from Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – January 15, 2005 – Eaton Road Kill [$6.40, $3.40, $3.00] picked up his first win since his December return to the races in the $50,000 opening round of the Presidential Series, the fifth race, on Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

Driven by Brian Sears and trained by Mark Harder, Eaton Road Kill sat a third-over trip and flew home in 26.3 seconds for a length and a quarter victory over Life Source [$3.80, $3.40] in 1:51.3. It was the seven-year-old gelding’s first victory since returning to the races on December 4, 2004 after a four-month break.

Make It Brief [$6.80] closed from seventh at the top of the stretch to finish third.

Eaton Road Kill and Life Source share the track and world record of 1:48 for the fastest race mile by an older pacing gelding set on July 3, 2004 at the Meadowlands.

“This was his type of trip,” Sears said. “He’s real good right now and it just seemed that the further we got down the lane, the faster he went.”

In 2004, Eaton Road Kill racked up 12 wins, four seconds and one third from 22 starts for earnings of $366,568. Harder and owner Gregg Pistochini of Auburn, California, opted to turn Eaton Road Kill out at the end of July [2004] when the gelding turned up sick following a disappointing sixth-place finish in his Breeder’s Crown elimination at the Meadowlands. Pistochini had paid the $62,500 fee to supplement the world-record holder to the Breeders Crown.

“We expected him to race good tonight,” Harder said. “He’s a good horse and he’s taken a couple of starts to get ready. He’s coming into the series real good and he’s done what we aimed for him. After the Presidential, we’ll pick out spots for him and stake him to better [races].”

The Presidential Series continues with a second $50,000 leg on January 22 and culminates in a $108,660 final on January 29.