Meadowlands: Marion Marauder, Lady Shadow, Walner headline Saturday undercard stakes
Nearly $3 million in Grand Circuit stakes will be contested on Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace night, Saturday, July 15 with an early post time of 6:30 p.m.
The $435,000e William R. Haughton Memorial Free-For-All pace will go with a bulky field of 12 at the distance of one-and-one-eighth-miles with Battle of Lake Erie winner All Bets Off and Ben Franklin runner-up Mel Mara chief among the entrants.
Lady Shadow is a clear favorite to defend her $200,000e Golden Girls title in a field of pacing mares that is eleven deep and will also go the route distance of one-mile-and-one-eighth.
2016 Trotting Triple Crown champion and last week’s Graduate winner Marion Marauder heads a field of nine 4-year-old trotters in the $420,000 Hambletonian Maturity. The Maturity is scheduled at the extended nine furlong distance.
The $240,000e Del Miller Memorial will field a pair of seven-horse splits with division leaders Ariana G, Magic Presto and Glitzy Gal using the stake as a springboard to the Hambletonian Oaks on August 5, with eliminations scheduled a week prior.
Walner continues to blaze a trail to the $1 million Hambletonian, using the $300,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial as his next stop along with 16 other sophomore colt trotters. Devious Man, Long Tom and What The Hill lead the competition.
Seven 3-year-old pacing fillies were entered in the $170,000e Mistletoe Shalee and 13 older mare trotters named into the Miss Versatility.
The $738,550 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace final was drawn after last week’s elimination:
1. Blood Line (Mark MacDonald, Jimmy Takter) 5-1
2. Macs Jackpot (David Miller, Jim Campbell) 15-1
3. Boogie Shuffle (Scott Zeron, Mark Harder) 30-1
4. Huntsville (Tim Tetrick, Ray Schnittker) Even
5. Downbytheseaside (Brian Sears, Brian Brown) 4-1
6. Miso Fast (Matt Kakaley, Ron Burke) 10-1
7. Filibuster Hanover (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke) 10-1
8. Santafes Coach (Corey Callahan, Leo Iordan) 20-1
9. Classic Pro (Trevor Henry, Dr. Ian Moore) 15-1
10. Talent Soup (Eric Abbatiello, Bruce Saunders) 30-1
-edited release (Meadowlands)