East Rutherford, N.J. — Of the eight horses to do battle in Saturday (December 19) evening's featured $25,000 Open Pace at The Meadowlands, seven of them enter the race having won their most recent effort. But the only one which hasn't–Melmerby Beach–could very well be the horse to beat in the evening's 12th of 14 races.
Ettore Annunziata's 4-year-old Somebeachsomewhere entire ships in from Yonkers after a quartet of solid efforts, earning back-to-back wins against other 4-year-olds before he was engulfed late in an open event last week, only mustering a fourth-place finish after setting a torrid pace. Melmerby Beach has been installed the 5-2 morning line favourite, and John Campbell drives the 15-time winner from post 7.
Melmerby Beach will square off against William Donovan's Ashley's Husband (3-1, post 1), who reeled off back-to-back wins from off the pace since arriving at the Meadowlands with a sharp qualifier. Two weeks ago, he kicked cover to defeat top-level conditioned company by way of a :26.1 closing sectional. Trainer Kyle Spagnola, sporting a .517 rating so far this meet, once again nominates Joe Bongiorno to handle the driving duties. Other top contenders include Ron Burke trainee Ontario Success (7-2, post 5, Yannick Gingras) and Jimmy Takter trainee Sunfire Blue Chip (9-2, post 3, Brett Miller), both of which rise from narrow local wins, along with UF Rockin Dragon (10-1, post 6, Corey Callahan) who most recently defeated upper-level foes at Yonkers before shipping over the Hudson River for trainer Mark Ford.
A pair of sub-featured upper-level conditioned events take place earlier in the card, with each $16,500 dash open to pacers which have not won $15,000 in their last five starts or seven races.
In the first sub-featured event, carded as race six, Benjaminbanneker N looks to rebound from recent traffic trouble, not lacking for pace in his last two outings after charing home from far back to prevail in 1:51.1 on November 21. Corey Callahan drives the 3-1 morning line choice for trainer Bob Bresnahan from post 8. A pair of strong shippers from Harrah's Philadelphia line up in the closing leg of the early Pick 4 as well, with Jeneral Patton (7-2, post 3, Brett Miller) coming in off back-to-back runner-up efforts, and What I Believe (4-1, post 10, Mike Simons) dropping down from top-level events in his fourth start off the claim for owner Albert Abdala, III and trainer Shawn Simons.
The sub-featured ninth race sees 5-2 morning line choice Shooter's Dream return at this level after mounting first-over bids in his last three races and subsequently sustaining them to hit the board on all three occasions. David Miller opted to drive the 5-year-old Sand Shooter gelding for trainer David M. Smith. "The Buckeye" was also nominated on Sicily, a winner in two of his last three races at Philadelphia. Andy Miller takes the lines on the Wayne Givens trainee installed as the 7-2 second choice. Also of note, Mah Sish N invades from Yonkers off a narrow win against just easier company. Ireland native Jonathan Dunne takes the lines of the 9-year-old Mach Three gelding for trainer Richard "Nifty" Norman.
All save two of Saturday's 14 races feature at least ten horses, while six boast overflow fields of eleven. Paired with $105,000 in guaranteed pools through the evening's Pick 5 and twin Pick 4 wagers, punters have ample opportunity to maximize value. As of Friday morning, the fifth-race Jackpot High-5 carries $7,181.28 in added money, while the final race Jackpot High-5 boasts a $34,296.44 carryover.
The first race on Saturday's card is due off at 7:00 p.m. EST.
For more information on racing, dining, and entertainment at The Meadowlands, visit playmeadowlands.com.
by James Witherite, Meadowlands Media Relations