Meadowlands: Kindergarten Classic prelims conclude

Rocknificent and Hen Party won their respective divisions of the sixth and final leg of the Kindergarten Classic for 2-year-olds Friday night at the Meadowlands, setting up what should be an interesting final for pacing fillies next week.

Rocknificent sat in the three-hole from the start, and when driver Scott Zeron asked for speed nearing the top of the stretch, the daughter of Captaintreacherous-Rocklamation responded in a big way, powering to a 6 3/4 length win over Courting Marie in a lifetime-best 1:51 1/5 for trainer Linda Toscano. The 2-5 favorite returned $2.80 to her backers in winning for the fifth time in 10 starts.

Hen Party was permitted to rate a middle-half in 58 seconds on the way to an easy score in a lifetime-best 1:52 2/5 for driver Pat Berry and trainer Ron Burke. The daughter of Roll With Joe-My Lady Day was 1 1/2 lengths clear of Love For Sail at the wire. She’s now won three of 14 starts, to go along with 11 on-the-board finishes. She paid $2.60 to win as the 1-5 public choice.

In other Kindergarten Classic action, El Ideal was dominant in the colt and gelding trot, hitting the wire 6 1/4 lengths in front of Barley for driver Andy Miller and trainer Ake Svanstedt. The son of Muscle Hill-Courtney Hall completed the mile in 1:54 1/4 and paid $2.20 to win at odds of 1-9.

Chief Mate pulled off an upset in the colt and gelding pace, scoring at odds of 7-1 – paying $16.20 – with Mitch Cushing driving for trainer Tony Alagna. The product of Captaintreacherous-Heaven Forbid hit the wire three-quarters of a length in front of Force N Fury in 1:50 4/5, a lifetime-best. Captain Barbossa, one of six Alagna trainees among the nine starters in the race, finished third as the 4-5 favorite.

Filly trotter Senorita Rita never had an anxious moment on the way to a five length score over Common Sense in a lifetime-best 1:54. The daughter of Chapter Seven-Lindys Head Nurse, who was driven by Zeron and is trained by Toscano, returned $3.60 to win as the 4-5 favorite.

The four Kindergarten Classic finals take place Saturday, Nov. 2, and have estimated purses totaling just over $850,000.

--press release (the Meadowlands)--