by Evan Pattak, for the Meadows

Meadow Lands PA — Just-N-Bail-E, who had won legs of the Keystone Smothers Trotting Series — when he stayed flat — minded his manners on Thursday night at the Meadows and captured the $17,000 final of the late-closing series for 3- and 4-year-old trotters.

Just-N-Bail-E triumphed in 1:59¹, and finished three-quarter lengths ahead of an unlucky Command Post, who lacked racing room for most of the mile. Early leader RT Jacknife finished third.

The Meadows/Chris Gooden

Just-N-Bail-E was on his best behaviour on Thursday

Trainer Joelene Christman and her husband Mark purchased Just-N-Bail-E for Mark’s father, Walter L. Christman, at an auction in Delaware, Ohio this past November.

“He just had the look of a horse who would improve,” Mark Christman said of their $5,500 acquisition.

What the Christmans got was a talented but erratic, gelded son of Armbro Laser who needed special care to relax. Even before Thursday’s final, driver Dan Charlino warmed up Just-N-Bail-E in the infield to keep him calm.

He won two legs of the series, broke stride in the other two, but Joelene Christman could see her horse maturing as the series progressed.

“It’s all a matter of confidence with him,” she said. “He’s still learning to deal with his speed.”

Leaving from the rail, Charlino settled Just-N-Bail-E in second, just off the lead of RT Jacknife, and then urged him to the lead at the quarter pole. Just-N-Bail-E opened a two and one-half length lead at the half-mile — and did most of the rest on his own. Charlino said the wind might have been his toughest opponent.

“I wanted to give him a breather at some point in the race, but it seemed like we were always trotting into the wind,” Charlino said. “You wouldn’t think that was possible.

“He’s been getting a little bit better with each race. I think his best races are ahead of him.”

The series was named for Keystone Smothers, who in 1994 won 12 of 13 races at age two, and was the Pennsylvania Sire Stake divisional champion that year. A career winner of $213,000, Keystone Smothers was campaigned by Roger Hammer and the late Max Hempt.

In Thursday’s Preferred Handicap trot, Hope’s Victory rolled to an easy score for driver Dave Palone in 1:55⁴, which was his second consecutive win and his 18th triumph in his last 36 starts. John Sokol trains Hope’s Victory for owner Daniel Francis Vorum.