East Rutherford, NJ – He showed up late to work because he had to go to a basketball game, but once Jason Bartlett got to The Meadowlands Thursday night (Dec. 4), he made sure his brief night at the office was worth his while.
The favorite to be named the Dan Patch Driver of the Year had just two drives on the program, in races eight and nine, but made them count, winning first-leg dashes of the second go round of the Exit 16W Pop Up Series.
“I got to watch my son play his first varsity basketball game,” said the 44-year-old pilot. “But then I had to leave and get over here.”
There’s little doubt he’s glad he did.
In a $27,500 event for trotters who were winners of four but not more than seven races, Bartlett guided A Real Legend to victory lane in a lifetime-best-equaling 1:53.4 despite a real-feel temperature of 20 degrees, the result of winds that gusted to 31 miles per hour.
The 5-year-old gelded son of Uncle Peter-Pink Ribbons, who is trained by Melanie Wrenn, left quickly from post six in the eight-horse field, and led at the quarter in :28.3 before yielding the point to Queen Of America S, who took the field past the half in :56.3 and three-quarters in 1:26.
A headstrong 4-1 third choice in the wagering, Hey Porter, grabbed the lead while parked around the far turn, but Bartlett moved A Real Legend out of the pocket, swerved to the three-path, and then sprinted home to record an easy one-length win. Hey Porter was second with Scudo Hanover third.
“He got a little excited there for a second,” said Bartlett of his horse, who looked a little bent as he moved to the outside. “He came home in [:27.2]. That was a huge mile. I had to wait for him to get straightened up a little and once he did, he won pretty handily.”
As the 4-5 favorite, A Real Legend returned $3.60 after registering his eighth career win in 20 tries. His earnings now stand at just over $182,000.
Even more impressive was the winner of the very next race, as Luisa Hanover, making her career debut for trainer Tony Alagna, closed like a shot along the inside to get up over She Stings by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.3 in a $23,175 split for 2- and 3-year-old filly pacers, ending Bartlett’s night perfect at two-for-two.
The 2-year-old daughter of Captaintreacherous-Lillian Hanover showed just one charted line on her resume, a third-place finish in a qualifier where she completed her mile in 1:54 one week ago.
So where has she been?
“She was training great,” said Alagna. “But had a setback midsummer so I just gave her time and now I want to give her experience for next season.”
Luisa Hanover was fourth at the head of the stretch before Bartlett found a late seam to grab the victory along the inside. She paid $5.60 to win as the 9-5 second choice.
A LITTLE MORE: Brett Beckwith had the hot hands on this extremely cold night, racking up five winners to lead the driver colony. … Meadow Twaddle, making her second appearance as a co-host on the live simulcast show, tabbed five winners on top, including Resolved, who returned $15.40 in the 10th race. She also had the Pick-3 on races 10 through 12, on which her followers collected $124.60 for a $2 wager. … All-source handle on the 12-race program totaled $1,508,494. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m. (EST).