Meadowlands: Sorella stars in W.N. Reynolds divisions for trotters

The 2020 Hambletonian looks to be a race that may be dominated by fillies. Certainly it's hard not to think of Sorella, a 1:50 2/5 blowout winner in the $61,000 W.N. Reynolds at the Meadowlands on Saturday night, as anything short of the favorite should she go in that direction. Yannick Gingras guided her to a career-best clocking, closing out the mile in 26 3/5 over a track rated "good."

Nancy Takter trains Sorella, who won just twice as a 2-year-old but is now unbeaten in three starts this year with each mile more impressive.

Sorella regained the top past a 27 4/5 opening quarter and then marched to the half in a rated 56 seconds. Gingras hardly moved a muscle as the daughter of Muscle Hill distanced herself from rivals with a 27 4/5 third quarter sprint and then marched away from a game Panem, another Takter trainee, with last year's Breeders Crown champ Ramona Hill finishing a decent third.

Breeder Elmer Fannin and Crawford Racing own Sorella, who returned $3.20 as the odds-on favorite.

Jula Trix Treasure captured the first $44,150 Reynolds sophomore male division in 1:51 2/5, rallying late for Gingras as an 8-1 offering.

EL Ideal and Beads battled much of the mile through fractions of 27 1/5, 55 3/5, and 1:23 1/5. Beads, driven by Hall of Famer Jimmy Takter, was parked the entire distance and managed to secure the lead late in the stretch, only to be overtaken on the wire. EL Ideal settled for third.

Jula Racing Inc. own Jula Trix Treasure, who won for the second time in four starts this year for trainer Ake Svanstedt.

Svanstedt colts wound up sweeping the Reynolds when Back Of The Neck came over the top of a field of nine with a vicious final quarter for Scott Zeron to score in 1:52 over Play Trix On Me and Maesteraemon.

Synergy and Yannick Gingras set sensible fracions of 27 3/5, 56, and 1:24, with an outer flow that had a lot of fits and starts but not much motion. Zeron was plugged behind excess cover fourth-over but remained patient behind Back Of The Neck until the homestretch. The son of Ready Cash was airborne late and won convincingly as the 6-5 public choice.

Howard Taylor, breeder Order By Stable, and Judith Taylor own Back Of The Neck, a Hambletonian eligible.