Meadowlands: Del Miller Memorial divisions go to Nezuko Kamado S, Jailbird Jog

Nezuko Kamado S kept her undefeated sophomore season intact with a lifetime-best 1:50 1/5 score in the $141,900 first division of the Grade 2 Del Miller Memorial, for 3-year-old trotting fillies, on Saturday (July 11) at the Meadowlands.

Scott Zeron bided his time early with Nezuko Kamado S, who landed in third as Lainey W (driven by Dexter Dunn) cleared Southwind Chaska (Tim Tetrick) to control a 27 1/5 first quarter. Twos-on favorite Nezuko Kamado S edged off the pegs with nine-sixteenths to go, stuck her head past Lainey W at the end of a 55 2/5 half, and completed her middle move before the far turn.

From that moment, the Chapter Seven-Zefira Kronos IT filly was never in doubt. She coasted through a 27 3/5 third quarter uncontested as Leading Lady (Matt Kakaley) failed to pose a threat on the outside, and she had no trouble fending off a late bid from runner-up Southwind Chaska - who found room to take aim on the outside in mid-stretch - by a half-length under just mild encouragement. Lainey W was a one-paced third.

"I think she got lonely on the front," said Anders Ström, whose Courant Inc. owns and bred Nezuko Kamado S, who has won all four of her engagements this season to date. "The driver seemed to be very happy with her."

Now a 10-time winner from 15 career starts under the care of trainer Marcus Melander, Nezuko Kamado S stamped herself as a top contender for the Grade 1 Hambletonian Oaks, slated for Aug. 8, at the Big M.

"She was very good last year; she did everything she had to do," continued Ström. "She is a big, powerful mare, and she will develop as she goes along hopefully to become one of my best fillies and mares.

"I'm thrilled about the future for her; I'm looking forward to what's going to happen the rest of the season."

Nezuko Kamado S paid $3 to win.

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In the $143,150 second division, Jailbird Jog mounted a last-to-first rally in the final three-sixteenths of the mile to post a 1:52 victory as the 7-5 favorite.

In line to James MacDonald, Jailbird Jog sat last in the seven-horse field as Ygritte (Mattias Melander) brushed from third to clear She's Moni (Zeron) past a 26 3/5 first quarter and controlled middle splits of 55 1/5 and 1:24 3/5. As Isabella Bi (Åke Svanstedt) applied stern first-over pressure to Ygritte on the far turn, MacDonald waited fourth-over with Jailbird Jog before swinging her five-wide off the home turn.

As Ygritte was engulfed by Creator (Dexter Dunn), who swept three-wide off Isabella Bi's cover to take the lead a sixteenth from home, Jailbird Jog was gearing up for her final late push. The Tactical Landing-Miss Don Fanucci S filly cascaded to the lead with 50 yards to go, and her dazzling 26 3/5 sprint home propelled her three-quarters of a length clear of Creator at the winning post.

"I've seen what kind of kick she has off-the-pace," said MacDonald. "Last week (in the Reynolds Stakes), I was impressed with the way she slugged it out first-up, but with the Hambletonian Oaks coming up, I was looking for a tidy trip where I didn't have to use her the whole mile."

R Ro (Tyler Buter) sustained mild gains from third-over to finish third.

Jason McGinnis trains seven-time winner Jailbird Jog, who paid $4.80 to win, for Thestable Jailbird Jog, P23 Bloodstock and Hutchison Harness.

The Del Miller Memorial was sponsored by the Walner Syndicate.