from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — The field for the $487,000 Peter Haughton Memorial was decided from a pair of $20,000 elimination races on Wednesday night (July 25) at the Meadowlands.

Lisa Photo

Blue York Yankee won his Peter Haughton Memorial elimination in 1:58.

Blue York Yankee and driver Brian Sears rallied from seventh at the top of the stretch to win the first elimination, race five, in 1:58 flat. Nautical Notion was second, 3-1/4 lengths behind the winner, while Keystone Blitz finished third.

Trained by Trond Smedshammer, Blue York Yankee is a full brother to Blue Mac Lad, who finished third in the 2006 Hambletonian. The regally bred son of Muscles Yankee-Vernon Blue Chip was a $180,000 yearling purchase at the Harrisburg Sale. He is owned by Einari Kalle Vidgren of Iislami, Finland.

Surtees Hanover, with Dave Palone in the sulky, picked up his fourth straight win with a 1:57.3 mile in the second elimination, race six. Credit Press was second and First Pleasurelane finished third.

A $77,000 yearling purchase, Surtees Hanover is perfect so far in his career. Jonas Czernyson trains the Andover Hall colt for owner Robert Rosenheim Stables of Sharon, Connecticut.

In addition to the elimination winners, the following colts also advanced to the Peter Haughton Final on Thursday, August 2: Celebrity Rocky, Credit AS, Credit Press, Keystone Blitz, First Pleasurelane, Nautical Notion, Ocean Front and Tapas Bar.