Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Well Said is well regarded as he heads into Saturday’s $1 million Meadowlands Pace at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

The 3-year-old son of Western Hanover won his Meadowlands Pace elimination race by 1-3/4 lengths over Art Colony in 1:49.2. His connections, as a result of winning the elim, selected post No. 3 for the final and Well Said was established as the 6-5 favorite in the morning line.

Last month, Well Said won the $1.3 million Pepsi North America Cup for 3-year-old pacers by 3-1/4 lengths over Art Colony in 1:48.1 at Mohawk Racetrack. The winning time was a Canadian record. He will attempt to become the eighth horse to win both the North America Cup and the Meadowlands Pace. The others are Rocknroll Hanover (2005), Gallo Blue Chip (2000), The Panderosa (1999), David’s Pass (1995), Cam’s Card Shark (1994), Presidential Ball (1993), and Precious Bunny (1991).

Incidentally, Jeff Snyder, who owns Well Said with Lothlorien, also owned Rocknroll Hanover and Cam’s Card Shark.

Trained by Steve Elliott and driven by Ron Pierce, Well Said has won five of his last six races, including the 2008 Breeders Crown for 2-year-old male pacers. Lifetime, he has won eight of 17 starts and nearly $1.3 million.

Conner Blake for Lisa Photo

Well Said was a 1:49.2 winner for Ron Pierce in his Meadowlands Pace elimination.

“I haven’t seen anybody out there that can beat him,” said Pierce, who won the 2008 Meadowlands Pace with Art Official, upsetting then-undefeated Somebeachsomewhere in the process. “I’ll be surprised if he gets beat, but Somebeachsomewhere got beat and a lot of other horses. It’s a horse race, so anything can happen. I think by far I have the best colt. If he gets beat, it won’t be because he didn’t have a good chance.”

Pierce was not alone in his assessment. Foes were impressed with Well Said following Saturday’s action.

“He’s a gorilla,” said driver Tim Tetrick, who won the second Meadowlands Pace elimination with Hypnotic Blue Chip. “He’s really tough. He’s on his game. Steve has really got him going right now, so he’s definitely the one to beat.”

Added Mark Harder, the trainer of Hypnotic Blue Chip, “I wish Well Said wasn’t in there, but what are you going to do? I’m happy to be in it.”

Well Said’s mother Must See won the 2002 Sweetheart Pace at the Meadowlands and is a full sister to millionaire mare Glowing Report. Well Said was purchased for $240,000 as a yearling.

Last year, Well Said finished on-the-board in nine of 12 races. His only missteps — literally — came as he went off stride in his first career start, when he lost a shoe in a division of the Reynolds Stakes at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, and in the final of the Governor’s Cup at Woodbine, when he made a break near the half-mile point.

“I’m still going to have to be careful with him,” Pierce said recently. “When you tip him out of a hole to go, he’s one of those horses that want to accelerate faster than the track can keep up with them. He gets to spinning his tires, like he did when he made the break in the Governor’s Cup. He slipped and made a break. He wants to come out of that hole 1,000 (mph). I’m going to have to take a big hold of him every time I take him out.”

In the Pace elim, Art Colony cut fractions of :27.3 and :55.2 before Well Said and Pierce worked their way up to his wheel just past the half-mile point. The two colts matched strides into the stretch before Well Said pulled away.

“It was pretty impressive,” said Elliott, who won the 2006 Meadowlands Pace with Artistic Fella. “He’s a pretty good horse. He’s better with a trip. Anytime you get a trip, he can pace home with anybody. He’s just a good horse. As long as he’s got a target, he’s more interested. When he gets on the front end, he’ll get a little lazy. But he can race either way; he’s pretty versatile that way.

“Hopefully, we’ll have a little luck (in the final). I still think a trip always wins these races.”