from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – February 7, 2004 – Escape The Wind [$2.80, $3.00, $2.10] coasted to a three-quarter-length victory over his stablemate, Border Patrol, in the $35,000 first round of the Aquarius Series, the fifth race on Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

Lisa photo.

Escape the Wind, driven, trained and co-owned by Roger Mayotte, paced the mile in 1:51.3 to win the opening round of the Aquarius Series.

Boulder Creek [$2.10] was third by a length and a quarter in the Winter Series event of four-year-old pacers, which was reduced to seven starters by the scratch of Radar Sign.

The three-week Aquarius Series continues next week with a $75,000 estimated final on February 20.

Escape the Wind, driven, trained and co-owned by Roger Mayotte, paced the mile in 1:51.3 on a gusty night. It was the four-year-old gelding’s third straight win, first of 2004. He won the $281,570 Provincial Cup at Windsor Raceway in his last outing on December 14.

“It went perfect and my other horse got second which made it even sweeter,” said Mayotte. “I wanted to go forward from the gate, and I got in position around the turn and saved ground. He was very strong tonight and comfortable. I was not sure how he was going to be going into this because of the bad weather we had at home [Ontario]. He hasn’t raced since December. But he showed he wasn’t short.”

Mayotte and his father, Gordon, who race as the Early Bird Stables, own Escape The Wind with the Venture 2000 Stable of Louis Liebenau, Stavros Kourgiantakis and Ross Warriner. A $32,000 yearling purchase, the son of Artiscape now has career earnings of $486,434.

At three, Escape The Wind posted 10 wins, three seconds and two thirds from 16 starts. He was second by a head to divisional champion No Pan Intended when they hooked up in the $542,500 Breeders Crown on November 29 at the Meadowlands.