Freehold, NJ and East Rutherford, NJ– The British invasion took center stage on Thursday (Nov. 3) afternoon at Monticello and Friday (Nov. 4) night at the Meadowlands for two races at each venue.

On Thursday the fifth and seventh races on the card featured drivers from Great Britain and the United States to gain supremacy and bragging rights amongst their fellow competitors. The first event found some fast fractions at the start and horses leaving and being parked on the outer limb.

Like their Italian counterparts, this is the style that they are comfortable racing in, basically from start to finish being on the outside and “parked” as is custom here in the US. That didn’t stop Ravishin Ruby (Richard Haythornthwaite, who was out for most of the mile, to make a three wide move around the final turn enroute to a head victory over his fellow countryman Grant Cullen, who finished second aboard Betabcool N. Prophet Blue Chip (David Dziengiel), rounded out the trifecta. Both the winner and second place finisher were sent off at 28-1 odds and made some bettors happy at the windows for a nice exacta. The mile was timed in 1:57.2. The 4-year-old filly is owned by Stephen Morton out of Nova Scotia and is trained by Al Annunziata.

The seventh race on the card featured a different type of race with pedestrian fractions. The race looked to be in little doubt for the pace setter, Constntlysidewys A (Chris Petrelli), but that was until Twin B Shadow (Richard Haythornthwaite) came from mid pack to collar the leader in mid-stretch to win by a length. Petrelli held on for second and Giddyallyougot (Grant Cullen) rounded out the trifecta. It was his second win on the day for Haythornthwaite and anyone who backed him again received another double-digit odd winner!! The mile went in 1:59.4. The 11-year-old gelding is owned by Samuel Sbarra out of NJ and is trained by Raheim Strong.

On day two of this three-day GB/USA event featured full fields in the first and third races on the Big M card. In the first race, there were several leavers and after the quarter mile fraction of :27.2 came up, it was Its Rigged(Jaimie Davies) who took the lead with fellow countryman Grant Cullen aboard Thrill By The Sea, who rode on the outside and this tandem stayed that way until the ¾ mile marker. That is when horses started moving three and four wide on the outside.

When the finish came up, it was Thndrfrmthethron N (Neil Glasser), who won by just over three lenghts in a mile timed in 1:54. Know Your Roll (Lee Morris) ended up second and Kingofthejungle (Richard Haythornthwaite) who rounded out the trifecta. The 8-year-old gelding is owned by the driver Glasser himself out of New Jersey and is trained by Mike Watson.

In the third race on the card, it was Vasari N (Newton “Yogi” Sheridan) who set sail for the lead and went a blistering :26.4 first quarter, but that didn’t take its toll on him tonight. After backing it down the second quarter to :57.2 (:30.3), he had plenty left in the tank and no real challengers as he drifted into middle of the track in the stretch, but still ended up winning by five comfortable lengths in 1:52.3.

Longshot pocket sitter Casino Bags Anso (Jake Stillwell) made for a nice exacta as he was sent off at 50-1 odds and another longshot, Johnny Q (Mark Schullstrom) rode the rails to a third-place finish. The 9-year-old gelding is owned and trained by Michael Posner out of New Jersey.

The last day of the British drivers will take place on Saturday (Nov. 5) afternoon for one event on the card in race three. The GSY will be back at the Meadowlands on Friday nights.