With Dexter Dunn in the driver’s seat, Captain Luke parlayed a two-hole trip into a 1:47.3 victory in the $131,650 first division of the Grade 2 Sam McKee Memorial on a picture-perfect Saturday (Aug. 2) afternoon at the Meadowlands. The $130,400 second split went to the David Miller-driven Ken Hanover in 1:49.
Author: by Gordon Waterstone, for the Hambletonian Society
Apex on top, Emmas Mystery CCL upsets in NJSS
Royally bred Apex notched a hard-fought win as the second betting choice while Emmas Mystery CCL ripped to victory at long odds in their respective $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes finals, for trotting 2-year-olds, on Saturday (Aug. 2) at The Meadowlands.
Periculum dominates John Cashman Memorial
Aged trotting division leader Periculum navigated through a perfect trip by Scott Zeron to win the Grade 2 $300,000 John Cashman Memorial Open Trot on Saturday (Aug. 2) at The Meadowlands.
Nordic Catcher S wins 100th Hambletonian
Ake Svanstedt won his third $1 million Hambletonian Stakes on Saturday, capturing the 100th edition of America’s Trotting Classic for 3-year-olds with Nordic Catcher S in a stakes-record 1:50 at The Meadowlands.
Conversano wins 55th Hambletonian Oaks
An early give-and-go proved the winning move for Conversano, who rallied from an earned pocket to collar Walspea in the final 100 yards of the 55th edition of the $500,000 Grade 1 Hambletonian Oaks, for 3-year-old trotting fillies, on Saturday (Aug. 2) at the Meadowlands.
M-Ms Dream rules again in Steele Memorial
M-M’s Dream returned to win another renewal of the Grade 2 $181,000 Dr. John R. Steele Memorial, for open trotting mares, on Saturday (Aug. 2) at The Meadowlands.
Captain Optimistic rallies for Cane Pace score
Captain Optimistic and driver Dexter Dunn found room to the outside after coming out of the last turn and battled past Madden Oaks and Papis Pistol in deep stretch to win Saturday’s $227,350 Grade 2 Cane Pace in 1:48.1 at The Meadowlands.
Miki And Minnie magnificent in Shady Daisy
Following odds-on triumphs in the Jerry Silverman Memorial and Tompkins-Geers Stakes, 1-9 favorite Miki And Minnie made easy work of her six foes in the $95,650 Grade 3 Shady Daisy, for 3-year-old pacing fillies, on Saturday (Aug. 2) at the Meadowlands, equaling her 1:48.3 lifetime mark and scoring her third consecutive Big M stakes win in the act.
Topsham Fair harness meet opens on Sunday
Harness racing makes a triumphant return to Maine’s mid-coast area on Sunday (Aug. 3) when the 171st edition of the Topsham Fair kicks off its five day race-meet with a stellar 10-race card scheduled to get underway at 4 pm (EDT).
Massive Speed looms large at Cumberland
Massive Speed showed that he is the big man on campus this season in the Maine Sire Stakes 3-year-old male pacing division, picking up his fifth in a row on Friday (Aug. 1) at Cumberland Raceway.