Meadowlands: Atlanta, Fiftydallarbill prevail in Graduate Series tests

Atlanta and Fiftydallarbill turned in swift miles in winning the pair of $50,000 divisions of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old trotters that took place on Friday night at the Meadowlands.

Fresh off her win in the Armbro Flight up at Woodbine Mohawk Park just six nights ago, Atlanta (Yannick Gingras) settled briefly at the rear on the first turn before moving to the outside. She flushed out cover initially from Crystal Fashion (Tim Tetrick) past the 27 2/5 opening quarter, but when he drove on and was able to make front passing the 55 1/5 half, Gingras just waited and then got another horse to follow in Muscle M Up (Andy Miller).

Muscle M Up advanced into second at the 1:23 3/5 three-quarters, towing Atlanta into contention, and when Gingras called on the defending Hambletonian champion to rally through the lane, she kicked home in 26 3/5 to win by a length and a quarter in 1:50 4/5, although she did drift out a bit late as she has been doing lately. Plunge Blue Chip (Ake Svanstedt) took a shuffle on the inside through the middle-half but finished well up the pylons for second, with Crystal Fashion backing up to third.

"I kind of wanted to race her off a helmet tonight. Last week down the stretch she was drifting, so I wanted to see what she would do off a helmet," explained Gingras. "Definitely made my decision easy when leaving the gate everybody was leaving inside of her, but I was hoping to get a cover trip with her. Honestly, there was never an anxious moment. The only thing was she was running out still a little bit finishing, but we're gonna fix that. As far as trot goes, if she would have gone straight, she would have won by five, easy."

Ron Burke trains Atlanta, a daughter of Chapter Seven, for owners Crawford Farms Racing, Brad Grant, and Howard Taylor. This was her 17th career victory, and she has now pocketed $1,361,269. The 1-5 favorite, she paid $2.40 to win.

In the other grouping, Fiftydallarbill (Corey Callahan) left hard and strung favored Six Pack (Svanstedt) out some before releasing him past the 27 4/5 first quarter. Six Pack maintained command through a 55 3/5 half and a 1:23 1/5 three-quarters, but Callahan angled Fiftydallarbill to the outside in the lane, and he out-finished Six Pack to score by a neck in 1:50 2/5. Phaetosive (Trond Smedshammer) was a first-over third.

"That was my plan all along. The last time this horse had to follow Ake he really went kinda slow, so I was trying to make him work a little bit there in the first turn, and it worked out," said Callahan. "He kept rolling along enough, and my horse was fresh when it came to time to get him there in the stretch. He finished up with the plugs in, but I was pretty sure I was going by him, so I didn't want to take the chance of popping the plugs and having something stupid happen."

Fiftydallarbill, a son of Swan For All, is trained by Katricia Adams and owned by John Barnard. Fiftydallarbill made his 18th appearance in the winner's circle, and he has now put away $920,450. The 3-1 second choice, he returned $8.00 to win.

Pacing mares also competed on the card in a single $40,000 leg of the Rainbow Blue Series, and Caviart Ally (Andrew McCarthy), who was third to Shartin in the Roses Are Red on Saturday night in Canada, won in 1:48 3/5. She popped the pocket to take away the lead from Apple Bottom Jeans (Callahan) past the 26 2/5 first quarter, and after middle-half panels of 53 2/5 and 1:21 1/5, she kicked out a 27 2/5 final quarter to win by a length and three-quarters. Apple Bottom Jeans wound up second, and Dont Think Twice (David Miller) finished third.

The victorious 5-year-old Bettor's Delight mare is trained by Brett Pelling for owner Caviart Farms. She is now a 19-time winner, and she now shows earnings of $1,268,750. She was dispatched as the 3-5 choice and paid $3.40 to win.