Author: by Ken Terpenning, for Northville Downs

11-year-old trotting stallion Celebrity Pegasus and seven-year-old pacing mare Passionate Deo captured the co-featured $10,800 Open Trot and Mares Open Pace on Friday (May 12) night. 

With the temperature at 80 degrees for the first race, it was ideal for racing over a fast Meadowlands surface on Friday (May 12) night. Three MADC races were carded, and the action, like the weather, was hot and contentious.       

Trainer Ron Burke has high hopes for his Southwind Gendry. Burke must love the path ‘Gendry’ is currently on, as on Saturday (April 1) night at The Big M, he took his second straight weekly pacing feature, this one a $36,000 Open 2/Open 1 Handicap, in 1:50.2 over a sloppy track that saw torrential rainfall earlier in the card.

A solid contender in the 2022 Blue Chip Matchmaker Series, Blue Ivy continued to dominate Open company on Saturday (April 1) at MGM Northfield, scoring her 50th career win in the $19,000 Filly and Mare Open. 

An extra week was worth the wait for Locatelli, Nautical Hanover and driver James MacDonald as they captured Saturday’s (April 1) New Holland Series finals at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

It may have been April Fool’s Day on Saturday (April 1) but Cr Blazin Beauty didn’t fool around in Buffalo Raceway’s $17,500 Open Trot as the lone mare in the event handled the seven gentlemen sidewinders by 4-1/2 lengths in 2:01.1 over the sloppy track.

Yogi Sheridan powered off a parked mile and John Calabrese caught a loose leader in the final strides to take their respective $9,000 divisions – both from post 8 – of the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) Trots at Freehold Raceway on Saturday afternoon (April 1).

Bettors Donttell, a 1:47.3 winner last year, improved off a third in his 2022 debut to take the $18,000 fast-class pace in 1:52.3 Saturday (April 1) afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

A pair of $20,000 Sire Stakes for the 4-year-old pacers are on tap Sunday (April 2) evening at Cal Expo with Divine Art and JP Jetty eyeing their respective second trophies at this meet.

The Standardbred Retirement Foundation series for 3-year-olds kicked off Friday night at The Meadowlands, and not only did the connections of some inexperienced competitors get a feel for how good their horses may go on to be, but a handful of retired pacers and trotters also benefited in a big way as well.