Co-features are the fastest miles of the year

The co-feature Open events at the Meadowlands produced the fastest miles of the year in North America Saturday, both on the trot and on the pace.

Lovedbythemasses continued his winning ways at the Meadowlands Saturday night, showing his heels to a tough field of Open-Handicap harness racing trotters.

The $31,500 sixth race co-feature began with Yanks Dugout (David Miller) taking the early lead with Angel Nation (Tyler Miller) getting the two-hole pocket-trip to the first quarter in :26.4.

Already on the move was Hillexotic for driver Yannick Gingras and they cleared to the front before the half mile and then it was the even money race favorite, Lovedbythemasses and driver Tim Tetrick surging to the lead by the half mile in :54.4.

Going towards the final turn, Ake Svandstedt came first-over with Back Of The Neck, giving second-over cover to Street Gossip (Dexter Dunn).

As the field passed the three-quarters in 1:23.4, Tetrick and Lovedbythemasses said goodbye to the field, pulling away in the stretch to win with ease by two and three-quarter lengths in 1:51. Yanks Dugout closed to be second with Hillexotic third.

It was the fastest mile by a trotter this year in North America.

LOVEDBYTHEMASSES REPLAY

For Lovedbythemasses, it was his fifth win in just six starts this year. The five-year-old gelding by Muscle Mass is trained by Jeff Cullipher, who co-owns the trotter with Pollack Racing, LLC. The winner paid $4.20.

Speed was the order of the night at the Meadowlands as in the 10^th race $31,500 Open for four-year-old pacers saw the fastest pacing mile of the year.

It was Red Right Hand and driver Scott Zeron leaving from post six, getting parked out by Bettors Donttell (Yannick Gingras) to an opening quarter mile in :26.2.

Red Right Hand was comfortable on the front-end, leading the field past the half mile in :54.3. Then in the backstretch, Goldie’s Legacy Tim Tetrick) was first-over with One Eight Hundred (Dexter Dunn) following second-over, but at the three-quarters in 1:22.2 they could not gain ground on Red Right Hand.

Then in an amazing effort, Red Right Hand kicked in a :25.4 final quarter mile to win ease by two and one-half lengths in 1:48.1. Bettors Donttell was second with Betterrock (Joe Bongiorno) third.

RED RIGHT HAND REPLAY

It was a lifetime mark for Red Right Hand, a four-year-old stallion by Captaintreacherous and his sixth win in ten starts this year for trainer Nancy Takter. He is co-owned by Christina Takter with Nancy Takter, JAF Racing and Joe Sbrocco. He paid $6.00 to win.

In the 12^th race $31,500 Open Pace for older horses, the race belonged to Let It Ride N.

Sent off as the 7/5 race favorite, Let It Ride N and driver Dexter Dunn waited as No Lou Zing (Joe Bongiorno) took the early lead away from J M Mandamin (Brian Sears) by the opening quarter mile in :27.1.

Then it was Let It Ride N and Dunn moving swiftly to the lead before the half mile in :55.3. Let It Ride N then held the field at bay as they past the three-quarters in 1:23.1.

With a :25.2 last quarter mile, Let It Ride N tore away from the field in the stretch to win by three open lengths in 1:48.3. No Lou Zing was second with Workin Ona Mystery (Tim Tetrick) third.

LET IT RIDE N REPLAY

It was the fifth win in ten starts on the year for Let It Ride N. A New Zealand bred nine-year-old gelding by Rock N Roll Hanover, he is trained by Nifty Norman for owners William Hartt and the Enzed Racing Stable, paying $4.80 to win.

BIG BETTING: With the Pick-4 races serving as the catalyst, all-source wagering totaled $3,164,022 on the 13-race card.

Action on the sixth race was $285,431 as the Early 50-cent Pick-4 took in $103,089 while a total of $299,884 was put in play on the 10^th, with $103,988 on the Late P4.

MATURATION PROCESS: Before the betting card, there were four New Jersey Breeders Maturity non-wagering events conducted for 4-year-olds.

The first dash, for horses and geldings on the pace that went for $12,500, went to Fika Time in a walkover in 1:58. He is a gelded son of Sunfire Blue Chip-Raiders Favorite who is trained and driven by Chase Vandervort.

Mikala took the $12,500 mares pace wire-to-wire in 1:53. The George Brennan-driven, Nik Drennan-trained daughter of Always B Miki-Shes Some Treasure paced her back half in a sensational :53.1 to defeat 2021 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and James Lynch winner Grace Hill by 1¾ lengths.

Ledges tracked the speedy Trixstar from the start until deep stretch before powering past that foe to win an exciting two-horse race for mare trotters, the $30,000 NJBM Final, by a half-length in 1:58. Trained and driven by Harry Landy, Ledges is an offspring of Muscle Hill-Best Of Dreams.

Finally, Sonofamistery, who won a division of the 2021 Stanley Dancer Memorial, took the $40,000 NJBM Final for horses and geldings on the trot. He scored by a half-length from just off the pace over Jula Muscle Pack in 1:53. The son of Muscle Hill-Mistery Woman is trained by Marcus Melander and was driven by Brian Sears.

A LITTLE MORE: Todd McCarthy registered four winners to lead the driver colony while Norman trained a pair to victory lane after sweeping the Late Daily Double. … There were no winning tickets sold in the 20-cent Pick-6, creating a carryover of $8,353 for the next program. Those with five correct collected $138.12. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.

For complete race results, click here.

By Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink