Meadowlands: Rocklamation upsets in Golden Girls
It was bombs away as 12-1 outsider Rocklamation and driver Yannick Gingras pulled the upset in the $178,450 Golden Girls for aged pacing mares, one of a host of stakes events at the Meadowlands on Saturday night. The six-year-old by Rocknroll Hanover repeated in the stakes event having taken one of two divisions a year earlier.
The race looked like it set up perfectly for the Holloway stables powerhouse of 1-2 Somwherovrarainbow and Shebestingin. The former, sent off as the 4-5 choice, made a brush to the front before the :53 4/5 half and then appeared in control as Shebestingin marched up without cover through a rated 1:21 1/5 three quarter clocking.
As good as Somwherovrarainbow looked at headstretch, she looked in deep water in midstretch as the longshots began to fire. Rocklamation, off well from the start finding an early tuck, followed live second over cover and rallied with her customary late foot to win in 1:48 3/5. Following the longshot was Drop The Ball (18-1) and Jerseylicious (70-1), with Mattie Terror Girl at 34-1 completing the $5,481.40 dime superfecta.
It was just the second win in 10 starts this year for the Ron Burke-trained mare.
“She’s a hard knocker. I thought I had a good chance on the final turn as she was right on David’s (Miller and Shebestingin) helmet,” said Gingras.
Lose one race in five this year and some people forget you. Shake It Cerry, a surprising third choice in the 11-filly $213,500 Del Miller Memorial, coasted to an impressive score for driver Ron Pierce and trainer Jimmy Takter.
“Better try to get away from that thing Brian (Sears, Designed To Be) was driving,” said Pierce of his strategy past the half.
Shake It Cerry blasted to the front ahead of Heaven’s Door into the first turn in :27 3/5 and then with stablemate, but non-entrymate Scream And Shout lingering on the outside and in no particular hurry, Pierce was able to stroll through a :30 1/5 second quarter.
“I thought I stole the race,” said Pierce in reference to the soft second panel.
Indeed he did as Shake It Cerry, last year’s two-year-old champion, separated herself from the field in the third quarter and coasted home with back-to-back :27 3/5 quarters. Heaven’s Door managed to close in to last for second with Designed To Be, blocked to the half, racing in tight quarters in the stretch and closing for third.
Shake It Cerry, owned by Solveigs Racing Partners, won for the 13th time in 17 lifetime starts going over the $1 million mark in career earnings.
Sent off as a 7-2 proposition in the field behind even-money favorite Designed To Be, Shake It Cerry returned $9.60 to win.
Driver Brett Miller wasn’t going to let his undefeated three-year-old filly Sandbetweenurtoes take too much air on the outside this week. After racing a long way without cover the Mistletoe Shalee eliminations a week ago, Miller guided the filly to victory in the $212,150 final in game and most impressive fashion.
Trained by a pair of Meadowlands originals brothers Ray and Larry Remmen, Sandebetweenurtoes took an early tuck in third as Gallie Bythe Beach and Weeper tussled for early command. After a :26 2/5 opening quarter Miller sent his filly marching to the front and John Campbell, driving the pacesetter eagerly allowed her to cross to the front before the :54 3/5 half came up.
Table Talk and driver Tim Tetrick moved up alertly and dueled with the winner through a wicked three quarters (1:22 1/5) but Sandbetweenurtoes edged clear into the homestretch and appeared vulnerable as horses rallied wide and loomed dangerously.
But Miller kept the daughter of Somebeachsomewhere to her task and Sandbetweenurtoes bravely won for the sixth straight time for owner Bradley Grant in 1:49 3/5. Weeper rallied inside for second with Table Talk holding her ground third.
“She came to us ready-made,” said Ray Remmen about the filly purchased earlier this year by Grant. “Bradley’s father had a reputation for spending a lot to buy a good horse but I think Bradley has outdone him.”
Sent off as the 8-5 favorite, Sandbetweenurtoes returned $5.40 to win.
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