East Rutherford, NJ — In an effort that was of the remarkably game variety, Dover Downs invader Yanks Dugout gunned down JL Cruze at the wire in the Friday (March 4) night featured high-end $23,000 conditioned trot at The Meadowlands.

“He’s a real nice horse,” said winning driver Yannick Gingras. “He’s game and he showed it tonight.”

Yanks Dugout was a hard fought winner on Friday night a game victory over JL Cruze. Lisa Photo.

Big Oil (Andy Miller), the 7-5 favorite, Yanks Dugout and 9-5 second choice JL Cruze (Corey Callahan) all burst away from the gate quickly in the seven-horse field with Big Oil setting up shop on top at the quarter in :27.4. JL Cruze, the gritty 11-year-old veteran who was the first-ever trotter to bust the 1:50 barrier at The Meadowlands seven years ago, was then moved to the point by Callahan at the three-eighths before stopping the clock at the half in :56.3.

Yanks Dugout was now on the prowl, vacating the three-hole and coming hard after the leader, and the duo were on even terms at three-quarters in 1:25.3.

Now, the race was on.

Yanks Dugout had a narrow edge in upper stretch only to see JL Cruze bear down and grab the lead back with an eighth to go. Yanks Dugout never gave up, re-claiming the lead nearing the wire on the way to a hard-fought nose win in 1:53.2. Big Oil was third.

“I thought at the top of the stretch, I had it,” said Gingras. “Then, with a sixteenth to go, I thought [JL Cruze] had it. But we came out on top. [Yanks Dugout] is versatile. He showed a lot of guts. He can do it all.”

A 5-year-old gelded son of Triumphant Caviar-Yansky, Yanks Dugout, who had won three of four at Dover before his Big M score, returned $11.40 as the 9-2 third choice in the wagering. The Ron Burke trainee has now won 19 of 49 lifetime outings, good for earnings of $235,978 for owners Ivan and John Duke Sugg.

MACHNHOPE SCORES: On a night that was not particularly kind to horses racing on the front end, the Noel Daley-trained Machnhope went wire-to-wire in the high-end conditioned $23,000 pace for fillies and mares.

The 6-5 favorite returned $4.60 as the post-time choice to win for the first time this year in six tries as she held off the late-charging Annabelle Hanover by a head in 1:52.1.

“She doesn’t like when you urge her on too much,” said driver Scott Zeron. “So I was doing my best making noises and keeping her moving forward, but she was good on the front today. She was dropping in class and it looked like I had the horse who should be commanding the lead. I think she’s a little bit on the lazy side, so I tried to get away from them, but she kind of wanted them to stay with her a little bit. She was good through the last quarter over a track that was a little bit deep.”

Machnhope, a 7-year-old daughter of Mach Three-Hope For Life who won half of her six starts at The Big M during 2021, now has 37 wins from 127 lifetime outings and earnings of $652,311 for owners Deo Volente Farms and Thomas Pontone.

A LITTLE MORE: Gingras had two victories on the card and has now won at least twice on all 14 programs this year. … Zeron and Todd McCarthy also recorded driving doubles. … There were no winning tickets sold in the 20-cent Pick-6, creating a carryover of $7,215. Those with five correct collected $2,405. … All-source handle totaled $2,891,897. … Racing resumes Saturday (March 6) at 6:20 p.m.