East Rutherford, NJ — With unseasonably warm mid-40 degree temperatures at the start of the Friday night (Feb. 9) Meadowlands card, three MADC races were carded, and the action was hot and well bet as always. The first two finishes featured photos with the winning margin just a nose and neck, respectively.

In the first race, it was a speed duel to the first quarter which found a grind to the lead by Shore Of Himself (Newton “Yogi” Sheridan) who made his way to the top after the first quarter that was up in :27.3. With a parked out horse to his outside, Sheridan continued to coast on the lead. He held that lead into the stretch but the closers came calling and it was the post time favorite Takeittotheface (Peter Kleinhans) who was a nose better than Lincoln Boulevard (Joe Lee). Rockabilly Charm (Anthony Verruso) rounded out the trifecta. This mile was timed in 1:54.3.

The winner is a 10-year-old gelding owned by Kleinhans and is trained by James Foley.

In the fifth race, the MADC pacers were scratched down to a field of nine, but the scramble for early supremacy reigned as it did in the first event of the night. It was Ferdinand A (James Slendorn) who made his way to the lead, where he likes to be, and wouldn’t relinquish it to a parked-out longshot Gotta Minute N (Ryan Inglis). These two dueled themselves into defeat, once again setting it up for the closers. In the end, it was Dynomites Peak (Tony Beltrami) who made a charge from mid-pack to get up by a neck over a game, parked out effort by Inglis, who hung on for second by a neck over Atta Boy Dan (Sheridan), who rounded out the trifecta. The mile went in 1:54.4.

The winner is a 5-year-old gelding owned by Spencer Goldin and is trained by Alexandra Goldin.

In the final MADC race on the card, it was a revved-up Elm Grove Qwiggly (Inglis) who got to the lead in a modest :27.4. He was passed quickly after the quarter by Mariner Seelster (Beltrami) who gained command and slowed the pace down through a :57 half. Longshot Kick The Dirt Up (Michael Girouard) made a bold attempt to catch the leader napping and almost cleared but Beltrami found more and cruised to victory. Inglis was able to hold onto second by a nose over Aintnobettor A (Dakota Jackson) who finished third. This mile went in 1:53.

Beltrami had to overcome a judges’ inquiry to make sure he didn’t slow the pace up in the second quarter abruptly to garner a driving double on the night and the 101st and 102nd victories of his career.

Mariner Seelster is a classy 15-year-old gelding owned by Fiddler’s Creek Stables, Alexander Racing Stable, D’Elegance Stable IX and T L P Stable and is trained by Travis Alexander.

The MADC will be back next Friday night for more exciting harness racing action. Post time is scheduled for 6:20 p.m.