Meadowlands: Evident Beauty hopes to go out a winner in SBOANJ Trot

Trainer Richard “Nifty” Norman will be sending out a pair from his stable this weekend at The Meadowlands, with one, Evident Beauty, making her final career start on Friday night in the $65,000 SBOA Final. The other, Better Memories, supports Saturday’s $30,000 Preferred Pace as he embarks on a winter racing campaign in the local area.

“Evident Beauty will go to Kentucky after the race and is scheduled to be bred to Father Patrick,” Norman said of the standout 3-year-old trotting filly.

A daughter of Trixton, Evident Beauty makes her 27th and final start against five others in the SBOA Final, race two on Friday’s 13-race program. Recently equipped with trotting hopples after some costly breaks Evident Beauty looks for her third win in four starts since donning the extra equipment.

“I got pissed off,” Norman said as part of his explanation for the equipment addition. “I’m not so sure it’s made much of a difference. People say shoeing is a major piece of equipment with trotters but she threw a shoe in the Elegantimage final and that was her best race.”

Equipment aside, Evident Beauty’s talent has been evident from the beginning of her 2-year-old career and Norman has enjoyed the ride despite some of the pitfalls along the way. “I think what was most enjoyable for me was watching some of those New Jersey Sire Stakes races,” Norman said. “It didn’t matter where she was on the track because you knew she had that kind of high speed that she could get it done.”

With 12 wins in 26 career starts and earnings over $780K, Evident Beauty certainly retires with impressive numbers. Yet to listen to Norman there is a sense that things didn’t work out exactly as expected.

“She made breaks in two of the biggest races and never had a chance,” said Norman. “She broke in the (Hambletonian) Oaks and broke in the Breeders Crown elimination. She showed that she could go with any of other fillies in this class.” Indeed the final career account for Evident Beauty would be rather different if not for making major errors in stakes races.

Friday’s finale may appear a cakewalk to some on paper, but Evident Beauty, who will be driven by regular pilot David Miller, is no lock despite winning last week’s prep in solid fashion. Princess Deo (post 5) was recently reunited with trainer Noel Daley as he returned to North America. That reconnection seems to have Princess Deo looking much like the filly that earned $289K as a 2-year-old in 2018 and a lot less like the one with but one win in 17 starts this year. Princess Deo won her first qualifier for Daley on November 23 in 1:54 1/5 and then last week cut all of the fractions and gave way late in Evident Beauty’s 1:52 4/5 victory, losing by just a half-length.

The SBOA final is an open event for both sexes and the field also includes Lucius Vorenus (post 1), an improving son of Father Patrick that has won three of his last five for trainer Nick Surick.

On Saturday night, Norman sends out Bettor Memories in the $30,000 Preferred event (race 2) with limited expectations. Bettor Memories arrives in East Rutherford following a career best 1:49 3/5 mile at Dover Downs on November 21, but Norman isn’t exactly letting the time go to his head. “When you look at the night before he raced at Dover and see Captain Crunch going in (1):47 and change you realize the track was just blazing fast,” said Norman. “I was looking for a race for him (Bettor Memories) at Dover but when it didn’t fill I was glad to get him a start at The Meadowlands.”

While Bettor Memories will get to race in a field of six, Norman is not yet ready to suggest his horse fits at this level. “It’s a big step up for him,” said Norman.

In past years Norman has shut down Bettor Memories at this time of year and brought him back in the spring, but the trainer suggested a different plan this year. “I gave him a break in October so he’ll be ready to race through the winter,” Norman said. Bettor Memories is closing in on $600,000 in career earnings.