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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Jordan Stratton is a low-key guy who stays away from being too boastful, but the harness racing driver who won four races to top the driver colony on the Saturday night card at The Meadowlands couldn’t help but crow a little about For Once Inmy Life (Downbytheseaside-Flyme To The Moon), whom he drove to victory in the $24,000 feature, a high-end conditioned pace.
“I think my horse is probably the sharpest horse on the grounds right now,” said the 37-year-old pilot.
Big talk. But hard to argue with.
In a field reduced to six starters after one scratch, Chase H Hanover, Brue Hanover and For Once Inmy Life were all away from the gate alertly. For Once Inmy Life, the 1-2 favorite, had the lead while parked at the quarter in a soft :28, and offered no resistance as 2-1 second choice Spring Inhis Step A popped out of the four-hole and with a quick burst of speed had the top at the half in :56.
There wasn’t much action heading to three-quarters, which was timed in 1:24, but there was shortly thereafter. As the field straightened away for the final three-sixteenths-of-a-mile, Stratton moved For Once Inmy Life from the pocket and sailed past Spring Inhis Step A with ease on the way to a decisive 1¾-length score in 1:50.4 after sprinting the final quarter in :26.4. Spring Inhis Step A held second in a good effort in his first parimutuel start since Dec. 28. Chase H Hanover was third.
“I just kind of played [the trip] by ear,” said Stratton. “I wanted to be close to the front. I was pretty confident [at the top of the stretch].
“I think he was always meant to be a good horse. He’s just coming into himself right now.”
FOR ONCE INMY LIFE REPLAY
A 5-year-old gelding who is owned by Winters Racing Stable and trained by Jordan’s brother, Cory, For Once Inmy Life, who has been first or second in seven Big M outings since his Nov. 30 arrival, returned $3 to his backers after winning for the 10th time in 45 lifetime starts. Victorious in two straight and four of his last five, he now has lifetime earnings of $366,365.
CARRYOVER CRAZY: A carryover of $28,744 enticed bettors to pour an astonishing $183,943 of “new money” into the 20-cent Pick-5 pool for a grand total of $212,687.
Unlike the Friday night sequence that created the carryover, winner’s odds Saturday were a more reasonable 6-1, 17-1, 3-2, 13-1 and 1-5. There were 66 winning tickets exchanged for $2,787.26 after the Ron Burke-trained, Yannick Gingras-driven Antognoni S scored as the heavy public choice in the payoff leg (race five), ending what turned out to be a de facto Pick-4.
A LITTLE MORE: Jordan Stratton’s followers had two big hits on the night. Two of his winners went off at odds of 3-2 and 1-2 while the others were sent to the gate at 17-1 and 56-1. … There were no winning tickets sold on the 20-cent Pick-6, creating a carryover of $5,153 for when racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m. The Pick-6 is offered on races eight through 13. … All-source wagering totaled $3,325,548 on the 14-race card, the biggest night of business thus far in 2025 at The Big M.
For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.
by Dave Little, for The Meadowlands
