East Rutherford, NJ – Stellar Yankee has been waiting to get the right trip after starting the season winless in four tries, and that trip came in the Saturday (Feb. 21) night feature at The Meadowlands, a $19,000 high-end claiming pace for horses sporting a price tag of no less than $40,000 and no more than $60,000.
The 8-year-old son of Always B Miki-Somethinginawater had something else going for him. Regular driver Jordan Stratton was back in the bike behind the gelding, who is trained by Jordan’s brother, Cory.
“I was kinda getting used to not racing for a month and a half,” said Jordan of his well-deserved time off, “but I was glad to get back tonight.”
So, too, were his backers, who collected $19.60 to win for the 8-1 third choice in the betting.
The action was hot from the start, and Jordan was happy to sit in the three-hole off the early duel between Typhoon Banner N, who led while parked at the quarter in :26.2, before Sun Of A Show made a second move to the top and sprinted past the half in a dazzling :53.2 while Boston Bound pushed the pace-setter from first-over.
Stellar Yankee now made his way into the fray, vacating the rail and getting into striking position second-over.
Boston Bound determinedly grinded his way to the lead at three-quarters in 1:21.1 as Stellar Yankee vaulted off that one’s cover and raced with a clear path through the stretch. It took until the sixteenth pole to get past a stubborn Boston Bound, but Stellar Yankee took the top and held on to record a neck win in a lifetime-best 1:49.3, an impressive accomplishment for a horse making his 195th lifetime start with a bankroll in excess of $447,000.
Soho Santorini A, the winner of this event a week ago, finished second with no excuse as the 6-5 favorite after following a live tow from the eventual winner. Caviart Lotus displayed good late energy from third-over to get third.
“I just wanted to be up close to the pace,” said Jordan, who last drove ‘Yankee’ on Dec. 6, a half-dozen outings ago. “When that horse (Boston Bound) was parked, we benefited. But I was definitely nervous (in deep stretch) because any horse could have won it. I was lucky enough to trip out with the hot fractions.”
CARRYOVER REPORT: The $1 PK 8 went unhit for a third consecutive offering, creating a carryover of $61,232 for when racing resumes. Winner’s odds for the sequence were 2-1, 20-1, 3-5, 4-1, 8-1, 5-2, 3-1 and 12-1. Those with six correct collected $448.20.
A double 20-cent Pick-6 carryover of $11,632 coaxed players to pour $43,490 of “new money” into the pool, and after a sequence where winner’s odds were 5-2, 3-1, 12-1, 1-1, 9-5 and 6-1, three winning tickets were exchanged for $16,199.74.
A LITTLE MORE: Braxten Boyd and Brett Beckwith tied for most driving wins on the card with three. … Geovany Hernandez led the trainers with a pair of victories after seeping the late double, which paid $46.00 … All-source handle on the 14-race program totaled $2,788,640. … Racing resumes Friday (Feb. 27) at 6 p.m.