M-M’s Dream dominates in $131,250 Steele Memorial

M-M’s Dream (Swan For All) staked her claim as the top aged trotting mare with a dominating front-end win in the $131,250 Dr. John R. Steele Memorial in Grand Circuit harness racing action at The Meadowlands on Saturday afternoon (August 5th).

The 1:50.0 lifetime-best score marked the second time in a row that she has beaten Jiggy Jog S. (Dexter Dunn), who was previously unbeaten in four 2023 starts. Dave Miller sent M-M’s Dream to the front immediately, perhaps aided in his quest for the lead by assumed pacesetter Fashion Schooner (Tim Tetrick) breaking at the start.

Victorious driver Miller said he was surprised that his trip worked out the way it did. “Yeah the race didn’t go nothing like I thought,” he said. “When Timmy’s mare made a break leaving, I thought for sure Dexter would be coming. In the middle of the first turn, I was all by myself and we just kind of took it as easy as we could, and she had lots left.

It was a virtual cakewalk as M-M’s dream set unstressed fractions of 27.2 and 55.4. No rival moved on her until Bob McClure pulled Warrawee Xenia’s right line with 3/8ths of a mile to go. Jiggy Jog S followed Warrawee Xenia, but she was soon sent three-wide by Dunn, who wasn’t content with his cover as the three-quarters were reached in 1:24.0.

When they fanned out for home, M-M’s dream accelerated and it was apparent that she wasn’t going to be caught. Jiggy Jog S provided futile chase, but she fell short by 2 1/2 lengths while trotting a sub-26 kicker. Warrawee Xenia stuck around for third, another length back and Raised By Lindy finished fourth.

M-M’S DREAM REPLAY

In winning for the fifth time in seven starts this year, the Ron Burke trained M-M’s Dream boosted her lifetime earnings to just over $1.075 million for Eleven Star Stable of Indiana, Frank Baldachino of New Jersey and Hillside Stables of Ohio. She has now won 23 of her 29 starts.

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

by Garnet Barnsdale, for Harnesslink