Meadowlands: Seaside Bliss, Golden Tricks prevail in Tompkins-Geers filly trots

Seaside Bliss provided the upset in the first of two Tompkins-Geers divisions at the Meadowlands on Saturday night for 3-year-old trotting fillies. Marcus Miller guided the 7-1 shot from the pocket to victory in a career-best 1:51 4/5 clocking for trainer Paul Kelley.

The $47,050 Tompkins Geers division saw Personal Paradise and Dexter Dunn leave sharply from the pole position and cut hot fractions of 27 1/5, 55 2/5, and 1:23 2/5 leading into the stretch. Miller popped the pocket off the turn and Seaside Bliss, a daughter of Cantab Hall, roared to the front, easily holding off a determined bid from Sonnet Grace, with American Kronos settling for third.

Owned by S R F Stable, Seaside Bliss won for just the second time in her 11 career starts and returned $17 to win.

In the second $46,550 division trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt sent 1-5 favorite Golden Tricks to the front three-eighths of the mile into the race and never looked back, holding pocket-sitter Beautiful Sin at bay in a 1:52 2/5 clocking.

The race saw early action with Special Honor leaving strongly along with Beautiful Sin and Stella Jane. Beautiful Sin took control in 28 seconds as Svanstedt and Golden Tricks made room for Stella Jane then marched to the front before the half, hitting that pole in 55 4/5. Svanstedt rated the third quarter quite kindly as Special Honor moved to challenge and turned the corner off a 1:24 3/5 fraction full of trot. Golden Tricks stormed home in 27 4/5 while Beautiful Sin made it interesting up the pylons late but was easily held at bay. Special Honor held late for third.

Golden Tricks, a daughter of Trixton, has won three of her last four for owner Brixton Medical Inc. Golden Tricks returned $2.60 as the prohibitive choice.