Meadowlands: Graduate Series prelims conclude for male trotters

Rattle My Cage and driver Yannick Gingras converted on a pocket trip to capture the first of two $50,000 divisions in the third leg of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old male trotters on Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

Rattle My Cage left alongside Balenciaga and Cuatro De Julio and established the front heading into the first turn, while Cuatro De Julio was briefly three-wide before Balenciaga elected to settle back off the pace. Andrew McCarthy had to drive Cuatro De Julio to clear the lead at the 26 3/5 opening quarter, but once on top, put the brakes on to slow the half to a sensible 55 3/5 clocking.

Cuatro De Julio tried to pick up the pace and gain some separation from Rattle My Cage on the turn and did so through a 1:23 4/5 three-quarters clocking, but once Gingras pulled the son of Love You to the outside in mid-stretch, Rattle My Cage dug in gamely and trotted powerfully to get up in the final strides. Cuatro De Julio settled for second with Venerate coming clear for third.

Owned by Perry Soderberg, Rattle My Cage is trained by Ake Svanstedt. As the 6-5 second choice Rattle My Cage paid $4.40 with his third win in four starts this season.

In the second $50,000 Graduate division favored Ahundreddollarbill was content to draft behind cover off of slow fractions for driver Todd McCarthy but rallied boldly in the stretch to take control and hold off Ambassador Hanover in a 1:51 1/5 clocking.

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Take All Comers was first to the front and parked Logan Park past the 26 1/5 opening quarter before yielding the lead. James MacDonald briefly tucked with Inaminute Hanover but pushed hard sensing the slow second quarter to clear the front in :56 1/5. Take All Comers moved again for Tim Tetrick and went up to challenge, towing the winner into the race. Sonofamistery followed the winner but broke before the stretch.

McCarthy rallied Ahundreddollarbill past the 1:24 flat three-quarters and surged home under some urging to hold off a strong charge by Ambassador Hanover, who finished second. Take All Comers held the third spot.

As the 7-10 favorite, Ahundreddollarbill returned $3.40 to win. Trained by Tony Alagna, Ahundreddollarbill is owned by Crawford Farms Racing and James Crawford IV.