Meadowlands: One Eyed Joker trumps 'em all

East Rutherford, N.J. - One Eyed Joker was the lucky card in a wide-open and closely run $100,000 Rushing Man Stakes at the Meadowlands. Under Jose Velez Jr., One Eyed Joker won his second stakes race in four starts. He spurted past a tight pack of horses turning for home in the 1 1/16-mile turf race and barely held off Moomtazz in 1:41.64.

Meanwhile, after an easy win by Al Max Diner in the $100,000 Holly Stakes, it's safe to say the best 2-year-old fillies in New Jersey are trained by Ben Perkins Jr.

Al Max Diner avenged a loss to Phyxius in an allowance race last time to dominate the six-furlongs Holly under Eibar Coa and get her second career win. Her other two losses came behind Cashier's Dream in the Spinaway at Saratoga and behind her barnmate Forest Heiress in the Colleen at Monmouth.

"It's real nice to have both of them," Perkins said. "It looks like we're going to have to work on keeping them apart."