Venerate beats 10 in $155,200 Cutler Memorial

Venerate (Love You) produced an instant return for new connections Saturday night, winning the featured $155,200 Arthur J. Cutler Memorial Trot in harness racing action from The Meadowlands.

The five-year-old, who was purchased as a four-year-old at last fall’s Harrisburg sale for $410,000 by trainer Marcus Melander and partners, took a new lifetime mark of 1:50 1/5 trotting to an impressive two-length score after racing first-over for the final 3/8ths of the mile over the sloppy track. It’s Academic, who made a move to the front passing the 1/2, hung on for second, a neck in front of closing Rattle My Cage. Early leader Hillexotic finished 4th and Bella Bellini finished an even fifth.

In rein to Hall of Famer Brian Sears, Venerate got away fourth at the start and watched Rattle My Cage, Hillexotic, and It’s Academic all take turns leading through contested fractions of :26.4 and :54.4. Sears guided his charge to the outside with 3/8ths remaining and he gained methodically on leader Hillexotic who reached the three-quarters in 1:22 4/5.

Bella Bellini tried to pick up Venerate’s cover but spun her wheels. Down the stretch, the winner’s 27-flat kick over the wet track was too much for his rivals and he won comfortably, taking the new life’s mark. He paid $9.60 to win. It was the seventh time that driver Brian Sears has won the Cutler Memorial.

VENERATE REPLAY

Melander indicated in the post-race interview that he wasn’t surprised by Venerate’s win. “He’s a strong horse, and he was very good in the qualifier, so we had high hopes for him leading to this race,” he said. He added that the five-year-old filled a void in his stable. “He was a nice horse, and we didn’t really have an Open trotter,” he explained. “That’s why we bought him.”

Meadowlands President Jeff Gural paid tribute to his late friend Arthur Cutler, for whom the race is named. “It’s always nice to come here and remember Artie,” Gural said. “He was just a wonderful guy.” He also mentioned a recent conversation he had with Sears. “I asked him: why don’t you drive here more, and he replied: “I’m too old,” he said, adding with a chuckle, “so there ya go.”

Venerate, who won the inaugural Mohawk Million at two, has now taken 12 wins from 33 starts with two 2nds and six 3rds and the Cutler win put him over $1 million in earnings. Melander indicated that he is “staked to everything” and his next start would likely come in three weeks at The Meadowlands in an Open trot in preparation for his next stakes engagement.

A LITTLE MORE: Billy Clyde, a 5-year-old son of Always B Miki-Jan It Jackson, made it five wins in his last six Meadowlands starts after emerging victorious in his first Big M outing since the middle of September in the overnight feature, a $25,000 Open 1 for pacers, hitting the finish in 1:50.3 after leading at every call. The Ray Schnittker trainee, who took his mark of 1:47.3 on Hambletonian Day last year, was driven by Mark MacDonald and returned $12.00 to win. … For a 19^th consecutive Saturday night this year (excluding the one card that was not raced to completion due to bad weather), handle topped the $3-million mark as a total of $3,520,346 was pushed through the windows on the 14-race card. … Andy McCarthy led the driver colony with three walks down victory lane while Melander and Ake Svanstedt were the top trainers with two winners apiece. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.

For complete race results, click here.

 by Garnet Barnsdale, for Harnesslink