East Rutherford, NJ---The 2013 season for filly pacers was all about I Luv The Nitelife and Shebestingin. At year's end, Somwherovrarainbow hadn't lived up the her 2-year-old championship season.
Now 4, Somwherovrarainbow decided she was going to make a statement in her 2014 debut, a $22,500 B-1/A-2 Handicap for filly and mare pacers Friday night(March 14) at Meadowlands Racetrack.
In a race that included a wild sprint in the first turn, where theSomebeachsomewhere-Rainbow Bluemare was stuck between horses three wide, Somwherovrarainbow moved to the lead on the backstretch, opened up with powerful acceleration and tripped the timer in a sparkling 1:49.1 for TimTetrick, who appeared to have his mare comfortably wrapped up in the stretch. The final margin was 6-3/4 lengths over Pan Luis Obispo with Continual Velocity third. Monkey On My Wheel who was parked four wide around the first turn, faded in the final three-eighths of the mile.
For Somwherovrarainbow, the 2012 Breeders Crown champion, is on to the Bluechip Matchmaker at Yonkers Friday night (March 21) for trainer Joe Holloway and owners Ted Gewertz and Diamond Creek Racing.
Friday night also saw the opening leg of the Horse and Groom trotting series with the first of two $20,000 divisions going to Amigo Ranger in 1:55.1. Corey Callahan drove the Amigo Hall 5-year-old to a first-over score, wearing down the favored Hldontghttoyurdrms in the stretch for his first win of the campaign. Ashes Cash closed to be second and longshot Home Turf was third.
Ron Burke trains the winner for the Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and RTC Stable.
The second division featured an exciting stretch drive where Bambino Glide, who cut the mile, called on all he had to hold off a relentless Time To Quit, who missed by a diminishing neck in 1:53.1 with longshot March Awareness third.Bambino Glide was sent out by team Orange Crush, Andy and Julie Miller, for owners Kapildeo Singh and Shakoor's Racing Stable.
The second leg of the Winter Survivor series also split into a pair of divisions with the first of those going to Cane Ridge and Callahan in 1:51.1.
The winner of last season’s Rags To Riches late closer was sent right to the top from the outside post 9 and rated an honest pace to score handily over Mc Rusty and Astreos Flash.
Trainer Doug Dilloian shares ownership with Darius Oshidar and East Wind Stable.
The second division of the Winter Survivor went to Mattador D with a well-timed late move for Joe Bongiorno in 1:53.4. A winner in a division of leg one last week, Mattador D settled well back as Hacienda led through a casual 58 half mile. Closing from the third-over position, Mattador D was put to a rousing drive by Bongiorno and was actually a fairly comfortable winner over Malosi N.
The 6-year-old gelding by Shotgun Scott is trained by Brad Irvine for owner Carly Roman.
The feature race Friday night was the $30,000 Free-For-All Trot, carded as race six. That event went to Modern Family, who scored decisively in 1:52.1 for Tim Tetrick. Parked past the 27.1 opening quarter, Modern Family crossed over, got a breather in the middle and tacked a 27 flat final panel on the end of the mile. DW’S NY Yank was second and Daylon Magician saved third from a first -over trip.
Daryl Bier is the trainer and part owner of the winner, who passed the $300,000 career earnings mark, with Charles Dombeck and Richard Poillucci.
Total handle for the Friday card was $3,053,484, a slight increase of 4 percent over 2013.Racing returns on Saturday, featuring the first round of The Clyde Hirt series and a $30,000 Free-For-All headlined by a rematch of Golden Receiver and Dovuto Hanover, with post time at 7:15 p.m.