from Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – May 23, 2004 – Muscles Marinara [$3.00, $2.60, $2.40] completed a series sweep with a three and a half-length tally in the $52,750 Hiram Woodruff Final on Sunday afternoon at the Meadowlands.

The four-year-old gelding covered the mile in a stakes record time of 1:53.2, chipping two-fifths of a second off the mark set by Columbus Hanover in 2002.

Double Eagle [$3.40, $3.00] got up for second and it was five and a quarter lengths to Donnegal [$3.00] in third in the sixth race feature.

“The horse was the best,” said driver Brian Sears after Muscles Marinara stretched his winning streak to three. “It was pretty easy for him today. He is just real good.”

Trainer Trond Smedshammer has now harnessed the winners of three Sunday afternoon trotting series finals this year at the Meadowlands.

He captured the $134,400 Su Mac Lad Series with HP Paque on April 4 and the $49,400 Father Foley Memorial with Greensview Hanover on May 3.

Smedshammer drove HP Paque and turned over the lines to Sears with Greensview Hanover.

“It was a good spot for him in this series,” Smedshammer said of Muscles Marinara. “He has been racing good all along. He has been racing against Hez Striking and open horses before this so this was softer for him. You still have to prove yourself, and for three weeks he pulled it off. He has been steady and good all winter. He will get a couple of weeks off. He is paid to one stakes in Chicago. He will go in a few overnights before that here. He will stay at the Meadowlands all summer except for the stakes in Chicago.”

The son of Muscles Yankee – Chili Bowl now has seven wins, three seconds and two thirds from 24 career starts and a bankroll of $146,080 for the Gandolfo Stables of Saddle River, New Jersey and Lenny Zelin of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.

This was the last Sunday matinee program this year at the Meadowlands. After racing on Memorial Day, May 31 [1:10 p.m. post] and a dark day on June 1, the Meadowlands will operate a Tuesday through Saturday night schedule in June with post time of 7:30 p.m.