Meadowlands Pace eliminations preview

A total of 15 sophomore harness racing pacers dropped into the entry box to vie in a pair of $50,000 Meadowlands Pace divisions (races 6 & 10) on Saturday night, July 8. The first five finishers from each heat will set the stage for the $668,000 Final on July 15 at The Big M.

Hall of Fame trainer Linda Toscano sends out the likely favorite Fulton (Heston Blue Chip) in search of her second Pace triumph, in the first division (Race Six). She captured the 2019 edition of the classic with Best In Show.

“I kind of expected that there wouldn’t be a lot of horses drop in, and couldn’t see more than two divisions,” she told The Meadowlands’ Dave Little. “The right horses are in the race and with the short fields you have a little bit more leeway as far as not killing your horse.”

Fulton comes into his pace elim fresh off a third-place finish in the $760,000 North America Cup final at Woodbine, where he was timed in 1:48.1 behind the winning Its My Show. Dexter Dunn will be in the sulky for owners Let It Ride Stables and Bottom Line Racing—both hailing from Boca Raton, FL. This 3-year-old colt has career earnings of $422,133 from nine wins, two seconds, and a trio of thirds in 14 career starts.

Bred by Best Bet Stables LLC, Fulton is the first of three foals out of the Bettor’s Delight mare Bettor Be Steamin p, 4, 1:53f ($83,308) and is a full brother to the 2-year-old filly Pressure Cooker p, 2, Q1:56.2f.

One of his best efforts this year came in his North America Cup elimination, where he paced to a lifetime best 1:48.2 in a wire-to-wire effort with Dexter Dunn at the controls. Dunn will drive again from post three in this first Meadowlands Pace elimination.

Fulton will have to contend with Voukefalas (Lazarus N), a winner of $455,183 lifetime with a record of 1:49.4. Trained by Michael Russo for owner Michael Pagonas of Saddle River, NJ, Voukefalas finished fourth in the North American Cup but was second in his elim by a mere head to Christchurch in 1:48.4. Prior to that he won two $30,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes at The Meadowlands and the $240,000 Final, in a 1:49.4 career best. Most recently, he qualified at The Big M on July 1, clocked in 1:50.4 with a :25.3 final brush.

“I’ve been wanting to win this race since McKinzie Almahurst—my personal favorite as a fan—didn’t win it,” Russo stated. “I know if we were to win The Pace, I would probably get emotional.”

Voukefalas is the second of three foals out of the Cams Fortune mare Inittowinafortune p, 5, 1:49.3 ($698,002) and has a full sister in Artemida (American Ideal) p, 2, 1:58.3 ($18,292). Russo has been training since 1991 and had his best year in 2016, when he trained 54 winners to $798,495 in earnings. Lifetime, he has conditioned the winner of $5.4 million. Jordan Stratton, the bay colt’s regular pilot, will drive from post one.

Cannibal (Sweet Lou) is another with an inside post (2) in this race who appears to be getting finely fit at just the right time for trainer Nancy Takter and owners-breeders Diamond Creek Racing.

“He’s undefeated this year and has done everything I’ve asked him to do. Out of all my horses, he’s the most versatile. In his last start, he came first up and beat older horses and he’s so much sounder this year compared to last,” Takter stressed.

That race Takter was referring to was a $15,000 Meadowlands overnight on June 24, when Cannibal rallied from behind to post a 1:49.1 victory. That triumph came upon the heels of back-to-back wins at Pocono Downs (1:50.3) and Harrah’s Philadelphia (1:48.3). The bay colt has career earnings of $150,798 lifetime from six wins, two seconds and a third in 11 starts. He is the first of four foals out of the A Rocknroll Dance mare No More Losses p, 2, 1:54.3s ($14,948).

The second Meadowlands Pace elimination features Confederate (Sweet Lou) who was second by a head to Its My Show in the $760,000 North America Cup on June 17, clocked in 1:47.4 with Tim Tetrick driving for trainer Brett Pelling.

“The Pace is the biggest race for a pacing trainer,” Pelling noted. “It’s the signature race. (My horse) is doing well; nice and fresh. There isn’t a horse in this field that I would trade for mine.”

This brown colt was bred and is owned by Diamond Creek Farm and has amassed career earnings of $640,950 from seven wins, two seconds and a third in ten starts. Confederate is the first of four foals out of the unraced A Rocknroll Dance mare Geothermal. At two he won both $80,000 legs and the $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series Final in 1:49.2 and was second to Ammo in the $600,000 Breeders Cup Final at Woodbine after winning his elim in 1:50.2. He earned $443,700 last season and has added another $197,250 to his coffers from just three starts this year. Tetrick will drive from the rail.

Stockade Seelster (State Treasurer) is the other standout in this field of eight. Trained by Ian Moore for Sally and Paul Macdonald, the winner of $810,478 lifetime comes off two straight 1:49.3 wins—both at Woodbine. On June 17 he captured the North America Cup consolation and followed that up with a triumph in a $76,304 Ontario Sires Stakes on July 1.

Last year’s 2-year-old pacing champion captured the $666,000 Metro in 1:50.1 and was simply on fire in the Ontario Sires Stakes program, culminating in a 1:50.1 victory in the $162,000 Final at Woodbine on Oct. 15. He wrapped up his freshman campaign with eight wins and two thirds in 11 starts, and seasonal earnings of $686,268.

This season he has won three of his last four and added another $124,210 to his coffers. He is the second foal out of the Big Jim broodmare Soiree Seelster p, 2, 1:52.2s ($179,645), and is a half-brother to the Bettor’s Delight mare Shanghai Seelster p, 3, 1:52f ($113,757). Jody Jamison, the colt’s regular pilot, drives from post three.

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by Kimberly Rinker, for Harnesslink