Meadowlands: DiDomenico looking for good fortune this weekend
With 75 horses under his care, trainer Scott DiDomenico is a busy man. Fortunately DiDomenico has multitasking down to a science and was able to provide an update on stable members racing this Friday and Saturday nights at The Meadowlands while training pacing mare Neon Sky N on Wednesday.
The old warhorse McArdles Lightning returns to action in New Jersey on Saturday night, the first of four from DiDomenico’s stable to race in prime time.
“We decided to give him a break after a long campaign,” said DiDomenico of the 8-year-old with earnings in excess of $442k over a solid career. “He’s a barn favorite.”
While McArdles Lightning may be a barn favorite, the odds of him winning Saturday’s fourth race are likely to be double digits given his earnings in his last five starts. “We brought him over to Yonkers and that suited him well,” said DiDomenico. “He was able to race and earn at Yonkers.”
DiDomenico suggested the outside post combined with the first race in over six weeks to be a couple of obstacles that McArdles Lightning might not overcome on Saturday.
McArdles Lightning appears to be in a somewhat stacked division of this class, with the recent import Effronte A (post 2) a 1:48 3/5 winner in his second North American start drawing post two. The field also includes Americanprimetime (post 8) who drops in class after a solid closing third in his seasonal debut.
Jack’s Shadow N, who drew post six in Saturday’s sixth race, appears to hold more promise for DiDomenico. “He had to get over some bumps in the road,” said DiDomenico. “He got sick on us and missed three weeks but I was very happy with the way he finished his mile last week.”
Jack’s Shadow N races in the non-winners-of-6 pari-mutuel races and has regular pilot Pat Berry in the bike on Saturday. “I think we’ll be more aggressive with him this week,” said DiDomenico. “We’ve got big hopes for him.”
The New Zealand import won nine races in 2019 and looks for his first success in the New Year on Saturday. Jack’s Shadow N meets a solid group that includes Western Exposure (post 5), who enters the contest with a win and a pair of seconds in his last four starts.
The 4-year-old gelding Revelry returns to the mile track on Saturday in race nine, a conditioned affair for non-winners of $7,500. “He’s a horse that does better when he gets a trip,” said DiDomenico. Revelry got the trip he needed two starts back in a 22-1 shocker at Dover Downs on January 16 and the trainer is hopeful that things could work out again this week, though the company may be a tad stronger. “If he can get away close and sit in, I think he’ll be able to close.”
Alta Shelby N has been a solid earner for DiDomenico and enters Saturday’s 11th race sporting a second and third in his last three starts. That’s the positive news. On the negative front was the post 10 draw in the non-winners of $10,000 class. “It’s a tough spot,” said DiDomenico.
On Friday night Mary Catherine A makes her seasonal debut for the stable in a conditioned event for pacing mares carded as race seven. “She’s not lived up to expectations,” said DiDomenico quite frankly. “We gave good money for her.”
An imported daughter of Art Major, Mary Catherine A recently qualified back decently but her trainer was only sure of one thing. “We’ll race her from behind and see what happens.”
DiDomenico was somewhat puzzled with the results he’s had from the sire Art Major. “You know, I had the richest daughter of Art Major (Handsoffmycookie $1.4 million) and I think I’m even on the sire with all of the others I’ve gone after,” said DiDomenico.
On Friday morning Handsoffmycookie’s first foal, The Cookie Monster, will qualify for the first time at The Meadowlands. The 3-year-old is a son of American Ideal.
DiDomenico has been ecstatic with the performance of Swansea. The altered son of Swan For All has been a fixture at the top-class trotting features at Yonkers. Swansea made over $250K with 14 wins in 2019 and has already earned $34,800 in just three starts in January.