from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

Top Flight, Domination and JD Easter Magic, all trained by Noel Daley, are a formidable entry in the $87,400 Senior Trendsetter Final on Sunday afternoon at the Meadowlands.

The three-horse entry is rated as the 5-2 second choice on the morning line in the event for four-year-old stallion and gelding pacers. Top Flight will start from the rail; Domination from post three and JD Easter Magic from post seven.

Ritch Art, winner of four straight, is the 9-5 morning line favorite from post eight [betting number six], with Cat Manzi in the sulky.

Top Flight and Domination are owned by the Adam Victor & Son Stable of New York City, while JD Easter Magic races for the New Jersey-based partnership of D’Elegance Stable IX [Victor and Joseph Leonardis] of Florham Park, Carmen Iannacone of Lyndhurst and RCE Stable [John and Lamia Guarniere] of Princeton.

When driver Ron Pierce had trouble deciding between Top Flight and Domination, Daley made the selection.

“It was Ron’s [Pierce] choice who he wanted to drive,” Daley said. “He couldn’t choose between the two of them so I put him on Top Flight. I think he is more talented. He is not the soundest of horses. He has had some breathing problems. He has shown ability, but he hasn’t come all the way. Domination has done the same thing. He has shown ability at times but has not stepped up.”

A $110,000 Tattersalls Sale yearling purchase, Top Flight’s racing career was delayed by breathing problems at two. He was operated on using an experimental tie forward procedure at Cornell University in September of 2002.

“Top Flight flips his palate at times and shuts off his air,” he said. “His mother [Take Flight] won a Breeders Crown at two and didn’t race at three because she had the same breathing problems. I guess he inherited that from her. He has been like this ever since I had him as a yearling. He seems quite good right now, but you just can’t get him too excited.”

Top Flight recorded two victories, four seconds and one third in 11 starts at three. He finished second in two legs of the Matt’s Scooter Series and was third in a New Jersey Classic elimination at the Meadowlands. This season, the son of Life Sign has finished in-the-money in all three of his starts, winning by a neck in 1:53.1 in last week’s Senior Trendsetter leg.

Although Domination, who will be handled by David Miller, posted back-to-back victories in preliminary legs of the Senior Trendsetter, he has not raced to his full potential, according to Daley.

“I think he is a bit of an underachiever,” he said. “I think Top Flight has a lot more ability but it wouldn’t shock me if Domination won. Top Flight could do more work in the race and win. Domination, I could see him winning off a trip.”

The lightly raced four-year-old won two of seven starts last year and was briefly on the stakes trail, finishing seventh in a Meadowlands Pace elimination.

JD Easter Magic, previously trained by Augustus Schumatti at Dover Downs, entered Daley’s barn two months ago. Victor and Joseph Leonardis purchased him privately in March of 2003 and sold shares to Iannacone and Guarnieres on January 20, 2004.

“He doesn’t have the class of the other two but he has come along way,” said Daley, who has called on George Brennan to drive the son of Cam’s Magic Trick. “We weren’t even going to put him in this series, but we thought we would give him another start and give him a shot. I am happy with the way he has been racing, but I would be surprised if he beat the other two. He has only had a couple of starts with us.

“Top Flight and Domination have some stakes in Canada after this, and we will try to make them into racehorses or whatever we can,” Daley added. “They are four now. We have no lofty aspirations for them. We will do what we can with them.”

The Senior Trendsetter is one of six stakes featured during Winter Festival Weekend at the Meadowlands. Off the track, the theme is family fun on Sunday with an indoor carnival in the Grandstand. For the kids, there are interactive rides and games, clowns, face painting, caricatures and entertainment by DJ Bobbi.

$87,400 Senior Trendsetter [5th Race, Sunday, February 22, 2004]

Hd # PP Horse Driver Trainer ML
1 1 Top Flight Ron Pierce Noel Daley 5-2
1A 3 Domination David Miller Noel Daley 5-2
1B 7 JD Easter Magic George Brennan Noel Daley 5-2
2 2 Dream Believer Daniel Dube Kelly Stackowicz 10-1
3 4 Newsam Howard Parker Ernest Adam 6-1
4 5 Rosedale Mascot Mike Lachance Ken Rucker 12-1
5 6 Visitor Parking Jim Morrill Jr. Daniel Sheddan 5-1
6 8 Ritch Art Cat Manzi Darby Miller 9-5
7 9 What’s Demotta You Brian Sears Larry Remmen 10-1
8 10 Southwind Salem Yannick Gingras Mark Ford 15-1