from the Meadowlands Media Relations Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Delaware champion Totally Rusty brought her act to New Jersey on Friday (May 1) and the Queen of the First State made quite an impression on the locals with a career-best 1:50.3 win in the $39,416 Hardie Hanover, a division of the John Simpson Memorial Grand Circuit stakes, at the Meadowlands.

Lisa photo

Totally Rusty and Corey Callahan were 1:50.3 winners on Friday.

A recent private purchase by Let It Ride Stables and Dana Parham in partnership with her breeder and prior owner Carter Racing Stable, Totally Rusty was making her first start for new trainer Ross Croghan but had the comfort of the regular driver from her Delaware exploits, “Captain” Corey Callahan.

Callahan employed the “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” strategy and sent the chestnut daughter of Rusty’s For Real right for the front as he had done in each of the programmed past performance lines.

The pair set honest fractions of :26.3, :55 and 1:24 before sprinting home in another :26.3 to seal the deal. Bedroomconfessions followed the winner throughout and held place while unable to menace the winner. Happiness rallied from well back for the show.

It’s all happening Saturday at the Meadowlands on Kentucky Derby Day. Gates open at 9:30 a.m. in preparation for the day-long card at Churchill. Live racing will start at 5:30 p.m. with the brand new “4 in 40 minutes” wager which is a quick Pick-4 between Meadowlands and Tioga Downs races. After a break for the Derby live racing will resume around 7 p.m. leading up to the hotly anticipated boxing match between Mayweather and Pacquiao which you may enjoy at a price of $25 for men/$20 for women. Come early and stay late to enjoy one of the great days in sports.