from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Total Truth, the 2006 Pacer of the Year, and Western Ace will debut as 4-year-olds for trainer George Teague, Jr. in the $50,000 Graduate prep on Saturday night (May 12) at the Meadowlands, and if there is one thing bettors should count on, it is that they will be in top fighting form.

“I don’t believe in that popular theory of horses needing one or two races to get into shape,” Teague said. “I want to send them out ready. That’s why I qualified them three times, the last one a 1:50 and change win for each.”

The entry is rated at 5-1 on the morning line in the Graduate prep, Saturday night’s third race. Total Truth (#1) drew the rail with driver Ron Pierce, while Western Ace (#1A) will start from the far outside, post eight, with Brian Sears. The eight horses in the prep race will join Lis Mara in the $285,000 Graduate Final on Saturday, May 19.

“It was a long year for them last season,” Teague added. “They came out in April to qualify, raced in May and didn’t stop until early December. So I took my time coming back. That’s one of the best things about owning them yourself. You can pick and choose when you want to race them and take your time if you think you need to.”

Total Truth was the top money earner in the pacing ranks last year and was named Pacer of the Year over Lis Mara in a 71-62 vote. He ended the season with a record of eight wins in 19 starts and $1,494,222 in earnings.

Total Truth is the second horse in three years that Teague sent out to Pacer of the Year honors. He first stepped into the national spotlight with Rainbow Blue, who was also named Horse of the Year, in 2004.

Teague is the only trainer ever to have both a male and a female pacer lead the earnings list at the end of the season. Rainbow Blue’s $1,195,010 season in 2004 is still a single season earnings record for a pacing filly or mare.

“Total Truth has filled out a bit more,” Teague said. “He’s more muscular. He was a little bigger than Western Ace to start with. He’s real sound, no lameness issues at all, perfect. There were no setbacks with him during the winter or early spring.”

Although Western Ace raced in the shadow of his stablemate and Artistic Fella last year, he still earned an impressive $577,223 for the season, which catapulted his career bankroll to nearly $1.3 million. He had three wins — a Jug Preview split at Scioto, an Adios elimination at The Meadows and the Matron Final at Dover — but he also picked up sizable checks in the New Jersey Classic, North America Cup, Adios, Confederation Cup and Breeders Crown finals.

At 2, he captured the Woodrow Wilson at the Meadowlands and banked more than $700,000.

“Western Ace grew some from three to four,” Teague said. “He looks and feels good. He felt super in his last qualifier, winning in 1:50 and a piece. He needed a big mile. They both did, if you are going to go out and race against horses like the free for allers, the older ones. He’ll have to be ready to face that. I think they’ll both hold their own.”

Graduate notes and quotes

Although he won two starts on the road — a Classic Series leg at Dover and the Dan Patch at Hoosier — Artistic Fella has yet to find the winner’s circle at the Meadowlands this year. He will try to remedy that from post three in the Graduate prep on Saturday night.

“It’s a little bit of the 4-year-old blues for him,” said driver Cat Manzi of the 2006 Meadowlands Pace champion. “Remember, in his last start, he had shipped back the week prior (from Hoosier) and maybe wasn’t absolutely at his best. He had to go first up into a short field and Lis Mara, and he flattened a little late. I was prepared for that. I was a little conservative with him, but he’s going to step up and on any given night, watch out for him.”

Driver Yannick Gingras has been impressed with JK CU Later’s graduation into the free for all ranks. The winter series sensation finished third to Lis Mara in a 1:49 mile last week. He will start from post six in the Graduate prep.

“He was real good last week,” Gingras said. “I didn’t have any room, or I definitely would have been second. My horse could have gone three or four-fifths of a second faster, but I know Brian (Sears) and Lis Mara could have also. He’s really feeling good right now. This week, without Lis Mara in there, might be a good time to showcase him a little bit.”

It’s a Miller exacta on Meadowlands Racing Insider

Andy Miller talks about his recent hot streak and David Miller gives an update on his recent hand injury on this week’s Meadowlands Racing Insider web radio show.

Plus, don’t miss Mike Curci and Darin Zoccali’s Horses to Watch, Ken Warkentin’s Saturday Pick 4 and Bob “Hollywood” Heyden’s Backstretch Buzz.

And don’t forget to enter the Insider Value Play handicapping contest for a chance to win a $25 Meadowlands betting voucher.

Click here to listen: http://www.sportsnetamerica.com/harness_racing_insider.html.