Veteran trotter battles back at Big M

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Recently, times have been tough for Warrior One (Father Patrick-Yoga), a veteran whose lifetime earnings are nearing $800,000, but the Ron Burke trainee got back into the harness racing winner’s circle for the first time since June 20 Friday night in the $11,000 conditioned trotting feature at The Meadowlands, and looked impressive doing it to snap a seven-race losing streak.

“The way he’s been racing he should have been in non-winners of $1,000,” said a sarcastic winning owner-driver Yannick Gingras in the back paddock after the victory at the non-winners of $5,000 level. “But he has great class. He hasn’t been racing to his level [of late] but tonight he was really good.”

Warrior One sat a pocket to the quarter, where Love This Bar had the top in :28.4. Starlit Rambo then made his way to the point at the half, leading at that call in :57.3 as Warrior One vacated the rail from the three-hole at the five-eighths to go after the leader. He turned a 1-length deficit at three-quarters (Starlit Rambo was there in 1:27.2) into a 2-length edge at the top of the lane before going on to an easy 3-length score in 1:56.4. A pair of 38-1 longshots, Love This Bar and Altus Hanover, finished second and third, respectively.

“[In this class] it’s supposed to be easy for him and I think it was a step in the right direction,” said Gingras.

Little Expensive, the 4-5 favorite, was never involved on the way to a lackluster fifth-place finish.