from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Gusting winds could not slow down Glad To Be Back, who scored an impressive 1:51.4 front-end victory in the $12,500 second round of the Junior Trendsetter Series on Thursday night (Feb. 12) at the Meadowlands.

Lisa photo

Glad To Be Back was back in the winner’s circle on Thursday night in his division of the Junior Trendsetter Series.

Glad To Be Back bull-rushed to the lead down the backstretch and opened up four lengths on the field through middle fractions of :55.2 and 1:23.3. Never challenged, he sprinted home in :28.1 to take the seventh race with George Brennan in the sulky. Yanzhou was 3-3/4 lengths behind in second, while Stand By Cam was a distant third. Sent off at 8-1, Glad To Be Back paid $19.40 to win.

Glad To Be Back has now won five of 10 career starts. The son of Power Of Art-Glad Dor N was bred in California by trainer Jim Wilkinson, Jr. and partners Jay Rosenberg and Hans Karge. Co-owner Billie Schwartz purchased an interest in the horse on January 13, 2009. A California Sires Stakes champion at two, Glad To Be Back is racing in the barn of Bruce Saunders at the Meadowlands.

In the second Junior Trendsetter division, race nine, Hypnotic Blue Chip swung three-wide on the turn and drew off to a 1:53.2 victory in rein to Tim Tetrick. I’m So Blue finished second off a ground-saving journey, while Mc Idle held third after carving out the early fractions.

Hypnotic Blue Chip (Art Major-A Traceofmagic) was a $75,000 yearling purchase at the 2007 Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg by trainer Mark Harder and co-owners Deena Frost and Bob Murphy. The colt now has two wins, four seconds and two thirds in 11 lifetime starts.

The $80,000 (est.) Junior Trendsetter Final is Saturday, February 21.