Meadowlands: Stage is set for next Saturday's Kindergarten Series finals

Perfect Body and Seine hit victory lane in two of six $25,000 divisions of the fifth and final leg of the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-olds at the Meadowlands Friday night.

The $125,000 Kindergarten finals take place on Saturday, Oct. 31.

In the second of two dashes for filly pacers (race four), Perfect Body, the New Jersey Sire Stakes Platinum and New Jersey Classic champion, rallied past 1-5 favorite JK Simcha before holding off a late-charging Perfect Hope Deo to record a 1:51 2/5 win, her fourth victory in 10 tries this year.

Perfect Body, a daughter of Perfect Sting-Sweet Body, ended up in the three-hole after leading at the quarter in 27 2/5 as JK Simcha took over and led at the half in 55 3/5 with Perfect Hope Deo in the pocket. Popping out of the three-hole on the far turn, Perfect Body was up to challenge JK Simcha at three-quarters, which went in 1:24, and cruised by that foe with an eighth of a mile to go, before having to hold on by a slim, nerve-racking nose. Gift Of Faith was third.

"I thought John's horse (Perfect Hope Deo, driven by Johnathan Ahle) got me last step, but after the fact, (my horse) won," said winning driver Brett Beckwith. "She seemed to get better as the year went on. Unfortunately for her, the year is coming to an end just as she's figuring it out. Hopefully, she comes back and has a big 3-year-old year."

Perfect Body returned $6.80 to win as the 2-1 second choice for trainer Chris Choate.

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Seine flexed his Kentucky Sire Stakes muscles in an impressive lifetime-best 1:50 4/5 score in the lone division for colt and gelding pacers (race eight).

The son of Sweet Lou-Lock Bridge cleared to the lead at the three-eighths, but found himself in a tough spot when they reached three-quarters as Wishawave was on the lead (in 1:23) with the first-over Adios Hanover alongside to challenge as Aintmyfirstro Deo swung three-wide for the drive.

But despite Aintmyfirstro Deo grabbing the lead with an eighth-of-a-mile to go - after Seine turned for home with the top - Seine rallied determinedly along the inside and came back to end up 1 1/2 lengths to the good at the finish. Debonaire was second with Aintmyfirstro Deo third.

"He's a really nice horse," said winning driver Joe Bongiorno, who also trains the gelding. "Unfortunately, we drew the eight-hole in the Breeders Crown (elimination last week), and we just got nosed (finishing fifth) out to get a spot (in the final). This horse has a bright future. I think he's just starting to develop and he's going to make a nice 3-year-old horse next year."

As the 1-5 favorite, Seine returned $2.60 after winning for the second time in nine tries.

FOUR MORE: The other four Kindergarten winners were:

Race 2 - Filly Pace (Div. 1): Miss Dolce (Perfect Sting-Beautiful Candy), driven by Vinny Ginsburg, trained by Joe Holloway, time for the mile was a lifetime-best 1:53 (career record now stands at two-for-11 having won her last two starts, both at the Meadowlands), returned $2.20 to win as the 1-9 favorite

Race 3 - Colt and Gelding Trot (Div. 1): Obiter Dictum (Tactical Landing-Insolentreusite Fr), Beckwith, Marcus Melander, 1:54 (now has three wins from five starts), $4 as the even-money public choice

Race 9 - Filly Trot: Orinoco (Captain Corey-Bonnie Lou), Tyler Buter, Ake Svanstedt, 1:54 2/5 (her fourth win in nine tries), $4 as the even-money favorite

Race 10 - Colt and Gelding Trot (Div. 2): Gustav Vasa (Face Time Bourbon-Ms Emily Mariette), Beckwith, Melander, lifetime-best 1:53 4/5 (second win in 10 starts), $26.20 as the 12-1 fifth choice

LOEBS UP IN TIME: Sean Loebs bet an $80 cold late double and hit for $384 to vault him to victory in the 10th leg of the $1,000 Meadowlands Monthly Handicapping Contest. Loebs finished the night with a bankroll of $704. Gary Scogna finished second, meaning he and Loebs earned entries into the Dec. 12 invitation-only $10,000 contest final.

Loebs, who will serve as co-host of the Big M simulcast show Friday (Oct. 30) night, won the final last year, walking away with the top prize of $5,000.

A LITTLE MORE: Leading pilot Beckwith guided five to the winner's circle to lead the driver colony while Melander and Bongiorno topped the trainers with a pair of wins apiece. Shezafreaklikeme won the Pink Out dash, a ladies' driving series race to raise breast cancer awareness. The 8-year-old Sweet Lou-Nf One Rose product hit the wire in 1:54 3/5 in the TrackMaster 71 pace for fillies and mares and returned $4.40 as the 6-5 public choice. All-source handle on the 14-race program totaled $1,927,202. Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m. (EDT).

--press release (Meadowlands)--