by Evan Pattak for The Meadows

MEADOW LANDS, PA, July 3, 2004—Sand Vic, a top 2-year-old who had struggled this year with breaks and impossible trips, regained his freshman form Saturday night at The Meadows, capturing a division of the $135,452 Currier & Ives for 3-year-olds in a stake-record 1:55.1 Durgin Hanover and Johnny Peanuts took the other two Currier & Ives splits.

Sand Vic won nine of 14 races at 2, banking more than $206,000 and taking a mark of 1:57.3. Although the son of Mr. Vic lowered his mark to 1:56 this year, problems plagued his sophomore campaign. He broke stride in both the final of the Connors at Hazel Park and the Good Times at Woodbine, and he hadn’t drawn inside post seven in four consecutive races.

But trainer Jim Arledge, Jr. said Sand Vic’s problems were situational rather than physical.

“He had some bad steers along the way, got caught in places where he shouldn’t have been,” Arledge said. “But he seems to be on the right track.”

In the Currier & Ives, driver Mike Wilder worked out an energy-saving trip behind Southwind Elian, who was stung in a rapid first quarter of 27.4. Southwind Elian saved second, with Backstretch closing for third.

“He raced good. That’s about all he can trot,” Palone said of Southwind Elian. “The first quarter hurt him a little bit, but he got a breather in the middle. I thought he raced okay. The other horse got a better trip.”

The previous Currier & Ives mark, 1:55.4, was established by Donttellmenomore and Palone in 1991 and equaled by Scooby Doo Hanover and Todd Schadel last year. Arledge said Sand Vic, who is owned by Bill Sanders, will get the chance to prove he belongs with the top of his class.

“He’ll race in the Dancer at the Meadowlands, and he’s eligible for the Hambletonian,” Arledge said.

Durgin Hanover, a Lindy Lane gelding who won a PA Sires Stake at Pocono in 1:55.1 in his last effort, proved that it was no fluke, making a quarter-pole move stand up for trainer-driver Rodney Bolon in 1:55.4. A hard-charging Uncle Vernon missed by only a nose in second. Dream Photo Kosmos was third.

“I was in a bad spot, so I had to go back to the front,” Bolon said. “I thought he had a good chance. I knew the horse on my back would be real tough to beat, and I just hung on enough to beat him.”

Durgin, Hanover, co-owned by Bolon, his wife Sally and James Snyder, is eligible primarily for regional stakes. Bolon said the connections found it necessary to geld the horse for medical reasons.

“I’d like to have seen him at stud, but we just couldn’t ignore the problem,” Bolon said. “It was just one of those things.”

Johnny Peanuts now has won six of 12 career starts for trainer/driver Carlo Poliseno, who co-owns with Franklin Cardinale. In the Currier & Ives, he sat a comfortable second behind Castle of Fortune and eased by that one in the stretch. Budlightning earned show money.

“He’s just coming into his own,” Poliseno said. “Just getting back-to-back races—that’s been the tough part with him.”

Johnny Peanuts’ career bankroll ain’t peanuts; it’s now nearly $119,000. But Poliseno isn’t sure where the American Winner colt will race next.

“Where does he go now? That’s a good question,” Poliseno said. “I have to look around. He’s not staked that heavily.”

The Albatross, $156,616 PA Sires Stake

The Albatross may have been billed as an event for 2-year-old PA-bred pacers, but it was an Ohio horseman who transformed the six-division co-feature on Saturday’s card to his personal showcase.

Kelly O’Donnell scored a training triple with Up Front Tornado (Palone), P-Forty-Seven (Palone) and Answer Me This (Doug Snyder). O’Donnell might have been most pleased with the win by Up Front Tornado, a $150,000 yearling purchase by C. Ed Mullinax and James W. Simpson.

“He has quick speed and good manners,” O’Donnell said. “He does everything right. He’s out of a good No Nukes mare, and he just looks the part.”

The triple capped an outstanding holiday weekend for O’Donnell, whose 2-year-old pacing filly Up Front Norma set a stake record on Friday in an event for PA-breds.

The fastest Albatross split went to Jo Pa’s Signature, who scored in 1:55.3 despite a close encounter with his race bike.

“I raced him in that bike last week and he was fine,” said Ray Paver, who trains and drives the Tyler’s Mark gelding for Dr. William J. Solomon and Emposimoto Stables. “This week he was hitting it, running in, running out, about half spooked. With all that, I was real happy with the results.”

The rags-to-riches tale of the stake was turned in by Runover Feeling, a $5,000 yearling purchase–among the least expensive Western Hanovers sold that year. He triumphed in 1:56.1 for trainer/driver Roland Mallar, who co-owns with Patrick Leavitt and Craig Rancourt.

“He has one leg that’s a little crooked,” Mallar said. “He was a little on the small side. But he’s got some pedigree. I just hit the sale at the right time, I guess.”