Antognoni S scores at Big M

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Giancarlo Antognoni is regarded as one of the best Italian soccer players of all time. While it’s a stretch to consider Antognoni S as one of the best trotters ever, the Ron Burke trainee took another step toward being a very good one after taking the Saturday night harness racing co-feature at The Meadowlands, a $17,500 high-end conditioned trot.

Since his arrival in America from Sweden two weeks ago, he has won both of his starts at the mile oval with the ease of a penalty kick with no goalkeeper.

Sent to the gate as the 1-9 favorite, Antognoni S had a bit of trouble heading to the quarter, but driver Dave Miller kept things together after the 5-year-old gelded son of Father Patrick-Bouncing Bax went parked around the first turn before briefly finding a four-hole tuck.

“I was starting to get a little concerned [in the early going],” said Miller. “I was just kind of floating. It wasn’t looking good in the first turn, so I just went ahead [to the lead]. He was strong right to the wire.”

Out just after the three-eighths, Antognoni S cleared the top before the five-eighths with an authoritative brush past Little Expensive, who had the point at the half in :57.1.

Antognoni S had no problems from there, sailing past three-quarters in 1:24.2 before reporting home an easy 5½-length winner in 1:53.2. Winter Soldier was second with Little Expensive third.

“He felt pretty comfortable [in the stretch],” said Miller. “He was doing that pretty much on his own. He felt good the whole way.”

ANTOGNONI S REPLAY

Owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, FAC Racing and Yannick Gingras, Antognoni S returned $2.20 to his backers. He’s now won eight of 22 lifetime starts.

Gingras, who drove Antognoni S in his U.S. debut last week, is high on his horse. “We bought him hoping he would be a nice horse and maybe a high-level trotter on the smaller tracks. So far, we like him and are happy with what he’s done so far.”

‘CHASE’ IMPRESSES: Off consecutive third-place finishes in races won by For Once Inmy Life and Brue Hanover, respectively, Chase H Hanover (Captaintreacherous-Calgary Hanover) got to be the bully of the playground in the co-featured $17,500 high-end conditioned pace.

Driver Jordan Stratton fired away from post nine and had his horse on the lead at every call on the way to a 1:50.2 win by 1¼ lengths over the pocket-sitting Lyons Steel. Mad Max Hanover was third.

The race set up as a matchup between “Chase” and 2-1 second choice – and eventual fourth-place finisher – Sherlock N, who pressed the winner around the far turn.

“I was a little nervous because I know how good that horse is,” said Stratton. “But when I called on my horse, he was all business.

“[Lyons Steel was right behind me] and felt like he had a lot of pace, but I shut him off [in deep stretch].”

CHASE H HANOVER REPLAY

Chase H Hanover, a 7-year-old gelding who is trained by Jordan’s brother, Cory, returned $4.80 as the 7-5 favorite. The earner of over $1 million has won 30 of 101 lifetime starts for owners El Dorado Stables and Robert M. Weinstein.

A LITTLE MORE: A carryover of $21,413 led to players putting $107,130 of “new money” into the 20-cent Pick-6 pool. After a sequence that saw winner’s odds of 9-2, 1-9, 7-5, 3-1, 4-5 and 6-5, winning tickets were exchanged for $126.96. … Jason Bartlett led the driver colony with three victories. … Cory Stratton, Joe Bongiorno and Bill Mac Kenzie topped the trainers with a pair of winners each. … All-source handle on the 14-race card was $3,611,100, the biggest night of business thus far this year at The Big M. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Dave Little, for The Meadowlands