: The last Meadowlands driver to record seven winners on a card – not surprisingly – was Dunn, who turned the trick on January 11th of last year. The Big M’s leading driver, who won six races on a card earlier this year (on Feb. 13), is the current driver-colony leader with 94 victories in 2021.

A LITTLE MORE: Tim Tetrick drove three winners on the card, including the Marcus Melander-trained Hambletonian hopeful Dancinginthedark M, who toyed with his foes as the 1-5 favorite while upping his seasonal record to two wins in two starts. The son of Readly Express stopped the clock in a lifetime-best 1:52.1. … All-source handle totaled $2,846,303. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m.

For full race results, click here.

by Dave Little, for The Meadowlands