Periculum never in danger in Big M win

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Periculum (Muscle Hill-Amour Heiress) is a Latin word that means danger, risk or peril, and lately, the horse with the same name has been creating that kind of chaos for his harness racing opponents at The Meadowlands, as the Marcus Melander trainee won the Friday night feature, an $18,000 high-end conditioned trot.

The 5-year-old usually does his best work from off the pace, but that’s not the way it went this time.

Seeking a third win in four seasonal tries, Periculum was away well from post six in the seven-horse field as Purple Lord had the lead out of the first turn and made it to the quarter in :27.2.

Driver Mattias Melander, Marcus’ brother, kept on going with Periculum while parked until they made it to the point just after the three-eighths. They raced past the half on an easy lead in :55.4, and when the pocket-sitting Purple Lord went off stride midway around the far turn, Periculum was left with a 2¾-length advantage at three-quarters in 1:24.1.

From there, the only thing in question was by how much the lifetime earner of $484,833 would win by, and he completed the mile in 1:51.3, 6¼ lengths ahead of second-place finisher Outside The Fire. Nelsonbriteagle NO was flying late for third in an effort that handicappers will no doubt take note of.

“It was a very good effort,” said Marcus of Periculum. “Especially doing it on the front. He’s usually best when he follows someone. But he’s been doing everything right so far this year except when he made that break in the Cutler. Next for him will probably be the Crawford Farms Trot in about three weeks. Maybe he’ll go in one overnight in between.”