Meadowlands: Beads delivers in E.T. Gerry Jr. Hambletonian Maturity

Beads, racing without Lasix for the first time since last August and starting from post ten, overcame both of those hurdles to take the $400,000 E.T. Gerry Jr. Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-old open trotters on Saturday night at a soggy Meadowlands Racetrack. The final time was 2:04 4/5 for the distance of a mile and an eighth.

A field of 12 lined up behind the gate, and it would be Gangster Hanover (Ake Svanstedt) who left quickest from post seven, and he was able to get to the lead in a quick opening quarter of 26 seconds. After that marker went up on the board, Gangster Hanover was challenged by a two-wide Beads, and Beads took charge at the 55 1/5 half-mile station. Another change for command occurred right after that as Ready For Moni (Tim Tetrick), who had gotten away well from the trailing post 12, looped Beads and became the new boss.

After Ready For Moni cleared, that left Sermon (Kasper Forget), who had floated out from post nine and not been able to find a seat, first-over and Hypnotic AM (Brian Sears), who took back from post three, second-over. Sermon stalled out on the rim before the 1:23 1/5 three-quarters, so Sears had no choice but to send the mare Hypnotic AM three-wide to take up the chase after Ready For Moni.

In the lane Ready For Moni dug in and tried to seal the deal, but Hypnotic AM loomed boldly three-wide, and Beads split the two of them. It was three in-a-line and anybody's race at the 1:50 4/5 mile point, but Beads had the best kick in the last eighth and went on to beat a very good Hypnotic AM by a length. Ready For Moni wound up finishing third, and Sorella (Dexter Dunn) closed well after taking a shuffle for fourth. Gangster Hanover checked in fifth.

"My only concern with him is keeping him flat. His lung capacity has always been very strong. I was just worried about getting him out of there and getting away and keeping him flat. I knew he would have trot on the end," remarked Miller. "(The extra distance) didn't hurt him. I can tell you one thing, he's a very strong horse."

A 4-year-old son of Archangel, Beads is trained by Per Engblom for owner Buckstone Land Livestock. Beads has compiled a record of 11-4-1 from 30 career starts, and he has now banked $547,963. Sent off at 8-1, he returned $19.00 to win.

"Today he did his own race, and he did it well," stated Engblom. "He'd never won from behind before. This is the first time he's won where he's not been on the lead, but the trip was great."