Itrustyou runs winning streak to 11 in Exit 16W; Meadowlands handle up again

Perhaps due to trip and circumstance, Itrustyou pushed his winning streak to 11 as he ended a six-race run of wins by Special T Rocks in the Exit 16W series at the Meadowlands on Friday night.

Itrustyou took an early seat in third before rushing to the front approaching the half in 56.1 seconds and forcing early leader Stonebridge Rocket into the pocket. Special T Rocks came to call at the half and applied steady pressure past three quarters in 1:24.2.

In the stretch Itrustyou was unwavering, partly due to the soft fractions, which allowed him to sprint the final quarter in 27 seconds and cross the wire first in 1:51.2. Special T Rocks raced gallantly while uncovered to miss by a half length, while Stonebridge Rocket remained locked in the pocket and settled for third.

Itrustyou’s streak began on October 30 at Colonial Downs and has remained intact despite trips to Harrah’s Chester in Pennsylvania and Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. Along the way he has earned two series wins - Valedictory (Woodbine) and Complex (Meadowlands).

The son of Third Straight now has 14 lifetime wins and $204,775 in career earnings. He is trained by Ron Burke for the Burke Racing Stable LLC.

With four splits of the Exit 16W on the card, it is likely that both Itrustyou and Special T Rocks will elect to compete in the second leg of the series next Friday. They could potentially meet up with other first leg winners: Whogoesfirst (1:50.3); Sonic Dancer (1:51.3); Fearless Diablo (1:50.2).

Big handle boost

Once again wagering was way up at the Meadowlands, as bettors wagered $2,422,625 on the 11-race card, a $370,797 increase over the prior Friday’s 11-race program. A bit over $15,000 of the boost can be attributed to the new $20,000 guarantee on the Pick 5. The pool topped out at $42,407, more than 50 percent higher than the previous Friday.