Meadowlands: Forbidden Trade knocks off the favorites again

What looked like a match race between 2-5 shot Manchego and the red hot It’s Academic proved something entirely different on Saturday night, as 2019 Hambletonian champion Forbidden Trade regained his form and surprised the favorites in winning the $135,000 Crawford Farms Open Trot at the Meadowlands.

Sent off at 7-1, Forbidden Trade didn't appear to be in the best position as he failed to get away quickly despite drawing the inside post. It's Academic, as expected, jetted out to the early lead, putting The Veteran into the pocket in a 27 1/5 opening quarter, as Forbidden Trade allowed wholesale tucks for driver Dan Dube.

Driver Yannick Gingras did what has worked for him all season long with It's Academic, shutting down the pace in the second quarter as the field awaited Dexter Dunn's move with Manchego. Dunn had positioned her in fourth and waited until the 56 3/5 half to make the move.

Manchego moved up to It's Academic as the tempo accelerated in the third quarter, and the two favorites were eyeball-to-eyeball at three-quarters in 1:24 2/5. Lindy The Great had the live cover trip second-over, and Dube was able to get out late on the final turn to assume the third-over spot.

For a large part of the stretch drive, the battle appeared to be between Manchego and It's Academic, as they raced in tandem, but in the last eighth of a mile the complexion changed radically, especially after Dube sent the Luc Blais-trained Forbidden Trade extremely wide to gobble up ground with a vengeance.

Andy Miller was also working on his horse, and Lindy The Great angled to the outside of Manchego and came on well. A four-horse blanket finish was the result, with Dube getting the most out of Forbidden Trade and earning the win in 1:51 1/5 over Lindy The Great. Manchego held for third, with It's Academic not very far back.

"He didn't get away that fast," said Dube. "It's not easy from the rail. After that he picked it up and really dug in late."

Owned by Determination of Quebec, Forbidden Trade returned $16.80 to win.