Meadowlands: McCarthy preparing for future stakes drives this weekend

Driver Andrew McCarthy, like many of the elite talent in his field, is spending time these days trying to line up drives for future stakes action. McCarthy will be behind some extremely talented horses this weekend at The Meadowlands hoping to get a firm reading on the present as well as a peek into the future of his 2020 season.

Friday night at The Meadowlands McCarthy has another test in line for Joey Bats, a 5-year-old son of Holiday Road that starts from post five in the $30,000 Preferred trotting feature carded as race two on the program. Joey Bats ended his 4-year-old season on a high note winning in December at The Meadowlands and that has his connections excited about the future. “I think they’ve decided to stake him to some races,” said McCarthy. “He’s got plenty of go but we’ve got to teach him how to race a little more and not always on the front end.”

The education part of the program has already taken roots as Joey Bats, with McCarthy at the lines, has sat in and raced off a helmet in his first two starts of 2020 at Dover Downs. On February 18 Joey Bats finished second in the Dover feature behind Tight Lines in a spirited 1:51 2/5 mile. On Friday Joey Bats faces a compact field of just six for trainer Andrew Harris.

McCarthy will again drive a horse that’s been handicapped in Friday’s fourth race with Caviart Ally making her 2020 racing debut in a $30,000 event for Preferred Fillies and Mares.

“Both of her qualifying races were very, very good,” said McCarthy of the now-6-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight. While the Blue Chip Matchmaker’s opening leg at Yonkers is a week away McCarthy didn’t sound concerned that Caviart Ally may need a “prep” race before that series commences. “She’s definitely ready to go. There were some strong winds in that last qualifier and she powered right through them,” McCarthy said.

Having been assigned post eight in the field, McCarthy wouldn’t tip his hand. “We’ll see who leaves out of there and I’ll decide what to do.”

It’s clear that trainer Brett Pelling is likely not concerned with racing Caviart Ally consecutive weeks. With the Blue Chip Matchmaker nominees a bit lower this year, the pressure is likely not going to be so great to race in all five preliminary legs in order to reach the final. That of course depends highly on how well Caviart Ally does racing over the half-mile track at Yonkers. “I have no worries about her getting around a half-mile track,” said McCarthy. “I know she raced at Yonkers a couple of times as a 3-year-old and won the Jugette.”

Coming off a solid season in 2019 that culminated in a Breeders Crown victory and TVG Mares title, both over eventual Horse of the Year Shartin N, Caviart Ally will prep for the Blue Chip Matchmaker against seven rivals with a couple also likely to join her at Yonkers in the coming weeks. Ideation Hanover (post 1) makes her debut for trainer Ron Burke after a winning qualifier. The 4-year-old won her qualifier easily in 1:53 3/5 on February 29. The imported Eleniark A is another with aspirations in New York. The recent arrival for trainer Ross Croghan landed post three and makes her second start in North America following a solid third in her debut.

McCarthy got plenty of calls for duty on Saturday night’s Meadowlands program but appears to be looking forward to getting behind Captain Trevor and giving the 4-year-old son of Captaintreacherous his first victory of the season.

“He was a very good 2-year-old,” said McCarthy. “He won a division of the International (Red Mile) and then won an elimination for the Breeders Crown but was sick in the final.” The comeback road has been long with Captain Trevor making but 13 starts as a 3-year-old.

Captain Trevor drew post five in Saturday’s third race and despite coming off a solid second-place finish, he manages to drop in class. “He didn’t have much of a chance in his first two races,” McCarthy said. “Last week I didn’t want to race him without cover but I was happy with his effort. Kelvin’s horse (The Devils Own N) has some power and we stayed right with him.”

While McCarthy suggested he will follow Caviart Ally over to Yonkers on Fridays in the coming weeks when she’s entered, he wouldn’t commit to racing there on Saturdays at this point.