Go Ahead Makemyday ships in to Big M and wins

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Hambletonian hopeful Go Ahead Makemyday (Walner) made his seasonal harness racing debut a winning one, taking the Friday night feature at The Meadowlands, a $17,500 high-end conditioned trot.

“He shipped down from Canada two days ago, so I didn’t want to be real, real rough on him,” said winning driver Dave Miller. “He got shuffled a bit but got the job done. He was a little tired at the wire but he did it. I just put him in position.”

Wanting to go easy on the 3-year-old son of Walner-Uvie Hanover, Miller asked his horse for early speed and raced in the two-hole out of the first turn as Te Quiero Lindy led the field past the quarter in :28.1. Diplomacy was on the move first-over at this point and cleared just after the three-eighths before reaching the half in :56.

As Finite went after the leader after following Diplomacy’s cover, Go Ahead Makemyday vacated the three-hole to pick up a live tow as Diplomacy and Finite hit three-quarters inches apart in 1:24.4.

GO AHEAD MAKEMYDAY REPLAY

Miller swung his horse off his cover just after three-quarters and was three-wide into the stretch, and engaged the top two, before inching his way clear with a little more than a sixteenth to go on the way to a safe 1¼-length win in 1:53.4. Hillookin was solid late to get second. Finite finished third.

“He looked a little tired at the end but I was happy with how he raced,” said winning trainer Blake MacIntosh. “He matured over the winter. We couldn’t get a race at [Mohawk] so we had to send him down [to New Jersey] a week earlier than we wanted to. We have New Jersey Sire Stakes next week. He’ll stay in my New York barn all summer through the Hambletonian.”

Owned by Van Camp Trotting Corp., C. MacIntosh, Mortgage Boys Stable and O.W. MacKay, Go Ahead Makemyday upped his lifetime numbers to four wins in nine starts, good for earnings of $119,229. As the 7-5 favorite, he returned $4.80 to win.

A LITTLE MORE: Brett Beckwith led the driver colony with four winners to pad his lead atop the Big M standings. The 22-year-old now has 71 victories this year, 18 more than Jason Bartlett, who is currently second in the dash-win race. … Big M TV talent Dave Little stayed hot with his “Little’s Late Double” segment. He gave out a winning ticket for the fourth straight race card, this time cashing in for $139 for his $36 investment. He also hit the Late Pick-4 for $102. … All-source handle on the 14-race card totaled $1,651,460. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m.

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

by Dave Little, for The Meadowlands