Primary Colors doubles up, wins fifth in six

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – On May 21, Primary Colors recorded an electric 1:48 lifetime-best win over Pebble Beach in a high-end conditioned event at The Meadowlands. Proving that was no 12-1 fluke, the 4-year-old son of Jk Endofanera-Color’s A Virgin won again at The Big M Friday night, taking the $18,000 featured non-winners of $14,050 for pacers in 1:49.2, to win for the fifth time from just six starts in 2022. His lone loss came by a nose last week at Pocono Downs.

“I felt like I had the best horse,” said winning driver Corey Callahan. “He went a vicious mile the last time he was here.”

And he had another vicious mile on tap this time as well.

Away in no particular hurry from post one in the eight-horse field, Primary Colors was off the rail out of the three-hole and went after Whole Lotta Lou soon after that one led at the quarter in :26.4.

The John Butenschoen student took the point and hit the half in :54.4 before being pressed by Muscle Factory A at three-quarters in 1:23 as they turned into the stretch.

Primary Colors kept his first-over pursuer at bay and was sailing along on the point until deep stretch, when the pocket-sitting Whole Lotta Lou started to close in, but Callahan said that wasn’t much of a problem.

“There were only two of them leaving out of there,” said Callahan. “So everything worked out exactly as planned. My horse runs in a bit on the turns, and [driver] Toddy [McCarthy, driving Whole Lotta Lou] was able to get some room late. But when my horse saw him, he took off again.”

PRIMARY COLOURS REPLAY

Owned by Emerald Highland Farms, Primary Colors returned $4.20 to win as the even-money public choice. Whole Lotta Lou was three-quarters-of-a-length back in second with Muscle Factory A third. The winner now has eight victories from 23 lifetime starts, good for earnings of $72,575.

A LITTLE MORE: Braxten Boyd, Todd McCarthy and Mark MacDonald led the driver colony with two winners apiece. … Dave Brower took Night 3 of the “Battle of The Masterminds” handicapping contest after turning his mythical $500 bankroll into $990 after going three-for-three. Dave Little was second, cashing in for $953 after going two-for-two. … All-source handle totaled $2,310,240. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m.

For complete race results, click here.

by Dave Little, for The Meadowlands