by Matt Zuccarello, GSY Series Reporter

East Rutherford, NJ — The first leg of the inaugural GSY pacing Series took place Friday night (Feb. 17) under clear skies and 35 degree temperatures. Unlike the trotting race the night before (Thursday, Feb. 16), this race featured three closers finishing first through third at big odds.

The race started out with John Kokinos going for the lead and getting it aboard Lightning Strike. He carved out fast fractions while in the process parking two of his amateur competitors to a quarter-mile of :28 and half-mile of :56 for these optional $7,500 claimers.

He held the lead until the top of the long Meadowlands stretch, but that is when the closers made their move. When the dust settled, the winner of his first amateur race of the year and possibly of his career, went to Tony Beltrami aboard Seafood Mike. He was a neck ahead of Bieber Hanover, driven by Joe Lee. They were three lengths clear of a hard-charging third place finisher, Ulshootureyeoutkid, who was last for three-quarters of the mile and sent off as the longest shot on the board (64-1) with Matt Zuccarello holding the reins.

The race was timed in 1:55.3. The payoff for the winner was a modest $12.60 for a $2 win wager. The 6-1 exacta paid $153.20 for that $2 wager, and the triple paid a hefty $4,651.80 for that $2 bet.

Seafood Mike is a 5-year-old gelding is by Art Major, owned by Robert Weinstein and trained by Chris Marino.

Come join us at the Big M next Thursday (Feb. 23) and Friday (Feb. 24), for the second leg of the GSY Trotting and Pacing Series.