Meadowlands: Fast As The Wind scores in Kindergarten final for male trotters

A tornado blew through the metropolitan area during the day but by evening it was Fast As The Wind who stormed through the stretch to nail pace-setter Coach K Hanover and capture the $300,960 Kindergarten Classic final for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters at the Meadowlands.

Dexter Dunn left from the outside post nine at the start but was out-sprinted by co-favorite Coach K Hanover and Ake Svanstedt to his inside and would settle into the pocket prior to the 27 2/5 opening panel. Coach K Hanover was able to rate the half kindly in 56 1/5 before the outer tier action commenced with Pretender and Andrew McCarthy moving with purpose on the final turn.

Svanstedt managed to keep his foe to his outer flank, with Coach K Hanover hitting three quarters in 1:25 4/5, but McCarthy and Pretender continued to apply pressure. Dunn, behind Fast As The Wind, waited patiently in the pocket for a lane to open up, and in mid-stretch found the path he would utilize to sprint by the pace-setter. Coach K Hanover couldn't keep a straight course into the homestretch, and while veering out, clipped the legs of Pretender, forcing that one off-stride.

Fast As The Wind, a son of Cantab Hall, managed to put his head in front and cross the wire in 1:55, and while Coach K Hanover did cross the wire second, his incident in the early stretch caused a disqualification that set him back to fifth behind the interfered-with Pretender. Robertsin finished third and was placed second and Ken's Walner was moved up to third. Pretender was moved up to fourth, with Coach K Hanover fifth.

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"He's so versatile," said Dunn of Fast As The Wind. "I moved him behind Andy (McCarthy) on the turn, but then Ake (Svanstedt) took off, so I moved back inside."

Sent off as a 3-2 choice, Fast As The Wind returned $5 in winning his fourth start of his initial season. Tony Alagna trains Fast As The Wind for owners Leblanc & Knibbs, Sbrocco, Schmucker, Fodera, Barbera and Frank.