Meadowlands: Lambert aims for success with McCarthy-owned horses

Trainer Aaron Lambert has a stable of mostly young horses. On Saturday night at the Meadowlands, he'll be sending out three veterans with impressive backgrounds hoping to get the stable rolling while his 2-year-olds train down with hopes of arriving this summer.

"I'm training 21 right now," said Lambert on Wednesday.

The three Lambert sends out on Saturday are owned wholly or in partnership by Luke McCarthy, a driving star Down Under and older brother to both Andrew and Todd McCarthy. "Luke plans to come here this summer to drive," said Lambert of the ownership connection.

The older McCarthy will certainly add plenty of depth to the top tier of the driving colony as he battles his brothers and the other elite pilots in North America.

It's Mahomes A drew post six for Lambert in Saturday's fifth race and the trainer is hoping for a bit more racing luck than he got last Saturday (January 4).

"He was used pretty hard that back-half and held up pretty well," said Lambert.

A 6-year-old by Tintin In America (sire of Shartin N), It's Mahomes A will have to race on Saturday while his namesake gets a well-earned bye from the first round of the NFL playoffs. A winner of more than $100K in Australia, It's Mahomes A is off to a slow start with just one win in seven North American starts.

"He got sick on us, like many of them do," said Lambert of It's Mahomes A, who raced in Australia last May and started for the first time in North America in August.

Lambert was more than happy with the performance of Bondi Lockdown A last week as the veteran son of the great Somebeachsomewhere cut fractions under tenacious pressure much of the final-half only to succumb late in the mile.

"I hope he gets an easier trip this week," said Lambert.

Bondi Lockdown A drew post six in Saturday's ninth race and will be looking for his first North American victory, though he's finished second in his last four efforts and has earned a check in all his U.S. starts to date.

"I think he's a better horse coming from off-the-pace and he definitely prefers a big track," said Lambert of Bondi Lockdown A.

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With $350K in career earnings, Bondi Lockdown A was a class horse in his native country, and Lambert is hoping that he can do well in classes below the Open level this season.

Saturday's contest will certainly test Bondi Lockdown A's class a bit more than his prior starts with Moment Is Here (post one) from the Ron Burke stable in the field. Moment Is Here developed into a serious sophomore in 2023 for the late-Bob McIntosh. He moved into the Burke stable at the end of his sophomore year and finished second in the $260,000 Progress Pace at Dover Downs to close out the season.

A son of All Bets Off, Moment Is Here had issues that prevented him from making his first start as a 4-year-old until September and he earned just $20K in 10 starts on the season.

Trainer Joe Bongiorno's J M Mandamin gets into the race as an optional $40,000 claimer with the veteran son of Mach Three on a two-race win streak. J M Mandamin drew post nine but did win from post 10 when last at the Meadowlands in early December.

Spirit Of Stlouis N earned $91K last year, and it was a bad year for the altered son of Sweet Lou who races in Saturday's $24,000 featured tenth race on the 14-race Meadowlands program. Spirit Of Stlouis N was racing at the highest level before leaving Australia last summer. A career winner of more than $1 million, Spirit Of Stlouis N sports 28 wins and 20 second-place finishes through an illustrious 82-race career and Lambert is hopeful there is still something left in the tank for U.S. audiences.

"We tried him with Lasix and he really didn't like it," said Lambert, explaining some disappointing lines at Yonkers. Following a pair of qualifiers in December at the Meadowlands, Spirit Of Stlouis N made his first Big M pari-mutuel start on December 28 and finished fifth on an off surface.

"He's fresh but I think he needs a few races," said Lambert. "He's got a tough draw on Saturday."

Spirit of Stlouis N drew post 10 and Lambert noted that he was directly outside Sport Secret, the horse that put in a monster trip overtaking Bondi Lockdown A last Saturday night.

"I don't think he can go with the Abuckabett Hanovers," said Lambert, who suggested that Spirit Of Stlouis N is likely headed for the MGM Borgata Pacing Series at Yonkers this spring.

As for the large group of 2-year-olds in training, Lambert wouldn't specify any names just yet. "They're all doing what you want them to do at this time," said Lambert, preferring to focus on the present rather than the future.

The Meadowlands kicks off its Saturday card at 6:20 PM (EST).