EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Owner Kenneth Jacobs took home a few photos of the winner’s circle and winner’s checks when his harness racing gelding Bookie J (Perfect stitch) and filly Prtynproud Hanover (Down on the coast) won the $125,000 Grade 3 Kindergarten Series pacing final on Saturday evening (November 1) at The Meadowlands.
Bookie J came to the fore early and withstood a sprint to the finish for a 1:51.2 victory in the $125,000 Kindergarten Series final for 2-year-old pacing stallions and geldings.
Driver Dexter Dunn left the cones from third as Bookie J rounded the first turn and pushed towards early leader Rocknacious via a :28.1 first quarter. Bookie J took command in the backstretch and cruised steadily to a half of :57.1, while Signal Caller, the 4-5 favorite, prepared a first-over attack to the far bend.
Signal Caller ascended the edge through the turn as Dunn gradually accelerated with Bookie J. The two matched pace through three-quarters in 1:24.4, turning into the stretch until Signal Caller was close to the final eighth. Toast Of The Town tipped off Signal Caller’s cover late and went after Bookie J, although Bookie J responded to the challenge and stretched to the finish to take the win by neck and neck. Apocalypsebluechip shuffled into third place and Signal Caller settled for fourth.
BOOKIE J REPEAT
“The two [Rocknacious and Apocalypsebluechip] I came out of there pretty well and the pace picked up, so I moved him a little early,” Dexter Dunn said after the race, “but he’s been racing really well this year and getting better all the time. I feel like every time I sit behind him, he grows more and more mature. At the beginning of the year his gait was not yet 100 percent, a few steering problems, but Chris [Ryder] and the team solved it. Tonight he was perfect; he felt great. I think he will continue to mature and become a nice three-year-old.”
Chris Ryder trains Bookie J, a gelding by Perfect Sting-Skyy, for owner Kenneth Jacobs. The filly earned her fourth win from 11 career starts and has accumulated $208,680 in earnings. She paid $10.40 to win.
Prtynproud Hanover secured a pocket ride and surged past tired pacer Darlin’s Angel to claim a 1:51.1 victory in the $125,000 Kindergarten Classic final for 2-year-old pacing fillies.
Driver Yannick Gingras lifted Prtynproud Hanover in front and took the top of 1-2 favorite Darlin’s Angel after a :26.2 first quarter. Once in the lead, Prtynproud Hanover settled down and slowed, prompting Darlin’s Angel to pull out and return to the lead for a :55 half. Darlin’s Angel powered through the final corner as Prtynproud Hanover swelled up the course, with Gingras eventually pushing his charge out and passing three-quarters in 1:23.1. Prtynproud Hanover linked up with Darlin’s Angel down the stretch and made a smooth lunge in the final eighth to fire away and win by 2-1/2 lengths. Fabulous Hanover moved from second to second, with Darlin’s Angel taking third and Wave Dancer speeding through traffic from a ground-saving drive to fourth.
PRTYNTROUD REPEAT
Ken Jacobs, who purchased the $10,000 yearling from the Andrew Fulton barn in late July while visiting the Bucky Gray Jr. Memorial Pace at Ocean Downs, said of the filly: “I watched a few races and I really fell in love with the horse. She’s got long legs, she’s just a beautiful horse, and she’s got some guts. I know she only beats horses by half a mile, but I thought she could go further with her breeding.” [1:]51 or [1:]52, [1:]53 as a 2 year old. And they were also good people, they took care of the horse.”
Joe Bongiorno trains Prtynproud Hanover, a filly by Down on the coast-Pretty N Fast, who now has six wins from nine starts and has earned $101,307. She sent the third pick in the betting and paid $19 to win.
A LITTLE MORE: No winning tickets were sold on the 20-cent Pick-6, creating a carryover of $7,950 for Thursday’s card. Those with five good points collected $226.32. … Johnathan Ahle, Dave Miller and Yannick Gingras led the driver colony with two winners each. … Ron Burke led the coaches with a pair of wins. … All sources for the 14-race program totaled $3,198,548. … Next week is the first of three this month with Thursday races. Then the live action resumes at 6:20 PM
For full race results, click here: American trotting results
Through Ray Cotolofor The Meadowlands
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