East Rutherford, NJ – The freshman pacing colts and fillies launched for $125,000 purses in each of the Grade 3 Kindergarten Series Finals at The Meadowlands on Saturday (Oct. 31) with Starstruck Dreamer and Miss Dolce showing their best to win the respective divisional affairs.
In the final for pacing colts, Seine was the fastest off the gate followed by Aintmyfirstro Deo settling behind him and big favorite Starstruck Dreamer securing the third spot out of post 10. Seine cut the first quarter in :28 and sailed unchallenged to a :56.3 half and to three-quarters in 1:24.2. But rounding for home, driver Todd McCarthy tipped out furiously and ground down Seine to slide by for a neck win in 1:50.3. Aintmyfirstro Deo gave chase in third and Wishawave took fourth.
“We actually pulled his shoes last Sunday—that was going to be it for the year,” said trainer Noel Daley after the race. “But I decided to put them back on and we threw him on the trailer to give him one more start. After he raced down there [in the Breeders Crown] he was bouncing off the walls, so I thought we might as well give him one more go. Any time you can get away with 10 starts, we’re pretty happy putting him away. He’s more like a Thoroughbred—he doesn’t take a lot of work. He’s a very good horse.”
Starstruck Dreamer, a son of Captaintreacherous out of stakes-winning mare Scarlett Hanover, won his seventh race from nine starts, increasing his first-season earnings to $450,875 for owners Steve Wienick Racing, Pryde Stables, Jfoderatritchiecanamerica and Hyatt Holding Inc. He paid $3 to win.
Joe Bongiorno guided Miss Dolce to victory in the filly final, sidestepping the efforts of early speeder JK Simcha to score in a lifetime-best 1:51.2.
Miss Dolce took the lead after JK Simcha cut a :27.1 first panel, but JK Simcha looped back around to retake the lead heading to a :56.1 half. Miss Dolce tracked intently from the pocket around the last turn and edged outside to attack after three-quarters in 1:23.4. Bongiorno implored his charge and paced strongest to the finish to best JK Simcha by three-quarters of a length with Perfect Kiss taking third from Call Me Crazy in fourth.
“This was my first time driving her and I was honestly shocked when I saw the driver changes come out,” Bongiorno said after the race. “But I know she’s been sharp the last few starts and figured I’d put her in play tonight and it all worked out. I was very happy with the two-hole; [the connections] said she was better with a target. When [JK Simcha] re-moved, I was more than happy to go a fair second quarter and take my shot in the lane.”
Miss Dolce is a Perfect Spring filly out of the Roll With Joe mare Beautiful Candy. With the filly’s third win—all coming at The Meadowlands—from 12 starts, her bankroll pumped to $124,484. Val D’Or Farms and trainer Joe Holloway own the filly, and she paid $7.60 to win.