Meadowlands: Atlanta sets world records, all-age track record in Graduate final

Atlanta rewrote the record book on Saturday night, becoming the fastest female trotter in the history of the sport and the Meadowlands thanks to a spectacular 1:49 1/5 mile in the $250,000 Graduate final for 4-year-olds.

Driver Yannick Gingras elected to take back and keep Atlanta two-wide from post four as Manchego (Dexter Dunn) launched away from post ten and reached the opening quarter in 26 2/5. Six Pack (Ake Svanstedt), who had started from post nine, remained parked into the backstretch, but he was able to get to the lead passing the 54 1/5 half, with Atlanta picking up cover from Fiftydallarbill (Corey Callahan) to sit second-over.

Six Pack stayed in the lead to the 1:22 three-quarters, and remained clear as Fiftydallarbill stalled, sending Atlanta three-wide on the last turn. For much of the stretch drive, it appeared Six Pack would win the race, but Gingras had Atlanta motoring, and even though she drifted out in the lane like she has been, Atlanta kept going forward too, storming home in 26 3/5 to get up and win by a neck. Six Pack was a gallant second, followed by Custom Cantab (David Miller), Manchego, and Crystal Fashion (Tim Tetrick).

The 1:49 1/5 clocking eclipsed the previous female trotting record of 1:49 2/5 that had belonged to Hannelore Hanover from The Red Mile and also took down the 4-year-old female record of 1:50 1/5 that Ice Attraction owned. In addition, it lowered the Meadowlands trotting standard from 1:49 4/5 (JL Cruze, Plunge Blue Chip, and Darling Mearas).

"Corey was trying to bide his time a little bit. He was driving his own race, no problem there. I was happy to get his cover," remarked Gingras. "In the third quarter Ake was able to back it down a little bit, and I can't say that I wasn't worried turning for home. His horse kicked clear, and I know he's a tremendous horse too, but this mare's just unreal. She just kept on digging.

"Honestly, I thought I was a winner at the eighth pole, but then after that Six Pack just kept on fighting, so at that point I wasn't so sure. When I tipped her off cover, I really thought that I was going to get him a little easier than I did, but at the end of the day it was two great horses going at it, and we came out on top."

Atlanta, a daughter of Chapter Seven, is trained by Ron Burke for owners Crawford Farms Racing, Brad Grant, and Howard Taylor. Last year's Hambletonian champion picked up the 18th win of her career, and he has now put away $1,486,269. She returned $2.60 to win as the favorite.