East Rutherford, NJ — The GSY Series action heated up Friday night (April 8) at the Big M with four races highlighting the card.

The first race on the card featured nine pacers, with hot fractions for the first half-mile (:26.3/:55.2). Gottalovemyshadow (Tony Beltrami) left hard for the lead and after Tj Blast (David Yarock) relinquished command. Tony led the field all the way into the stretch but the early fractions proved costly. The outer flow was moving well and when they came to the finish line, it was William Mcwhiskers and the veteran Peter Kleinhans who found himself in the winner’s circle again.

It was his first start back in some time and he made it a winning one. The race went in a quick 1:53. Cecil Casanova (Mark Silva) finished second, just 1-1/2 lengths back, and Captain’s Reign (Dakota Jackson) rounded out the trifecta.

The winner is a 6-year old gelding owned by Kleinhans and trained by John McDermott.

The third race featured nine more pacers going to post and although there was another speed duel, the fractions were pedestrian like in this race for the first half-mile (:29/:59). Kingofthejungle (David Glasser) looked like he was going to let Hurrikane Georgie (Kleinhans) take the lead just after the quarter pole but his pacer could never clear and set this up for the closers again.

After making a move from mid-pack just after the half-mile pole, it was Sevngali (Mark Silva) who finished ahead of all his competition to win by three-quarters of a length over Rock To Glory (Bruno Chiodo). Glasser was able to hold onto third. The mile went in a soft 1:56. The 4-year old gelding Svengali is owned and trained by Silva.

The amateurs took a break until the eighth race on the card which found ten pacers going to post. After a speed duel into the first quarter of :27.1, it was Topville Cruiser (Cote Keim) who relinquished the lead to Watchmeneighneigh (Beltrami) and the rest is history. Even after a swift :55 half-mile, Beltrami was able to hold off all the closers by a half-length. His strides were shortening but it was just enough to be first under the wire. Master Conrad (Chiodo) came up for second and Haymitch (Marianna Monaco) picked up the show dough. The race was timed in 1:53.4.

Watchmeneighneigh, a 7-year-old gelding, is owned by Maria Alvarez and is trained by Williams Hernandez.

The tenth race featured GSY 2 pacers, which is the top division, and drew a full field of ten. The first quarter was a contentious one with several horses vying for the top spot and a few that ended up parked for the entire mile. As was the case in the eighth race, Tuxedo Bay (Silva) released Montefalco N (James Slendorn) just after the first quarter in :27.1. The half came up in a swift :55.1 but that didn’t phase Slendorn who came home in :27.2 to win by four lengths in a dazzling 1:51.2. Silva held on to second while longshot Camwood (Christopher Petrelli) rounded out the trifecta.

The 7-year-old gelding Montefalco N is owned by Slendorn, along with his trainer Kelvin Harrison.

The GSY amateurs will be back in action next Friday at The Meadowlands. The first post is scheduled for 6:20 p.m.