Newsroom stars in New Jersey Classic

Newsroom (Always B Miki) was the star of the harness racing show at the Meadowlands on Friday night (Sep. 8), dominating while pacing the fastest mile by a two-year-old in North America this year.

The Joe Holloway trainee kept his perfect record intact with flair, scoring by five-and-a-half lengths in 1:49.4 in the $150,000 New Jersey Classic.

It was the first of two wins in these lucrative sires stakes finals for owner Val D’Or Farms, who teamed up with Hall of Famers Holloway and Miller for another win later in the card.

Miller used Newsroom to get position leaving the gate and sat fourth through the first quarter while other leavers took turns on the lead. At the 27.0 opening quarter, Miller sent his colt to the front and once he made front he was never seriously challenged.

He paced a solid 54.0 opening half and the three-quarters in 1:22.1 without facing a serious challenge. At that point, Miller asked Newsroom to step away from pocket sitter Wish You Well (Yannick Gingras) and Newsroom responded with a 27.3 kicker to bury his rivals. Newsroom was a five-length winner with Wish You Well staying for second ahead of Caviart Justice (Dexter Dunn). Acellino (Andrew McCarthy) closed late for fourth.

The victorious colt was praised in the winner’s circle by his driver. “He impressed me tonight,” Miller said. “He got stretched pretty good there and he still felt good around the last turn. I asked him through the stretch, and he went on. I never pulled the plugs, I was on him, but I was on him.”

Miller indicated that the Newsroom’s tank was not emptied, however. “I was telling Joe (trainer Holloway) when I was pulling up that if a horse was at him, he could have went a little more.” Miller added that time is irrelevant, the winning purse is most important.

Newsroom added $75,000 to his earnings for Val D’or Farms and the fifth win in as many starts boosted his earnings to just under $119,000. The big favorite returned only $2.20 to win.

In the $275,000 New Jersey Classic for two-year-old trotting fillies, Soiree Hanover (Walner) made an impressive stretch sweep from ninth to get up by a neck on the line for driver Tim Tetrick. It was a move reminiscent of the one made by Tetrick and Heaven Hanover in this year’s Hambletonian Oaks as Soiree Hanover flew when shown racetrack and stormed past her rivals on the far outside.

There were several rivals in contention as the field fanned out six-wide coming down the lane with favored leader Chaparmbro (Brian Sears) trying to hold off several onrushing rivals after cutting reasonable fractions of 27.1, 56.0 and 1:25.0.

At the wire, the first six finishers were only two lengths apart with Soiree Hanover prevailing by a neck in over Chaparmbro in a new lifetime best of 1:53.1. Buy A Round (Andrew McCarthy) closed for third, a length behind the winner. Warrawee Michelle (Dexter Dunn) finished fourth.

Winning trainer Lucas Wallin seemed unsurprised by his filly’s wicked late brush that translated into a 26.4 final quarter. “I know she can finish really good, and she really did,” he beamed.

Soiree Hanover was taking her third win in five starts for owner Snogarps Gard Inc of Florida and she has now earned just under $200,000. She paid $14.90 to win.

Tactical Mounds (Tactical Landing) showed her versatility winning from The Meadowlands post 10 for the second time in five weeks, but this time leading most of the way to take the $275,000 New Jersey Classic for three-year-old trotting fillies.

Sent forward leaving the gate by driver Scott Zeron, Tactical Mounds took over the lead at the three-eights pole and never relinquished it on her way to a 1:52 1/5 score that equaled her lifetime best mark taken at the same track on August 5th. On that day, she closed from last to beat nine rivals in the Continental Victory Stakes.

Favored Quick Stop (Tim Tetrick) was the first leader, but she was soon overtaken by The Wise One (Dexter Dunn) who reached the opening quarter in a tepid 28.2. But Tactical Mounds was in pursuit, and she assumed command after three eighths and led the field past a 56.0 half.

Zeron stepped the pace up heading to three quarters and grabbed some lengths on Tactical Mounds’ rivals in 1:24.1. From there, Zeron kept his charge to task, and she held off closing Quick Stop by a neck. Blonde Bombshell closed for third ahead of Secret Volo (Brian Sears).

Trained by Megan Scran, Tactical Mounds paid $11 while taking her fifth win in 14 starts this year for fractional ownership group The Stable.ca. She has now earned more than $224,000. This was the biggest win for The Stable, which was created by horseman Anthony Macdonald and his wife Amy in 2015. The milestone was not lost on Macdonald.

“Many of our clients are small share owners and this filly shows us why fractional ownership is so important for the growth of our industry,” he noted. “An opportunity to experience the Meadowlands winners circle on a working man/woman’s budget is an asset to our sport. Megan has done a great job managing her and Scotty always has her in the right place. No matter the fractional outfit, a win like this really is a win for everyone in our industry.”

Unbeaten Sig Sauer (Muscle Hill) took the lead after three-eighths of a mile and was never headed from there in winning for the fourth time in as many starts, taking the $275,000 New Jersey Classic for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

The Noel Daley trainer was content to sit back and watch three early leadership changes through an opening quarter in 28.2. When the dust settled, Andrew McCarthy moved Sig Sauer to the front. He the led through a 57.0 half and 1:26 three quarters and he would prove too tough off those tepid fractions.

Sig Sauer held sway by a length over Mosquito (Brian Sears) who finished three-quarters of a length back in third. Hankins Hanover was fourth. Favored Sig Sauer paid $3.80 to win while taking his earnings to $285,000 for owners Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco and Jaf Racing of New York and Allister Stables of New Jersey and Caviart Farms of Virginia.

Daley noted that it took Sig Sauer a while to figure things out, but now that he did, he has shown how good he can be.

“He’s a very strong horse; he took a while just to get his gait going,” he explained. “Since then, I think he’s a pretty good horse.” He added that Sig Sauer’s narrow victory in last week’s New Jersey Classic leg is deceiving. “I think he gives only what he has to,” he said. “I think there is a lot left in the tank. We’ll go to Kentucky and that will suit him. The plan is two starts there and two in the Breeders Crown and that will be it for him. He is a big strong horse and we’d like to bring him back for next year.”

Val D’or Farms doubled up when Blue Pacific (Sweet Lou) unleashed a wicked stretch brush to get up by a neck in a stellar 1:50.3 to win the $150,000 New Jersey Classic for rookie filly pacers.

Dave Miller, who was also taking his second NJ Classic win with trainer Joe Holloway, was content to sit back and watch an action filled 55.0 opening half that featured several lead changes. She was still fifth as favored Pulp Fiction led to the three quarters in 1:22.2. At that point, Tarrific (Dexter Dunn) popped the pocket and took off, opening a quick couple of lengths on the field.

Miller showed Blue Pacific open road and she stormed down the middle of the track in the final 1/16th, responding to furious Miller urging to shade a game Tarrific right on the wire.

A victorious Miller said he felt confident as the fillies paced down the lane. “In the last turn she felt pretty strong,” Miller said, “I thought I was too far out and they were going pretty fast but at the head of the lane I moved her over and she was going forward and halfway down the stretch I was feeling confident that she was going to get there.”

Blue Pacific paid $8.60 as second choice while breaking her maiden in style in only her second start. The $53,000 Harrisburg sale purchase has now earned $76,800.

Air Power (Muscle Hill) made a third quarter power move past stablemate Oh Well and went on to an impressive 1:51.0 score as the even money favorite in the $275,000 New Jersey Classic Final for sophomore colts and geldings.

It was the second consecutive sharp win for Air Power after getting a month’s rest following a failed Hambletonian bid where he never entered contention in his elimination as the 9 to 5 favorite, breaking stride at the top of the stretch while languishing near the back.

Air Power’s re-emergence in the division was signalled with a powerful 1:52 win from post seven in a New Jersey Classic leg last week after requalifying well on August 16th. In Friday night’s final, he was driven with total confidence by Mattias Melander and it paid off.

Melander was content to sit fourth while Little Expensive led through an opening quarter in 28.0. Oh Well assumed command before the 55.4 half, but Air Power was starting his decisive move. He took over the lead just before the 1:23.3 three quarters then held his stablemate safe by a length. Little Expensive stayed for third and Celebrity Bambino (Yannick Gingras) closed for fourth. The first two finished are trained by Marcus Melander.

Air Power took his fifth win in eight 2023 starts after going 0 for three last year at two. He has earned just over $325,000 for owners Lighthouse Stable of Florida, Kenneth Kjellgren of Sweden, and Rick  Wahlstedt and Heights Stable both of New York.

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

by Garnet Barnsdale, for Harnesslink