$479,450 Goldsmith Maid won in stakes record

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Joviality S reasserted her authority off her Breeders Crown victory to win the $479,450 Goldsmith Maid for 2-year-old harness racing trotting fillies, posting a stakes-record mile of 1:52.1 on Saturday night (Nov. 20) at The Meadowlands.

Valentina Blu grabbed the front from post 10 as Joviality S jetted off the car for the front to the first turn. Approaching a :27.3 first quarter, driver Brian Sears vacated the pocket to circle Valentina Blue for the lead as 2-5 favorite Venerable loomed two-wide up the backside with Misswalner Fashion in tow. Joviality S yielded control to Venerable, who then yielded to Misswalner Fashion, heading to a :56.3 half.

Joviality S was placed well as Misswalner Fashion cruised with Venerable readying a charge to three-quarters in 1:24.3. As they dueled, Joviality S came off the pylons and hit her best stride, easily passing her foes with a surge that ended in the stakes-record and lifetime-best 1:52.1 victory by a length. Venerable got by Misswalner Fashion for second and Valentina Blue finished fourth.

JOVIALITY S REPLAY

Marcus Melander trains Joviality S. “She’s been a fabulous filly from day one,” he said. “It’s been a long season and she performed like this at the end of November. It just shows, especially coming out of the Breeders Crown from the 10 hole and with [the wet] weather that night how sound she is after this season. I think it’s amazing.”

Courant Inc owns Joviality S, who paid $7 to win. Her earnings now peak at $895,340, pumped by nine wins this season.

“I’m very happy with our relationship with Brian [Sears],” Melander said. “He drives a lot of our horses, he takes care of them like they’re his own and I’m very happy about that.”

For full race results, click here.

By Frank Cotolo, for The Meadowlands