from Meadowlands Media Relations

My Little Dragon returned to the Meadowlands in familiar fashion, winning the featured $57,000 Tarport Hap division for three-year-old pacing fillies on Friday night.

Making her first start at the Meadowlands since winning the 2005 Breeders Crown, My Little Dragon was stride-for-stride with leader Armbro Dancer around the final turn before drawing off in the stretch to a half-length victory in a lifetime mark of 1:51. Armbro Dancer [$2.40, $2.20] was second while Rita J [$2.40] was another half length back in third.

Driven by Brian Sears and trained by Noel Daley, My Little Dragon scored her first victory in three starts this year. As a two-year-old, the Adam Victor and Son owned filly was unbeaten in six starts, while earning $486,583.

Two other $58,000 Tarport Hap divisions were also featured on the Friday night card. In the second race division, 24-1 longshot Western Gallie, driven by Yannick Gingras and trained by Travis Alexander, held off a late surging Pilgrims Witchie by a neck to win in a lifetime mark of 1:51.4.

Bikini Bottom, driven by David Miller and trained by Mark Ford, won the third race division in a lifetime mark of 1:51.1.

ASSEMBLYMAN SCALERA WINS CHARITY HARNESS RACE

Assemblyman Fred Scalera of Nutley, New Jersey captured the 2006 New Jersey State Legislators Challenge, a charity exhibition race for lawmakers, on Friday night at the Meadowlands.

Assemblyman Scalera steered Daddy’s Shining Star to victory and earned $600 for his charity, the Nutley Educational Foundation.

“They told me to get out front early, stay out front and it worked,” said Scalera, who apprenticed with trainer Bruce Saunders for the race.

Also participating in the race were Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle of Englewood [second], Assemblyman Gordon Johnson of Englewood [third] and Assemblywoman Joan Voss of Fort Lee [fourth].

The $1,500 purse for the exhibition race was donated by the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey. The runners-up each received $300 towards their charity: Huttle, the Adler Aphasia Center and Shelter Our Sisters of Bergen County; Johnson, the Center for Food Action; and Voss, the Jewish Family Service of Bergen County Adult Asperger Syndrome Program.