Meadowlands: Pace elims could go a number of ways

With 15 3-year-old male pacers signed on in two eliminations for the Meadowlands Pace on Saturday night, few people would be willing to stand out on a limb and predict the outcome for the $701,830 Final to be contested at The Meadowlands on July 14.

The Pace is considered such a coin flip that that connections of both Courtly Choice and Jimmy Freight elected to plop down $61,690 to supplement to the race. They will start from posts 2 and 3, respectively, in the second and clearly more difficult of the eliminations.

Both supplemental entries are coming into Saturday’s eighth race eliminination off victories, Courtly Choice (David Miller) in the Max Hempt consolation at The Downs at Pocono in 1:48 4/5 and Jimmy Freight (Louis Roy) in a leg of the Ontario Sire Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park in 1:49 2/5.

American History is sure to give both late entries a run for their money. He starts from post 1 with Yannick Gingras at the helm. Last week the Tony Alagna trainee followed fast fractions and stopped the Meadowlands tele-timer at 1:47 while beating first elimination entrant Hayden Hanover by a neck.

“He’s a very fast horse,” said co-owner Myron Bell. “Time is unimportant but it was nice to see him measure off the win. You have to win money and Classics to get recognition.”

Another contender in the loaded field is Dorsoduro Hanover. The Ron Burke-trained charge was fifth most recently, beaten just a length in the $500,000 Hempt Final on June 30.

“I thought he raced really well,” said driver Matt Kakaley. “I was strung out to the quarter but I kind of kept the gas pedal down because I didn’t want to follow Montrell (Teague, Lather Up). I wanted to give my horse a shot on the lead. His horse didn’t look great on the first turn and I didn’t want him to keep coming.”

Dorsoduro Hanover will add the medication Lasix on Saturday as he starts from post 8.

“They said he bled a little bit, so he might’ve had an excuse why he didn’t hold on at the end,” said Kakaley. “I know he went big numbers (fast fractions), but I still felt I was going to be first or second on the final turn. I still felt like I had horse left.

Also in the second elimination are Fashiononthebeach (post 4), Babes Dig Me (5), Odds On Lauderdale (post 6) and Grand Teton (post 7).

The sixth race first elimination is also a wide-open affair.

The aforementioned Hayden Hanover will leave from post 2 with Andy Miller in the bike as one of the potential favorites. Nutcracker Sweet (post 5) should be a major player after missing by just a head in the Hempt to Springsteen last Saturday. Stay Hungry (post 6) also comes out of that same race. He raced close to the front in the pocket and lost by a half-length. The only horse in the field coming off a win is Thinkbig Dreambig from the Jimmy Takter barn. The son of Bettor’s Delight has won four straight versus lesser company and will get tested from post 7.

Completing the field is Ideal Feeling (post 1), This Is The Plan (post 2) and Captain Deo (post 4).

The top five finishers in each elimination will return for the Final and elimination winners draw for posts 1 to 6.

Saturday post time is 6:35 p.m. for the 12-race card, which also features two $250,000 Graduate finals for 4-year-old pacers and trotters.