East Rutherford, NJ — With three MADC races and perfect weather conditions on Friday night (May 24) at The Meadowlands, speed was where you wanted to be. This proved pivotal in two of the three races which saw two post time favorites also win.

In the first race on the card, it was a no doubt 1-5 winner, Machlicious (Tony Beltrami), who made a quarter move and the rest was history. He won by 8-1/2 lengths in 1:52.4 in the first division, which is usually the softest bunch. Sword Ofthe Spirit (John Calabrese) finished second while Chip Walther (Anthony Verruso) rounded out the trifecta.

The winner is a 9-year-old gelding owned by Joseph Bongiorno LLC and trained by Jennifer Bongiorno.

In the fifth race, which was scratched down to a field of eight, it was a powerful surge by Bionic (Michael Shults) who went :27 to the first quarter and never looked back. He was challenged before the half briefly by Captain Terminator (Calabrese), who ended up getting into the pocket and this duo finished that way. My Wish Came True (Verruso) closed to finish third. This mile went in a fast 1:51.3.

Shults also trains this 6-year-old gelding for Blazer One Racing.

In the eighth race, which was scratched down to a field of eight, it was Sunshine’s Finest (William Clark Jr.) who set sensible fractions but was challenged towards the half and this may have cost him the win as he was nipped just before the line late by T Dog (Michael Kimelman) who was up for a neck victory. Another neck or so back was Baileys Rock N (William Harrison) who snuck up the cones to finish a close third. This mile went in 1:52.2.

Kimelman also trains and co-owns the 4-year-old gelding along with other family members.

The MADC races will be back Saturday night at the Big M with a first post scheduled for 6:20 p.m.