by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

East Rutherford, NJ — Sevruga and driver Andy Miller took control after battling four rivals around the first turn and rolled to an upset 1:50.4 victory in Saturday’s $318,350 John Cashman Jr. Memorial for older trotters at the Meadowlands. Mister Herbie was a fast-closing second and Uncle Peter finished third.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Sevruga rolled to a 1:50.4 win in the John Cashman Jr. Memorial on Saturday at the Meadowlands.

Market Share, who was the 1-2 favorite and trying to become the first Hambletonian winner in 25 years to capture the event formerly called the Nat Ray Invitational, raced first over from the backstretch and finished fifth.

The trotters raced five deep around the first turn, but when the dust settled it was Sevruga on top in a :27 opening quarter-mile, followed by Uncle Peter and Arch Madness. Sevruga, who started from post seven at odds of 9-1, led from there, hitting the half-mile point in :54.1 and three-quarters in 1:22.2. He won by two lengths.

“That’s his best game, stretch him out a little bit and go big fractions,” Miller said. “I knew (Market Share) wasn’t real close to me, I wasn’t sure where he was, but I figured he’d be coming soon. Sometimes you take a shot. (Sevruga’s) ears came up around the last turn just looking for challengers, so I asked him to go. He just took off.”

Sevruga, a 5-year-old son of SJ’s Caviar-Stunning Lindsey, trained by Julie Miller, has won nine of 16 races this season and earned $410,275 for owner Howard Schneidler’s KDM Stables. He won the Cutler Memorial at the Meadowlands in May.

“It’s Andy and Julie,” said Schneidler, who bought Sevruga in January 2012. “I gave him to them because they’re good with the trotters. He’s been nothing but a super horse since I got him. I knew if he got to the front he’d be tough. And he was tough. It’s just a thrilling day.”

The race was part of the TVG Free For All Series, in which Sevruga is the points leader.