EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Heavy favorites in the Three Diamonds and Governor’s Cup suffered defeats on a “good” track at The Meadowlands on Saturday evening (November 15), with one chalk beaten by a winless rival in the running races and the other by a wayward double-digit pacer.
She’s A Bulldog snapped her first victory with a 1:51.1 victory in the $357,000 Grade 1 Three Diamonds, snapping stablemate Loua Dipa’s five-race win streak.
Loua Dipa, the 1-5 favourite, marched from post 10 to a spot in the middle of the pack and entered the first corner before chasing stablemate Seaside Shuffle through a first quarter of :27.2. Seaside Shuffle managed to take command from pylon starter Perfect Thought before surrendering to Loua Dipa’s brush when driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. finally placed the chalk on pylons that passed three-eighths. She carried the field by half in:55.4, before driver Dexter Dunn pulled She’s A Bulldog out of fifth place and charged into the far turn uncovered for the lead.
Dunn rolled She’s A Bulldog menacingly to the rim and loomed to match passes with Loua Dipa past three-quarters in 1:24. She’s A Bulldog then surged home to the finish and held on for a 1-3/4 length victory as Loua gave Dipa a futile chase for second. Perfect Thought saved ground for third place, as did Darlin’s Angel for fourth.
She is an iteration of a bulldog
“To be honest, I tried to slow her down,” Dexter Dunn said. “When I moved her halfway, she was raring to go. When I left that last turn, I had a really good hold on her. I had a round full of horses, but when you go up against champion horses it’s always difficult. Loua Dipa is obviously a fantastic filly, but this filly really showed up tonight.”
She’s A Bulldog’s first win, in her ninth start, pushed her earnings to $379,326 for owner-breeder Brad Grant. The Ron Burke-trained Bulldog Hanover-Band Stand filly paid $17.80 to win.
The regally bred Gentleman’s Club held on at this point, outlasting its rivals in an exhausting sprint to win the $334,000 Grade 1 Governor’s Cup in a time of 1:50.2.
Driver Andrew McCarthy sent Gentleman’s Club to the front and led briefly as Ubrute charged forward from post 10. Ubrute moved into the lead with a first quarter of :26.3, but McCarthy promptly circled Gentleman’s Club back to the top early in the backstretch. Fragment, the 2-5 favourite, was racing third and flushed first en route to a half of :54.4, but retired as he pushed Gentleman’s Club through the far bend.
The segment folded past three-quarters in 1:22 as Gentleman’s Club stood tall and headed for the finish. Ubrute swung from the pocket to make a late shot, while stablemate Melillo raced through a seam near the pylons with a fierce lunge. Gentleman’s Club withstood the pressure from its flanks and moved strongly to the line for a neck victory over Melillo, while Ubrute settled for third place. Talbot Andretti rallied from off the pace for fourth.
REPEAT OF THE GENTLEMAN’S CLUB
“I was quite excited to get back on this horse at a big track – I gave him a rattle there last week and he raced tremendously, so I felt confident going into it tonight,” said Andrew McCarthy. “I just knew Aaron [Lambert] had this horse ready. He did well to end the year this way.”
A foal of Down on the coast out of champion mare See You At Peelers, Gentleman’s Club took his fifth win from 10 starts and has now collected $239,756 for owner Tony Licastro. Aaron Lambert’s intern returned $28.60 to win.
For full race results, click here: American trotting results
Through Ray Cotolofor The Meadowlands
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