East Rutherford, NJ –  The first race on the card Friday night (Feb. 28) at the Big M featured nine pacers for the amateur pacing event and as the gate swung open several horses left hard for the lead.

This week was a little different because several horses could get to the lead or find a tuck on the rail so they raced 2×2 for the entire mile, which looked like a “European” style race.

Make It Big, with Juan Cano in the sulky went to the lead and actually carved out sensible fractions of :28 and :56.2 for the first half mile. Chris Doherty aboard Top of The Mark was all out to get the lead but couldn’t manage his way to the top so Mark Silva on the heavy favorite, Scirocco Mistysaid, sat a second over journey behind Doherty.  Matt Zuccarello, driving Keystone Camaro, sat third over for the entire mile.

As the field passed the half, Silva decided to move the 2-5 shot three wide and swept to the lead to open up by four lengths as the field turned for home.  He never had an anxious moment after that and won by four lengths in a mile timed in 1:52.3. Steuben Magic Ride, with Philip Bo Sowers holding the lines, finished second and May I Cruise West, with Mark Schullstrom in the bike, rounded out the trifecta.

The 4-year-old gelding by Well Said is trained by Silva and is owned by Kathleen Whitaker and Lewis Whitaker Jr. from Pennsylvania.

The third leg of the GSY Series continues next Friday night (March 6) at the Big M with the first post scheduled for 6:55 p.m.