Tetrick drives both winners in Goldsmith Maid elims

The Meadowlands hosted Grand Circuit harness racing action Saturday (Nov. 18) with two $20,000 elimination divisions of the Goldsmith Maid for two-year-old trotting fillies. Driver Tim Tetrick swept both divisions and now has a tough task on deciding whom to drive in the final.

The first four official finishers from each division and one of the two fifth place finishers will return next Saturday, Nov. 25 for the $428,000 Goldsmith Maid Final. Also in the final will be Sambuca Hanover, who received a bye into the final.

The first Goldsmith Maid division was the 3^rd race where Honey’s Sweet (Yannick Gingras) was able to grind her way to the early lead over Pisco Sour (Ake Svanstedt) to the opening quarter in :29.3.

Then coming first-over with a brush was the 1/5 race favorite, Soiree Hanover (Walner) and driver Tim Tetrick. They moved right to the lead and took the field past the half mile in a soft :59.1.

It was not until approaching the final turn that driver Jordan Stratton) started up first-over with Walcango with Pizzelle (Andy McCarthy) following the live cover second-over. Soiree Hanover tripped the three-quarters timer at 1:28.1.

Tetrick was able to keep Soiree Hanover in command coming down the stretch and held off Pizzelle to win by a half a length in 1:55.4. Honey’s Sweet was third with Walcango fourth. Fifth was Pisco Sour.

SOIREE HANOVER REPLAY

It was the fifth career win for Soiree Hanover. She has won four of her last five starts. The one loss was by a head in the $700,000 Breeders Crown. Trained by Lucas Wallin, Soiree Hanover is owned by Snogarps Gard, Inc. of Delray Beach, FL and was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms. She paid $2.60 to win. With the victory, Soiree Hanover now has earnings of $603,675.

“I tried not to put her on the lead,” said Tim Tetrick of Soiree Hanover. “I just think she’s so good following the helmet. The way it was going to shake out I was going to sit third off really slow fractions. I just went ahead and moved her to the front.”

The second Goldsmith Maid elimination division was the 5^th race, and it was the fastest of the two divisions. French Champagne (Ake Svanstedt) was first on the lead with Glamorous Hanover (Todd McCarthy) sitting second, but by the opening quarter in :28.2, McCarthy pulled the pocket-seat and went to the front.

Then coming first-over was the even money race favorite R Melina (Chapter Seven) with Tim Tetrick in the sulky and they had to work some to get by Glamourous Hanover at the half mile in :57.

Once settled on the lead, R Melina held the field at bay by the three-quarters in 1:25.2 and then she sprinted home to win in a romp by four and three-quarter lengths in 1:53.4. Glamorous Hanover was second with French Champagne third, Paulina Hanover (Andy McCarthy) fourth and Ice Cream (Scott Zeron) fifth.

R MELINA REPLAY

It was the second straight win and seventh victory in just ten lifetime starts for R Melina. She is trained by John Butenschoen for M & L Of Delaware and the Alabama Harness Association. She paid $4.00 to win and was bred by Marsh Valley Standardbreds of Ohio.

“Once I got by the half,” Tetrick explained. “And the way the track was playing and unsure with those big fractions for this time of the year and she just kept marching. I went on a little at the three-quarters and she was just super good tonight.”

And who is Tetrick going to pick to drive in the Goldsmith Maid Final next week?

“It’s a tough call,” Tetrick said. “I’m gonna have to sleep on that one. They are both really good mares. I sorta know which way I am going to go, but it will be a very tough decision.”

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

by Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink