from Meadowlands Media Relations

Two-time Breeders Crown champion Fool’s Goal will look for his first major stakes victory of the season in the $134,400 Su Mac Lad Final on Sunday afternoon at the Meadowlands.

The trotting champion of 2002, Fool’s Goal headlines a two-horse entry for trainer Jim Doherty in the sixth race Su Mac Lad. Fool’s Goal has drawn post two with driver Jack Moiseyev, while his entrymate, Flapjack Attack, leaves from post six with Doherty in the sulky.

Fool’s Goal file photo.

The nine-year-old Armbro Goal gelding is by far the richest horse in the Su Mac Lad field with $2,657,520 in career earnings. The highlight of his 2003 campaign was a victory in the $800,000 Breeders Crown at Woodbine, his second consecutive Crown win. Fool’s Goal made his first start of the season in the opening leg of the Su Mac Lad on March 21. Sent off as the 7-5 favorite, he went off stride at the quarter after getting jammed up in traffic.

“I think that’s what happened,” Doherty said. “They were going slow, and he was in tight quarters.”

Fool’s Goal rebounded in last week’s second leg of the series with a three and a quarter length win in 1:55.3 “Last week he was very good and I think the first week he was good too, but it was just the way the race went,” Doherty said.

Fool’s Goal controlled the tempo of last week’s race but may not have that luxury this week as he squares off against 5-2 morning line favorite HP Paque, a winner in both of his preliminary Su Mac Lad divisions.

“He can race either way, in front or from behind, but drawing the two-hole puts him in a good position,” Doherty said. Diamond Goal [post one] can leave pretty good. It looks like those two [Fool’s Goal and HP Paque] are the best going in, and it might just come down to whoever is better that day.”

Owned by Bruce McElven of Pemberton, New Jersey, and Ronald Allen of Southampton, New Jersey, Fool’s Goal has a full stakes season ahead of him that includes the Classic Series [beginning April 19 at Dover], Arthur J. Cutler Memorial [on May 15] and the Titan Cup [on July 2].

The trotter’s entrymate, Flapjack Attack, made the leap from the non-winners of $12,500 to the free for all ranks in last week’s Su Mac Lad with success. His third-place finish earned him a spot in the $134,400 final. The six-year-old son of Inquirer has won 24 of 80 career starts and earned $118,905 for owner Michael Riggi of Clifton Park, New York.

“He’s a real nice horse,” Doherty said. “His class didn’t fill two weeks in a row, so it was either race in here or sit out another week. He’s in a little snug in this series, but he got a little money last week. He’s in tough, and we’re hoping to get a check out of it. He’s an honest horse and he can finish good.”

The $134,400 Su Mac Lad Final [from the rail out]: Diamond Goal, Brian Sears, 5-1; Fool’s Goal, Jack Moiseyev, 3-1; Approved Action, Rejean Daigneault, 15-1; Scully FBI, Daniel Dube, 10-1; HP Paque, Trond Smedshammer, 5-2; Flapjack Attack, Jim Doherty, 3-1; Saint Johns Boy, Mike Lachance, 12-1; Dream Lavec, David Miller, 12-1; Windylane Hanover, Ron Pierce, 7-2 and Dink Adoo, Yannick Gingras, 20-1.