from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – January 10, 2004 – Despite the cold, Cheyenne Rei and Gallo Blue Chip were the hot pacers, each winning a $50,000 first round division of the Presidential Series on Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

Cheyenne Rei (2) won the 1st division in 1:51.3. Lisa Photo.

Cheyenne Rei [$8.60, $3.60, $2.40] peeled out on the final turn and charged to the lead in the final strides to win the fifth race, the first of the two divisions. Cheyenne Rei paced the mile in 1:51.3.

Rair Earth [$3.00, $2.20], the even money favorite, made his bid up the pylons but finished second by neck. Life Sizzles [$2.40] who entered the stretch with a length and a half lead, held on for third by three-quarters of a length.

Cheyenne Rei, a five-year-old son of Western Hanover, was driven to victory by Brian Sears. The Robbie Siegelman trainee races for The Cheyenne Gang of Port Washington, New York. The victory pushed his career bankroll to $674,746.

“This horse is just sharp right now,” said Sears. “I didn’t want to come first up tonight and sat in a little longer than I did last week. He was game to the wire. The wind was one of the reasons I waited as long as I did [to move].”

“My biggest concern tonight was the cold,” acknowledged Siegelman. “I talked to [veterinarian] Dr. Ken Seeber today and told him I had my best horse racing tonight and is it okay. He said that as long as they’re 100 percent going into this, they can handle it with no problems. I’m just overwhelmed and amazed at how fast he came first up and seemed to do it easily. He’s better with a cover trip. Last week he was uncovered. This week he was uncovered. But if you see him with cover, you will see him explode. Right now I just want to keep him healthy and keep him sharp like he was tonight.”

In the second division, carded as the tenth, defending Presidential winner Gallo Blue Chip [$7.40, $3.60, $3.00] scored his third straight victory with a length and three-quarter tally over Royal Mattjesty [$5.80, $4.80] in a sizzling 1:50.4. Image of Dawn [$8.80] was third by two lengths.

Gallo Blue Chip, driven by Daniel Dube and trained by Mark Ford, scored career victory number 50. The richest pacer of all time with $4.2 million in earnings, the seven-year-old gelding races for Martin Scharf of Lawrence, New York.

The three-week Presidential Series for free for all pacers continues next Saturday. The top10 money-earners in the first two rounds of action advance to the $100,000 estimated final on January 24.