by Evan Pattak, for The Meadows

Meadow Lands, PA — Green Dot, a game little gelding who’s hit the ticket in all five career starts, used a relentless first-over move to capture the $14,750 final of the Fritz Beinhauer Memorial, an early closing series for two-year-old colt trotters, on Tuesday night at The Meadows.

Texico, who got away well from post seven, was a closing second, two lengths back, with early leader Stirling Bridge fading to third. Time for the mile was 2:00⁴.

Chris Gooden Photo

Green Dot and Dave Palone won the final of the Fritz Beinhauer Memorial.

A son of S J’s Photo, trained by Steve Bush for Have a Dream Stable, Green Dot got a major break when 1-2 favorite Southwind Utica, a force in the recent New Jersey Sires Stakes series, broke stride going to the quarter pole. That left Stirling Bridge uncontested on the lead, but it also solidified the race strategy of winning driver Dave Palone, who didn’t hesitate to send the youngster first over — even though he was six lengths behind in fourth.

“When I saw Southwind Utica run in the first turn, he was obviously the horse to beat,” Palone said. “I thought that my horse was clearly second best. The first-over move didn’t bother me because I wasn’t racing, I was just out there trying to get close. He’s a gutsy little horse, and sometimes you’re better off first over then trying to flip these young colts three deep in the last turn.”

Green Dot collared Stirling Bridge at the three-quarter pole and had plenty left to hold off the late bid of Texico.

Bush said he was attracted to Green Dot, a $26,000 acquisition at the 2003 yearling auction at Harrisburg, by his conformation.

“When I saw him at the sale, I thought he was a little small,” Bush said. “But I liked his stature. He’s well proportioned. And of course, I liked his pedigree. He’s a gritty colt. Earlier in the year he wasn’t, but after we gelded him, he kept his focus on business.”

Green Dot will race primarily in Pennsylvania stakes this year but remains eligible for the Bluegrass at the Red Mile.

The series was named for the late Fritz Beinhauer, longtime Meadows owner and breeder whose family remains active in racing at the track.