from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – February 29, 2004 – Cosington [$2.80, $2.40, $2.20] commanded the lead past the half and held off all challengers to win the $20,000 second race, one of three Horse & Groom Series divisions, on Sunday afternoon at the Meadowlands.

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Cosington tallied a length and a half victory in the $20,000 second race, one of three Horse & Groom Series divisions.

Driven by Trevor Ritchie, Cosington tallied a length and a half victory over Pinetucky [$3.20, $2.40], who was trapped in the pocket and unable to shake loose. It was two and a half lengths back in third to Tequila Daddy [$3.00], who made a brief bid for the lead at the three-quarter marker.

A fiver-year-old son of Malabar Man, Cosington trotted the mile in 1:55.3. The Kevin McDermott trainee recorded his fourth win in seven starts this season. The gelding is owned by Todd J. Gimblett of Port Hope, Ontario and John W. Gimblett of Whitby, Ontario.

In the third race division, Rickie [$4.00, $2.40, $2.20] tipped off cover in the stretch and out-trotted the leader Five Kids [$2.80, $2.60] to the wire in 1:54.3. Striking Ace [$3.20] was third.

In the fifth race, final Horse & Groom division, Dink Adoo [$7.40, $4.20, $3.40] bested Solicitor Hanover [$5.60, $3.80] and Ray Gun [$2.60] in 1:55.4.

The top 10 money-earners in the Horse & Groom advance to the $84,500 final next Sunday at the Meadowlands.

TWO INTERNATIONAL STARS EYE MEADOWLANDS’ TROTTING STAKES

Sumthingaboutmaori, who captured the Inter Dominion Championship Trotting Final on Saturday night at Melbourne, Australia’s Moonee Valley, may be coming to the Meadowlands for a pair of summer stakes worth a total of $1.1 million.

The trotting mare’s victory earned her an invitation for the Breeders Crown Trot on July 31 at the Meadowlands. Trainer Bryan Healy has indicated that he would like to bring Sumthingaboutmaori to the Meadowlands for both the Breeders Crown and the $300,000 Nat Ray Invitational on August 7. Toward that objective, the five-year-old daughter of Pine Chip will likely skip the Rowe Cup on April 30 in Auckland, New Zealand, to prepare for a trip to the States.

Kesaco Phedo, the 2004 Prix d’Amerique winner, also has been invited to the Breeders Crown, and his owner, Alec Wildenstein, has also expressed an interest to bring his French-based six-year-old to the $800,000 Breeders Crown Trot at the Meadowlands.

AROUND THE MEADOWLANDS – FEBRUARY 29, 2004

The February 28 card produced the highest on-track ($1,408,948), on-site ($3,523,406) and total attendance (10,520) of the 2004 meet.

Trainer Peter Walsh, 45, is recovering from cardiac and gastric surgery in St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey. A native of Melbourne, Australia who now resides in Bordentown, New Jersey, Walsh was operated on Thursday, February 26 for a valve replacement as well as repair to the site of a stomach stapling surgery he had undergone six years ago, according to assistant trainer Daryl “Birdie” Crapper.