Papis Pistol dominates $148,500 Kindergarten final

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Following a lifetime-best 1:49.3 score in his final Kindergarten Series preliminary a week ago, Papis Pistol (Papi Rob Hanover) proved every bit as dominant in Saturday’s (Nov. 9) $148,500 Kindergarten harness racing final for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings at the Meadowlands with a facile 1:50.3 victory.

Driver Andy Miller was content to let the Papi Rob Hanover-Bang Bang colt settle just off the front flight in the race’s early stages, floating into a four-hole tuck as Tom Horn (driven by David Miller) led early before yielding to Manolete (Scott Zeron) just beyond a :27 first quarter. Papis Pistol got the green light from Miller with five-eighths to go, and he brushed authoritatively to the fore approaching the :55.3 half and maintained an uncontested lead through the far turn.

“I was letting him settle a little bit, and then I moved him up the backside,” said Miller of his early strategy. “He just cruised along; he was well within himself finishing, too.”

After hitting three-quarters in 1:23.1 without a threat in sight and the first-over Attaboychet stalled off the home turn, Papis Pistol kicked clear of Manolete in upper stretch and widened his lead to three lengths at the winning post while in hand.

Manolete, off the 3-1 second choice, was a no-match second to the 1-5 favorite; early leader Tom Horn finished third.

“I think [Zeron, with Manolete] was willing to take the best trip and take a shot at me in the lane,” Miller continued. “But my horse was really strong…. I was letting him pace through there. Nobody was getting to my wheel, so I let him go where he was comfortable.”

Sam DePinto trains Papis Pistol for Shannon DePinto, Chris Arvanitis and Anthony Perretti.

PAPIS PISTOL REPLAY

Now a four-time winner from 13 starts, Papis Pistol increased his career earnings to $155,821 with the Kindergarten championship. He paid $2.60 to win.

KINDERGARTEN CONSOLATIONS: In the $55,000 Kindergarten consolation for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters, Net Weight made his third lifetime start a winning one, coming from off the pace to gun down 1-5 favorite Yannick G Kemp as the 2-1 second choice in 1:56.4. The son of Muscle Hill-Air Quote Hanover was driven by Johnathan Ahle and trained by Noel Daley.

Papi’s Rocket nipped 2-5 public choice Railroad Station in the $47,700 Kindergarten consolation for 2-year-old colts and geldings on the pace in 1:52.1. The 6-5 second choice, a son of Papi Rob Hanover-Real Touch, was piloted by Yannick Gingras and trained by Ron Burke.

A LITTLE MORE: Dave Miller led the driver colony with three winners on the card. … Burke led the conditioners with a training triple. … There is one huge night of racing left on The Big M’s 2024 calendar, as an estimated $2.65 million will be up for grabs on Fall Final Four/FanDuel Championships Night on Saturday, Nov. 30. … All-source handle totaled $2,633,487 on the 14-race program. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.

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

by James Witherite, for the Hambletonian Society