Meadowlands: Ascendance supreme again in Kindergarten Series

The term 'ascendance' is synonymous with dominance. It just so happens that trainer Linda Toscano has a horse by the same name who lived up to that synonym Friday night at the Meadowlands in leg two of the Kindergarten Series.

An event for 2-year-olds of each sex and gait, there were seven $20,000 Kindergarten dashes on the 15-race card.

Ascendance, a daughter of Captaintreacherous-Higher And Higher, made the top in the lone filly pace while parked in 27 4/5 and then was able to relax some as she hit the half in 56 1/5 and three-quarters in 1:24 4/5. A sharp final quarter of 26 3/5 found her 3 3/4 lengths in front of second-place finisher Ronstadt at the finish.

"She's a big, strong horse," said winning driver Scott Zeron. "Now, she gets a few weeks off before going to Kentucky all summer. She didn't have a lot of challengers [tonight]; that's why she raced on the lead. Coming from off-the-pace, that's what The Red Mile is for. She'll get raced a little differently in Kentucky."

While making it two wins in two Kindergarten – and seasonal – starts, Ascendance stopped the clock in a lifetime-best 1:51 2/5. As the 1-9 favorite, she returned $2.20 to win.

THREE FOR TAKTER: Trainer Nancy Takter continued her winning ways, taking three of the Kindergarten splits, all with horses who were making their respective career debuts.

Captain Optimistic ($2.80 to win as the 2-5 public choice) won the second of three divisions for colt and gelding pacers in 1:51 3/5 with Yannick Gingras driving. The son of Captaintreacherous-Cinamony drew clear of his foes at the head of the stretch on the way to a 3 1/2 length victory.

Champagne Problems and Torrisi gave Takter, who started the night with 21 winners from just 51 Big M starts this year, a sweep of the two divisions for filly trotters.

A daughter of Tactical Landing-Miss Caviar, Champagne Problems ($6.20 as the 2-1 second choice) went wire-to-wire in 1:54 2/5 with Dexter Dunn in the bike, while Torrisi ($4.80 as the 7-5 second choice), a daughter of Walner-Barn Girl, was moved to the front by Gingras past the half before holding sway to the finish in 1:54 1/5.

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THREE MORE: The other three Kindergarten winners were:

-In the first of three colt and gelding paces, first-timer Fallout (a son of Captaintreacherous-Aria Hanover) scored in 1:52 1/5 for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Tony Alagna. He returned $3 to his backers as the 1-2 favorite.

-In the only colt and gelding trot, the Noel Daley-trained Jeffery J scored in his career debut in 1:55 4/5 with Todd McCarthy in the bike. The son of Bar Hopping-Drinking Money returned $9 as the 7-2 third choice.

-In the third colt and gelding pace, TH Colby emerged from a three-hole trip to gun down his foes while wide in the stretch, stopping the clock in 1:51 2/5 for Gingras and Ron Burke. The son of Papi Rob Hanover-Fade, sent to the gate as the 6-5 second choice, returned $4.40 to win.

A LITTLE MORE: Gingras led the driver colony with four winners on the night. For early 50-cent Pick 4 players sharp enough to include 47-1 shot Good Deal in the ninth race, a big reward awaited. The sequence started with winner's odds of 2-5, 9-5 and 2-1, but after Anibal Borjas, who had a driving double, guided Good Deal to the winner's circle, those with winning tickets cashed in for $1,131.60. All-source handle totaled $2,805,824. Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m. on Fan Appreciation Night, which will offer discount concessions, as well as a fireworks show after the races.

--press release (Meadowlands)--