It appeared not to be Western Joe’s night in the featured $22,500 winners-over $11,500 pace Saturday night (Feb. 6) at The Meadowlands after getting passed at the three-quarter-mile marker, but the veteran warhorse showed his class through the stretch in a thoroughly dominant performance to chalk up a second win in his last three Big M starts.
“I wasn’t surprised that he came back to win,” said winning trainer Chris Choate. “When he hits that last turn, it looks like he’s going to finish fifth, but then he kicks in.”
Driver Simon Allard had Joe –a seven-year-old gelded son of Western Ideal-Ante Fay–on the go from the get-go, barreling four-wide into the first turn from post 8 in the 10-horse field and taking over the top just after quarter, which was set by Western Fame in :27.3.
Moments Of Joy was game in winning the Mares Select Pace at Dover Downs on Wednesday night (Feb. 3).
Moments Of Joy turned misfortune into fortune and found the winner’s circle. Last week, a knee boot slipped and forced her into an equipment break. This week, it was a perfect journey with driver Victor Kirby, which proved the difference between victory and defeat.
Moments Of Joy and Edge Of Eternity left alertly and established early positioning at the quarter pole. Driver Andrew McCarthy eased Edge Of Eternity back to the front before blistering the opening quarter in :27. The half was reached in :55.4.
Fan-favourite JL Cruze came back to his favourite track and took the featured $22,500 high-end conditioned trot in impressive fashion on Saturday (Jan. 30) at The Meadowlands.
The Eric Ell trainee rebounded off a sixth-place finish in the Open Handicap at Dover Downs 18 days ago with a crisp performance to get back into the win column for a second-consecutive start at The Big M , hitting the wire in 1:54.4 on a night where the real-feel temperature was 19 degrees.
A 10-year-old gelded son of Crazed-Topcat Hall, driver Dexter Dunn guided JL Cruze away quickly from the rail in the nine-horse field with designs on sitting right in behind speed-burner Warrior One.
With so many accolades having come his way over the last two years, driver Dexter Dunn can be forgiven for not being aware he had reached a big career milestone Friday night at The Meadowlands.
The 31-year-old New Zealander, who dreamed as a youngster of playing for the All Blacks, a famous rugby club back in his homeland, was his usual aw shucks self after winning his 1,000th career North American race in the second with Roger Rabbit on a frigid night at The Big M.
“I didn’t know I was close,” Dunn said.
If that’s the case, he probably does not remember that his first win came in June of 2011 with Mcclelland in a high-end conditioned pace at The Big M. Dunn returned home after that season and was not seen back in the States again until 2017. He won 93 races in 2018 before rising to the top of the sport in 2019, winning 460 times for earnings of over $12 million.
Soho Burning Love A stormed home and wins the Mares Open/Select Pace at Dover Downs on Wednesday Night (Jan. 27).
Machnhope and Shes Pukka N used their early foot to their advantage when Soho Burning Love A took back to last. Due to the scratch of Anytime N the field remained with seven starters.
Machnhope set fractions of :26.3 for the quarter. Driver Andrew McCarthy then backed off the half to :55.4, a :29.1 quarter.
Soho Burning Love A and driver Tim Tetrick moved off the rail past the half and ground coverless on the rim in pursuit of the pace setter Machnhope as the pair reached the three quarters in 1:23.2