by James Witherite, Meadowlands racing media

East Rutherford, NJ — Buddy Hally ($33.20) unleashed a vicious first-over push through the last three-eighths of a mile in Friday evening’s (Dec. 9) co-featured $13,000 fourth level trotting event at the Meadowlands, putting away Opulent Yankee with ease and evading 2012 Hambletonian winner Market Share for a 1:52.3 triumph.

Lisa Photo

Buddy Hally makes a statement in his 1:52.3 victory at the Meadowlands on Friday evening.

The 6-year-old Angus Hall gelding floated forward in the initial stages, securing a clear tracking spot behind the top pair of Opulent Yankee (Andy Miller) and Waiting On a Woman (Joe Bongiorno) through initial splits of :27.2 and :56.2. With seven-sixteenths to go and a gradually advancing Market Share (Tim Tetrick) improving into the mid-division, Corey Callahan angled Buddy Hally first-over, and they accelerated to press immediately, dueling into a joint lead with Opulent Yankee a quarter-mile from home.

Buddy Hally edged clear upon cornering for the finish line, easily powering past Opulent Yankee and holding clear of the chasing Market Share with similar facility, only receiving a few taps of the whip to stay on task for a two-length win.

Fashion Creditor (Brett Miller) rallied belatedly down the grandstand side to take third, another 2-1/4 lengths detached.

Dylan Davis trains Buddy Hally—now a 16-time winner—for Howard Taylor and NR Holdings, LLC.

In the evening’s other fourth level trotting event, I C Caviar ($14.40) used similar tactics en route to a 1:53.3 score, angling first-over from just off the front flight up the far side and wearing down 3-2 favorite Wing Flash (Andy Miller) before edging aay to evade the second-over Promise Delivered (David Miller) by 2-1/2 lengths.

Brett Miller drove the 5-year-old Malabar Millennium gelding for trainer Joe Hanney.

Pick-4 carryover of $39K to Saturday

Double-digit upsets from Blush Hanover (31-1) and Jacks To Open (25-1) stymied players in the evening’s Late Pick-4 sequence which saw no favorites prevail. As a result, Saturday evening’s (Dec. 10) card will feature a Late Pick-4 carryover of $39,173.27, with the sequence beginning in race seven. The closing race 20-cent Jackpot High-Five sports a hefty carryover as well, now standing at $57,161.17.

Players combined to wager $2,167,514 on the Friday card.

Free program pages will be available on the Meadowlands website courtesy of TrackMaster.

Historically, at least $100,000 in “new money” is wagered into a Pick-4 carryover of this size at the Meadowlands.

For more information, visit www.playmeadowlands.com.

Post time for the first of 13 events is set for 7:15 p.m.