East Rutherford, NJ — Custom and Jim Beam were a pair of good-looking winners Saturday (Nov. 23) night when four New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund finals for 2-year-olds sat atop the marquee at The Meadowlands.
In a case of if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it, driver Johnathan Ahle, who guided Custom (Walner-Goldy Mary FR) to an off-the-pace victory in her lone NJSDF preliminary two weeks ago, came back and gave the daughter of Walner a similar steer in the $60,000 division for trotting fillies.
And he got a similar result.
Handled patiently from the outset, Custom sat fourth as Wishuponastar Deo (Jason Bartlett) and Madam Cheval (Tim Tetrick) took the field past the quarter in :28.1 and half in :56.3, respectively.
Ahle activated Custom just after the five-eighths, and the Per Engblom trainee responded with sprinter’s speed, getting on even terms with Madam Cheval at three-quarters, which was timed in 1:25.1.
Custom was now in high gear, and opened up a 2-1/2 length edge at the head of the stretch before going on to a 4-1/2 length jog in the park in a lifetime-best equaling 1:53.2. Wishuponastar Deo was second with Julie Palema (Tyler Miller) third.
“She’s pretty green,” said Ahle. “She liked racing off the pace last week, so we stuck with it this week. I think she can be a little on the hot side, so keeping her quiet early is good to do. She did it very easy. She was very good.”
As the 4-5 favorite in the field of seven, Custom returned $3.80 to her backers. It was her third win in eight career tries.
A good bourbon goes down smooth, and fans of Jim Beam (Captain Corey-Melania) no doubt celebrated at the conclusion of the $60,000 split for trotting colts and geldings.
Fans of the Scott DiDomenico trainee may have yelled to the bartender, “Make that a double”, given that the son of Captain Corey-Melania paid off at odds of 12-1 despite being sent to the gate at 2-1 in a NJSDF preliminary just two weeks ago.
Driver Tim Tetrick kept Jim Beam off the early action, sitting along the rail fifth to the quarter and fourth to the half as American Power led at those stations in :28 and :56.4, respectively.
Lindy Living (Dexter Dunn), the even-money favorite, was on the go first-over at the five-eighths. Right behind him on the rim were Tetrick and Jim Beam, getting a perfect trip, as American Power (Braxten Boyd) hit three-quarters in 1:26.2 with Lindy Living breathing down his neck.
‘Lindy’ took over at the head of the lane, but Jim Beam tipped off his cover in mid-stretch and gradually kept inching his way toward the leader until he got up on the wire by a head in a lifetime-best 1:54.3. Who’s Eyes Blues (Yannick Gingras) was third.
“Sometimes, he gets a little hot,” said Tetrick. “Today, he was calm and relaxed. I know he has tons of talent and today he showed some of it. I was just trying to trip my horse out and I had the right horse in front of me. I got the trip I wanted and my horse did the job.”
As the fifth choice in the field of seven, Jim Beam returned $27.80. He now has won three times in 14 tries.
In the final NJSDF dash of the night, the $60,000 filly pace, Car Keys (Always B Miki-Road Bet) got a patient steer from Dunn to grab the brass ring nearing the wire in 1:52.4 to record her first-ever win in nine attempts.
Car Keys was flying early from post six in the nine-horse field and made it to the lead at the quarter in :27.3 while parking out primary foe Whoa Black Betty (Gingras), who was in search of a three-race sweep of the event.
Whoa Black Betty, the slight 6-5 second choice, then continued her march to the top, reaching the lead at the three-eighths before hitting the half in :56.1.
Wave Dancer (Boyd) was now making her presence felt, rallying from well back while moving first-over, and was just behind ‘Betty’ as that one reached three-quarters in 1:25.2. Wave Dancer kept grinding away, and actually had a slight edge in mid-stretch, and with just a little more than a sixteenth-of-a-mile to go, Dunn and Car Keys found enough space along the rail to sprint to the wire and draw clear by 3-1/2 lengths over Whoa Black Betty, who determinedly came back to get second. Ladysassin (Brett Beckwith) nipped Wave Dancer in the race for the show dough.
“She was really good tonight,” said Dunn. “She shot through [the inside] great. I think she needs to fill out and she’ll get a bit stronger.”
Car Keys is a Chris Ryder student who was sent to the gate as the slight 6-5 public choice. The daughter of Always B Miki-Road Bet paid $4.60 to win.
EARLY DEVELOPMENT: The $48,000 NJSDF dash for colt and gelding pacers was contested as a non-wagering event before the betting card, and was taken by Azrael Blue Chip in 1:51, a lifetime best for the Besim Odza trainee, who now has six wins from eight lifetime starts. Andy McCarthy guided the son of Perfect-Sting-Bathsheba to his fifth straight score, just holding off Mighty Matt by a long nose at the wire.
A LITTLE MORE: Dunn led the driver colony with three wins on the night while Engblom’s double paced the trainers. … An ultra-competitive card appealed to the bettors, as a total of $2,953,417 was pushed through the windows on the 14-race program. … There is no racing this Thursday (Nov. 27) on Thanksgiving Day, so live action will resume on Friday (Nov. 28) at 6:20 p.m.