from the Meadowlands Media Relations Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Up The Credit, the North America Cup champion, tops the list of 18 colts and one filly entered in Saturday’s (July 9) eliminations for the $1 million Meadowlands Pace.

The top five finishers in each of the two $50,000 elims, carded as races five and six, will advance to the track’s signature event for 3-year-old pacers on July 16.

New Image Media photo

Up The Credit leads a field of 19 into the Meadowlands Pace eliminations.

Up The Credit enters the Pace elims off a four-race winning streak that includes a stunning first over victory in the C$1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup on June 18 at Mohawk Racetrack. Campaigned by the father and son team of Carl and Jody Jamieson, Up The Credit is five-for-six on the season with earnings of $899,300. He will start from post four in the first of the Pace elims.

The son of Western Terror-Cantbuymehappiness was purchased for $72,000 at the Lexington Selected yearling sale by Carl Jamieson, Thomas Kyron, Joanne Morrison and Brian Paquet. Up The Credit has lifetime earnings of $940,695.

Drop The Ball will try to become the first filly to win the Meadowlands Pace. She will start her bid from post seven in the second elimination. One of two contenders trained by Ross Croghan, the daughter of Western Terror-Mattcheck Girl has finished second in two of her three starts this season. As a freshman, she won four of seven races, including a 1:50.4 track record in the Countess Adios.

In her most recent start, Drop The Ball flew home in :26.3 to finish a nose behind Showherthemoney in a conditioned race on July 1 at the Meadowlands. She is owned by Eric Cherry’s Let It Ride Stables Inc., Dana Parham and Robert Cooper Stables.

Trainer George Teague, Jr. will send out a four-horse arsenal led by Hoosier Cup winner Custard The Dragon in the Pace elims. Feel Like A Fool, Wind Me Up and Wink N Atcha complete his quartet. Custard The Dragon has won three of eight starts this season for Teague and co-owners Ted Gewertz, Robert Feldman and Elmer Fannin.

Casie Coleman (Betterthancheddar, Celebrity Citation) and Jimmy Takter (High Noon, Great Vintage and Rollwithharry) are the other trainers represented by multiple contenders.

Also in pursuit of the Pace are Powerful Mist, the North America Cup elim winner who rolled to a decisive win in a 3-year-old open on July 2; and Big Jim, the Dan Patch award winner as 2-year-old Pacing Colt of 2010. Presidential Ball (1993) is the last freshman champion to come back the following season and win the Pace.

Fifth race: $50,000 Meadowlands Pace Elimination
HN-PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-1-Rollwithitharry-Daniel Dube-Jimmy Takter
1A-7-High Noon-Ron Pierce-Jimmy Takter
2-3-Custard The Dragon-Montrell Teague-George Teague, Jr.
2A-10-Wink N Atcha-Yannick Gingras-George Teague, Jr.
3-2-Foreclosure N-Tim Tetrick-Mark Steacy
4-4-Up The Credit-Jody Jamieson-Carl Jamieson
5-5-Roll With Joe-Brian Sears-Ed Hart
6-6-Celebrity Citation-Brett Miller-Casie Coleman
7-8-Bestofbest Hanover-Daniel Dube-Daniel Martin
8-9-Mystic Desire-Tim Tetrick-Ross Croghan

Sixth race: $50,000 Meadowlands Pace Elimination
HN-PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-6-Wind Me Up-Ron Pierce-George Teague, Jr.
1A-9-Feel Like A Fool-Brian Sears-George Teague, Jr.
2-1-Westwardho Hanover-Tim Tetrick-Tim Pinske
3-2-Big Jim-Phil Hudon-James Dean
4-3-Great Vintage-Daniel Dube-Jimmy Takter
5-4-Betterthancheddar-David Miller-Casie Coleman
6-5-Powerful Mist-Andy Miller-Wayne Givens
7-7-Drop The Ball-Yannick Gingras-Ross Croghan
8-8-Sir Ziggy’s Z Tam-Mike Lachance-Patrick Lachance