East Rutherford, NJ – Under clear skies and unseasonably warm temperatures, two amateur pace races went to post on Friday (Dec. 17), with the top five finishers being eligible for the final.

The first race on the Big M card had nine pacers go to post and Jerrytone (John Calabrese) set the tone for the first three-quarters of mile and turned into the stretch with the lead. He looked like he was going to stave off all challengers but after a questionable and early pull from the three-post just before the half, Kingofthejungle (David Glasser) got up for the victory and reigned the “king” of this race in a mile timed in 1:53.4. R Maddy Blue Chip (Jacob Stillwell) closed hard for second and Calabrese held onto the show spot. The 10-year-old gelding is owned by Glasser Racing LLC out of NJ and is trained by Mike Watson.

The fourth race on the card featured a full field of ten going to post and the usual speed duel at the start broke out. That’s because three horses, Ferdinand A (James Slendorn), Rockabilly Charm (Tony Beltrami) and Rock N Blue (David Glasser) all left for early supremacy. As the field approached the quarter, they sorted themselves out with Beltrami gaining the lead, to get by a stubborn Slendorn, who sat the pocket, while Glasser was parked on the outside with nowhere to go. They were paying the price on the front by going a fast :27.1 and :55.2 for the first quarter and half mile timings.

The field stayed this way until after the half, but Cecil Casanova (Jacob Stillwell) made a bold three wide brush to try and get to the lead but could not and drifted into the three path around the turn, potentially costing him a chance at the top spot. Beltrami drifted off the wood to give just enough clearance to Slendorn, who snuck up the pylons enroute to a neck victory. Stillwell wound up second while Beltrami hung on for the show dough. Slendorn, who won this race with this horse a few weeks back paid a generous $42.20 to win for every $2 wagered. The mile was timed in 1:52.4. The 8-year-old gelding is co-owned by Slendorn and his trainer, Kelvin Harrison, both out of New Jersey.

The top five finishers in each race tonight will be eligible for the final next week. The entrants who qualified for the final are: Kingofthejungle, R Maddy Blue Chip, Jerrytone, Father Sarducci, Midnight Lightning, Ferdinand A, Cecil Casanova, Rockabilly Charm, Galactic Galleon N, and Elysium Seelster. The purse is to be determined but it is estimated to go for between $15-$20,000. The first post is scheduled to go at 6:20 p.m.