East Rutherford, NJ — Despite traveling wide for nearly all of a :52.4 opening half-mile, Dancin Lou ($6.00) had plenty left in the stretch to cement his place in the top ranks of the free-for-all pacing division with a scintillating 1:47.2 score in the $391,300 William R. Haughton Memorial on Saturday night (July 18) at The Meadowlands.

Dancin Lou posted a scintillating 1:47.2 score in the $391,300 William R. Haughton Memorial. Lisa photo.

The winner of last year’s Breeders Crown for sophomore pacers, Dancin Lou advanced in the two-path on the first turn to track a three-way battle between Backstreet Shadow, Century Farroh and This Is The Plan through a :26 first quarter. After Backstreet Shadow cleared, Brian Sears gunned the 4-year-old son of Sweet Lou to the fore, but the pair were strung out by Backstreet Shadow before assuming control at race’s midpoint.

After being tested through punishing early fractions, Dancin Lou found a breather on approach to the far turn, when he yielded for the pocket as Century Farroh retook and braced for outside pressure from Southwind Ozzi through three-quarters in 1:20.2.

Off the home turn, Southwind Ozzi weakened in the breeze, enabling Dancin Lou to wedge out of the pocket an eighth of a mile from home. He reclaimed the lead from Century Farroh a sixteenth out under Sears’ urging, and widened to win by 1-1/4 lengths. Century Farroh held second, and Filibuster Hanover knifed through at the pegs to narrowly claim third.

Tahnee Camilleri trains Dancin Lou, a 15-time winner with $847,559 in career earnings, for David Kryway and 1362313 Ontario Ltd.

Our Majordan A a two-move winner in Haughton consolation

Our Majordan A and driver David Miller made two big moves to win the $123,100 William R. Haughton Memorial consolation for older pacers.

Shooting for the lead off the gate, Our Majordan A took control while Western Joe settled into second and Sintra followed in third through a :26 first quarter. Then, flying from the second tier, Geez Joe shifted into the lead, taking the half in :53.2.

Miller and Our Majordan A came back out and retook the lead from Geez Joe past three-quarters in 1:20.3, while Donttellmeagain worked into third up the inside. Western Joe chased Our Majordan A’s cover turning for home, but the top two began to draw away in tandem. Donttellmeagain found a late path and came on strongly to overtake Geez Joe for second, but Our Majordan A dismissed them both, winning by a half-length in 1:47.3.

The Virgil Morgan Jr.-trained 8-year-old is a gelded son of Art Major and Benelise who was bred in Australia by Benstud Standardbreds and is owned by Enviro Stables Ltd., Ned Hodkinson and Milton Leeman. Our Majordan A paid $12.00 to win.

— by Frank Cotolo, for The Meadowlands