Meadowlands: Gimpanzee powers home to capture Graduate Trot

Driver Brian Sears knew what he was sitting behind, but those who wagered on Gimpanzee at 1-5 in the $50,000 second Graduate division at The Meadowlands were given quite a scare before the multiple Breeders Crown winner charged home to victory on Saturday night.

Sears saw many leavers inside of him from post eight, and despite the odds, settled Gimpanzee from well off the pace. Kings County, Pure Chance and Chin Chin Hall were all wide leaving and used through a 26 3/5 opening quarter. Eventually Chin Chin Hall and Dexter Dunn would gain control and the pair cut the half in 54 2/5. Dunn sensed his only chance of winning with the 4-1 second choice was to lose the field. Chin Chin Hall kept separation with a blistering 1:22 2/5 three quarters while Gimpanzee was stuck following a dull outer flow in third-over position.

Dunn's mission looked pretty good at headstretch, but once Gimpanzee started moving, those odds shifted as he accelerated boldly and Chin Chin Hall began to weaken. Sears called on Gimpanzee and the son of Chapter Seven responded to cross the wire in 1:50 2/5, a career best, while capturing his second straight Graduate leg. Chin Chin Hall was well clear for second, with Kings County third.

Gimpanzee is owned by Courant Inc. and S R F Stables and trained by Marcus Melander. As the favorite he returned $2.60 to win.

In the first $50,000 Graduate division, Southwind Avenger and driver Andrew McCarthy surprised the field at odds of 22-1 to win a blanket finish in a career best 1:51 3/5 clocking.

The race became wide open when odds-on favorite Don't Let'em jumped it off right before the start. With multiple horses moving to the front in the early stages, McCarthy saw an opportunity as the pace slowed past the quarter to send Southwind Avenger in motion. He quickly picked up the bit after the 27 3/5 opening quarter and overtook Soul Strong before the 56 opening half. Dexter Dunn regained command with Soul Strong and had the pace to his liking with a 1:24 three quarters, giving him the edge into the stretch.

McCarthy waited until mid-stretch to tip Southwind Avenger and then spent the rest of the stretch measuring the leader and watching out for other threats. Only Winnerup, the place finisher, would get close as he came up the inside late. Reign Of Honor was moving the fastest after taking a shuffle but he ran out of racetrack for David Miller.

Southwind Avenger, an altered son of E L Titan, scored in a career best for trainer Nifty Norman and owners Melvin Hartman, David McDuffee and Jeff Gural's Little E LLC.

Outside the Graduate...

The filly Sorella beat seven male sophomore rivals in a $25,000 Open for driver Yannick Gingras. The Muscle Hill-sired filly gamely wore down pacesetter Back Of The Neck to take a 1:51 2/5 career mark. The final quarter of 26 1/5 was instrumental in keeping favored Amigo Volo well at bay, who finished sixth.

Geez Joe overcame post nine for Marcus Miller to take the $22,500 Preferred Pace over favorite Sintra. Marcus Miller carved out a perfect trip behind favored Sintra and sprinted late to score in 1:48 2/5.

Potential Meadowlands Pace favorite Tall Dark Stranger made his 2020 debut a winning one by rallying wide on the final turn and scoring in a night's best 1:47 4/5 over older foes for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Nancy Takter. Fellow Pace hopefuls Allywag Hanover and Manticore finished one-two, respectively, in another overnight. Allywag Hanover won in 1:48 2/5.