Meadowlands: Norman takes aim at Garden State stakes on Saturday

When dealing with 2-year-old trotters, putting all of the pieces together to produce a stake horse of quality is the desire. Yet as we’ve seen countless times, horses have a way of changing human plans. Such is the case of two notable entries in Saturday’s Garden State Stakes event at The Meadowlands. Trainer Nifty Norman has a pair of freshman that on paper figure to be strong contenders this week and then advance to the Valley Victory and Goldsmith Maid.

Reign Of Honor, a gelded son of Father Patrick, took Norman 10 tries in his initial season before finding the winner’s circle, but the timing couldn’t have been more perfect with a victory in last week’s $221,540 Kindergarten Classic final as the prize.

“He’s always been a bit goofy,” said Norman. “He disappointed us in Kentucky so we decided to put the hobbles back on and for now that seems to have done the trick.”

Norman suggests that there was nothing wrong with Reign Of Honor’s gait but clearly as in many cases of juvenile trotters, he would make mistakes and lose confidence.

The hobbles returned for Reign Of Honor on October 19, a Kindergarten elimination at The Meadowlands. After finishing fourth from well off the pace, the gelding followed up that mile with a more energized effort the next week. David Miller guided him to a big middle-half move but in the stretch the top New York-Sired freshman Thunder rolled by him to win by five lengths.

With Thunder ineligible for the final, Reign Of Honor returned to his closing form and blew away the competition, posting a 1:55 3/5 clocking, an obvious career best in his maiden triumph.

“He’s a good horse that is coming around at the right time,” said Norman.

Reign Of Honor will meet with some improved competition in the Garden State, a $50,000 contest that opens the Saturday Meadowlands card. David Miller will guide Reign Of Honor from post four and will be right next to the likely favorite Hudson River, who landed post three. Hudson River, also by Father Patrick, is fresh off a third-place finish in the $600,000 Breeders Crown final behind the unbeaten Gimpanzee. Trainer Jimmy Takter has two of the half-dozen in this Garden State event and Hudson River is clearly the stronger of the pair, having repeatedly raced against the top colts in North America with success. Hudson River has won two of his 10 starts with earnings of $174,308. Matt Kakaley is listed to drive Hudson River.

Coming off consecutive Grand Circuit wins at the Red Mile, Evident Beauty appeared destined to face off against the best fillies in the Breeders Crown, but that plan didn’t materialize for Norman. “She got very sick on us after the Kentucky races,” Norman said. “We had to skip the Breeders Crown and that may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”

Evident Beauty, a daughter of Trixton, landed post five in the $55,000 Garden State division for freshman fillies, race three on the Meadowlands program. She has not raced since October 5, an impressive victory in a division of the International Stallion Stakes at the Red Mile.

“She trained back very well this morning,” said Norman on Wednesday. “We’ll see how she races on Saturday and then do what’s necessary to get her ready for the Goldsmith Maid.”

Evident Beauty faces a solid field that includes Taylor Swifty, a daughter of Trixton that is New Jersey-sired but has won regional stakes events in both Kentucky and Massachusetts in her first year on the track. Taylor Swifty landed the pole position in search of her sixth win for trainer Domenico Cecere.

Special Honor has had a solid first campaign for trainer Julie Miller. The Father Patrick-sired filly finished a credible fourth in the Breeders Crown final and will find the going much softer on Saturday. Andy Miller guides Special Honor from post three.

Princess Deo is another filly in the field with a Grand Circuit victory to her credit. The Trixton-sired filly was in a hopeless cover flow in last week’s Kindergarten final but rallied explosively late for a second-place finish. Princess Deo landed post four and hopes to add to her $145K juvenile bankroll for trainer Noel Daley.

The Meadowlands hosts a dozen races on Saturday night with first post listed at 7:15 p.m.