by James Witherite, Meadowlands racing media

East Rutherford, NJ — Windsun Glory ($4.00) and Crosbys Clam Bake ($5.80) controlled the terms in their respective featured events and held all comers at bay to score repeat wins on Friday evening (Dec. 30) at The Meadowlands.

Lisa Photo

Windsun Glory collected her third triumph from her last four outings in the co-featured event at The Meadowlands on Friday evening.

In the $18,000 featured distaff pace, carded as race six, Windsun Glory lived up to even-money billing and captured her ninth career win, also her third in four starts.

After she was looped off the gate by Inittowinafortune (Corey Callahan), Joe Bongiorno pressed the 3-year-old Mach Three filly to the fore to clear at the completion of a :27.2 first quarter-mile.

Despite first-over pressure from Delightful Dragon (Marcus Miller) through the middle splits of :55.3 and 1:24, Windsun Glory would not relinquish control, edging clear off the far turn and maintaining 1-1/2 lengths of clearance while driven out to a 1:53 triumph.

Delightful Dragon maintained second narrowly from Truth and Liberty (Kyle DiBenedetto), who sustained belated gains after angling off fourth-over cover.

Ron Burke trains Windsun Glory for the Burke Racing Stable, the Weaver Bruscemi partnership, the J & T Silva Stables, and Larry Karr.

The seventh race top-level conditioned trot, also carrying a purse of $18,000, saw Crosbys Clam Bake make every yard a winning one, coasting through splits of :28 and :57 before parrying a stern first-over challenge from Classical Annie (Marcus Miller) through the last five-sixteenths of the mile. Jim Marohn Jr. urged the 6-year-old Kadabra gelding to edge away in the final sixteenth to secure a 1:55.3 victory by 2-1/4 lengths.

Waiting On a Woman (Vinny Ginsburg) protected second from his pocket trip, and Classical Annie held third after leveling off. Second favorite Kelsey’s Keepsake lost all chance after breaking stride on approach to the first turn.

Crosbys Clam Bake earned his 31st career win for trainer Andy Federico and owners Randy Bendis, Jack Piatt, II, and Tom Pollack.

Total handle for the 12-race card was $2,955,888.

A 13-race New Year’s Eve program closes out 2016 at The Meadowlands; post time is 7:15 p.m.