Meadowlands: Perfect Sting, Test Of Faith win on stakes undercard

Star 3-year-old pacers Perfect Sting and Test Of Faith appeared on Saturday night at the Meadowlands to prep for upcoming stakes engagements, and while both were victorious, one had a fairly easy time, and one had anything but that.

Perfect Sting, driven by David Miller, faced a field of non-winners of $12,500 in their last five starts, fitting the condition as the lone 3-year-old, and he would brush from third to first in the backstretch, landing on the point after the 54 2/5 half. Once he took command, he immediately came under intense first-over pressure from Shake That House (Todd McCarthy), and Shake That House got an advantage over his younger rival at the 1:21 4/5 three-quarters.

Shake That House continued to show a narrow lead in the lane, but if one thing has become apparent about Perfect Sting, it's that he loves a good fight, and he was able to battle back on the inside late in the mile to get the win by a head in a life's-best 1:48 1/5.

An Always B Miki colt, Perfect Sting is trained by Joe Holloway for owners-breeders Brittany Farms LLC. and Val D'or Farms. This was his 11th win from 12 career starts, and he has now earned $555,811. He paid $3.00 to win as the 1-2 choice.

As for Test Of Faith, she faced off against eight fellow 3-year-old pacing fillies in a $50,000 Open, and Miller planted her on the point beyond the 27 1/5 opening quarter. A 55 4/5 half and a 1:23 3/5 three-quarters followed, and nobody was able to chase Test Of Faith down from there, as she sprinted home in 25 3/5 to win by a length and a half over Grace Hill (Dexter Dunn) in 1:49 1/5.

Test Of Faith, a daughter of Art Major, is trained by Brett Pelling for owners Mel Segal, Kentuckiana Racing Stable, and Eddie Gran. Bred by Fred Hertrich, the $92,000 Standardbred Horse Sale purchase has a record of 10-1-0 from 11 lifetime appearances, and she has put away $550,200. She returned $2.60 to win as the favorite.