by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

East Rutherford, NJ — Classic Martine held off Bee A Magician in a side-by-side duel over the final quarter-mile to win Saturday’s (Aug. 2) $52,000 Ima Lula Series championship for 4-year-old female trotters by a neck in a world-record-equaling 1:51.1 performance at Meadowlands Racetrack.

USTA Mark Hall photo

Classic Martine (right) equaled the world record for 4-year-old female trotters on Saturday at The Meadowlands.

Driven by Tim Tetrick, Classic Martine overtook early leader NF Happenstance in an opening quarter of :27. Bee A Magician made a first-over bid from fourth place as the horses made their way up the backstretch, reaching the halfway point in :55.2.

As the mares came around the final turn, Classic Martine maintained a short lead over Bee A Magician and held off the 2013 Horse of the Year the rest of the way. NF Happenstance finished third.

Classic Martine paid $2.60 to win.

“My mare, it’s probably not her best game on the front, but today we had to do it,” Tetrick said. “She fought it out. (Bee A Magician) raced good but mine was better today.

“The track is very good. We’ve been lucky, it’s tightened up from the rain we had last night. So far so good.”

Classic Martine has won seven of nine races this year for owners Hauser Brothers Racing, Susan Oakes, Conrad Zurich, and Ed Gold. For her career, she has won 19 of 36 starts and earned $764,206.

Earlier this year, Classic Martine became the fastest female trotter ever on a five-eighths-mile track, winning in 1:51.2 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. In the Ima Lula final, she equaled Bee A Magician’s world record for a 4-year-old trotting mare on a mile oval.

“She’s a good mare and she’s come back super this year,” trainer Chris Oakes said. “She’s a very talented mare. At the end of last year she was good, but couldn’t get the job done against Bee A Magician as a 3-year-old. But she matured nicely and has come back super.

“(Winning on Hambletonian Day) is awesome. This is what we dream of when we’re little kids and to actually go out and do this is very special.”