East Rutherford, NJ – Owner Kenneth Jacobs took home a pair of winner’s circle pictures and winner’s checks when his gelding Bookie J and filly Prtynproud Hanover won in their $125,000 Grade 3 Kindergarten Series pacing finals on Saturday night (Nov. 1) at The Meadowlands.
Bookie J brushed early to the fore and endured through a sprint to the finish for a 1:51.2 victory in the $125,000 Kindergarten Series final for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Driver Dexter Dunn eased off the pylons from third with Bookie J rounding the first turn and pushed towards early leader Rocknacious through a :28.1 first quarter. Bookie J cleared command into the backstretch and cruised steadily to a :57.1 half while Signal Caller, the 4-5 favorite, readied a first-over attack to the far turn.
Signal Caller surged up the rim through the turn as Dunn gradually accelerated with Bookie J. The two matched strides through three-quarters in 1:24.4 and spinning into the stretch until Signal Caller levelled off nearing the final eighth. Toast Of The Town tipped off Signal Caller’s cover late and lunged after Bookie J, though Bookie J responded to the challenge and extended for the finish to bag the victory by a neck. Apocalypsebluechip emerged from a shuffle for third and Signal Caller settled for fourth.
“The two [Rocknacious and Apocalypsebluechip] got out of there pretty good and the pace sort of backed up, so I moved him a little earlier,” Dexter Dunn said after the race, “but he’s really been racing good this year and getting better all the time. I feel like every time I sit behind him he’s matured more and more. Early on in the year his gait wasn’t 100 percent, a few steering issues, but Chris [Ryder] and the team have got him sorted out. Tonight, he was perfect; he felt great. I think he’s going to keep maturing and be a nice 3-year-old.”
Chris Ryder trains Bookie J, a gelding by Perfect Sting-Skyy, for owner Kenneth Jacobs. The filly notched her fourth victory from 11 starts in her career and has accrued $208,680 in earnings. She paid $10.40 to win.
Prtynproud Hanover secured a pocket ride and pounced past weary pacesetter Darlin’s Angel to claim a 1:51.1 victory in the $125,000 Kindergarten Classic final for 2-year-old pacing fillies.
Driver Yannick Gingras hoisted Prtynproud Hanover forward to take the top from 1-2 favorite Darlin’s Angel after a :26.2 first quarter. Once on the lead, Prtynproud Hanover settled and slowed, prompting Darlin’s Angel to pull outside and circle back to the lead before a :55 half. Darlin’s Angel cruised through the last turn while Prtynproud Hanover swelled in the trail, with Gingras eventually nudging his charge to the outside passing three-quarters in 1:23.1. Prtynproud Hanover locked onto Darlin’s Angel in the stretch and lunged smoothly in the final eighth to scoot away and win by 2-1/2 lengths. Fabulous Hanover rallied from second over for second with Darlin’s Angel holding third and Wave Dancer charging through traffic off a ground-saving trip for fourth.
Ken Jacobs, who purchased the $10,000 yearling in late July out of the Andrew Fulton barn off a sweep of the Bucky Gray Jr. Memorial Pace at Ocean Downs, said of the filly “I watched a couple of races, and I really fell in love with the horse. She’s got long legs, she’s just a pretty horse, and she has some go. I know she only beat half-mile horses, but I figured with her breeding she could go [1:]51 or [1:]52, [1:]53 as a 2-year-old. And they were good people too – they took care of the horse.”
Joe Bongiorno trains Prtynproud Hanover, a filly by Downbytheseaside-Pretty N Fast who now has six wins from nine starts and $101,307 earned. Sent the third choice in the betting, she paid $19 to win.