Buy A Round impressive in $250,000 NJ Classic

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Hambletonian Oaks runner-up Buy A Round (Walner) breezed over the top of her harness racing peers and R Charm (Propulsion) burst off a helmet to win in the $250,000 New Jersey Classic finals for 3-year-old and 2-year-old trotting fillies, respectively, on Friday night (Sept. 6) at The Meadowlands.

Buy A Round ripped from third over without any urging from driver Andrew McCarthy to score a 1:51.4 win pulling away in the 3-Year-Old Filly Trot.

The Noel Daley trainee this time had speed to chase after just missing from a first-half crawl in the elimination. Once Chaparmbro planted onto the point past a :27.4 first quarter, all eyes waited on the move by 1-2 favorite Warrawee Michelle, who plotted her course of attack from fourth. Eventually the pursuers forced her hand, and she led the two-wide tier first up into a :56.4 half.

Warrawee Michelle blitzed Chaparmbro around the final turn and seized the lead trotting to three-quarters in 1:24.4, leaving second-over Soiree Hanover with open road into the straightaway. Despite the brazen far-turn rush, Warrawee Michelle levelled off in the stretch as did Soiree Hanover to her outside. But McCarthy came calling with Buy A Round without raising the whip or a muscle to swoop to the lead and pull clear to victory by a widening two lengths. Stablemate Miss I La pounced off a ground-saving trip to take second with Warrawee Michelle holding third from Soiree Hanover in fourth.

“The performance at Pocono was pretty dull [in the Delmonica Hanover]. That was first-time Lasix, so they decided to take her back off it and she’s been super sharp ever since,” McCarthy said. “I figured if they moved along a little bit more, we should be okay tonight. She’s just so fast. Crazy fast. If you wait for the right time, she can usually pick them off.”

BUY A ROUND REPLAY

Out of the Cantab Hall mare On Your Tab, Buy A Round won her third race from nine starts this season and her ninth race from 18 starts in her career, good for $680,558 in earnings. She races for owner-breeder Fred Hertrich III and paid $8 to win.

R Charm emerged from the pack in a stretch sprint to collar tempo-setter Kendra and pull a 19-1 upset in the 2-Year-Old Filly Trot.

“Everything worked out perfectly,” for R Charm as trainer Linda Toscano said after the race. Driver Scott Zeron found the filly a seat to a :27.2 first quarter in fifth, a prime nest to catch a second-over ride as Lady Landia began her uncovered pursuit out of fourth after Kendra to a :56.4 half.

Zeron steadily tipped R Charm from Lady Landia’s cover spinning off three-quarters in 1:26.1 and gathered steam while Kendra sputtered to the ropes. R Charm kept chugging and chugging, unfettered by the late-stretch break by Lady Landia, to overhaul Kendra in the last eighth and draw off to a two-length victory in a lifetime-best 1:53.3. Delaney Hanover, the 1-5 favorite, recovered from traffic trouble to snatch second from Kendra while Santa Caterina closed for fourth.

“I like this filly – I loved her every start,” Linda Toscano said. “It was unfortunate going for big money in Canada that she made a break [in the Peaceful Way Stakes], but tonight I’m watching it unfold and I’m saying ‘This is exactly what I was hoping. Let’s just hope she has some trot in the stretch,’ and she did.”

R CHARM REPLAY

R Charm, out of the Credit Winner mare and Linda Toscano graduate Jewels In Hock, won her second race from eight starts and has now banked $149,264 for lessee M&L of Delaware LLC. She paid $40.40 to win.

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

by Ray Cotolo, for The Meadowlands