Meadowlands: Stanley Dancer Memorials go to Oh Well, Winner's Bet

Oh Well and Winner's Bet took big strides forward on the Road to the Hambletonian by winning Saturday night's pair of $138,500 Stanley Dancer Memorial splits for 3-year-old male trotters at the Meadowlands.

Driven by the man of the night, Tim Tetrick, Oh Well led through fractions of 27 3/5, 56 3/5 and 1:24 1/5, then used a 27 1/5 last quarter to defeat pocket-sitter Kierkegaard K (Ake Svanstedt) by a pair of lengths in a 1:51 2/5 mile. French Wine (Andy Miller) closed well on the inside from mid-pack to finish third. Heavily-favored Air Power (Dexter Dunn) followed Kierkegaard K's cover from second-over when he pulled out of the two-hole heading to three-quarters but made a break in the lane and finished sixth-placed-eighth.

"I've been super happy [with his season before tonight]. He trotted in 1:50 and he got beat just every time right at the wire. Every race could have gone his way. He raced good enough to win every time," said Tetrick. "We've been playing with the open bridle all year to get him in shape. He's a great, great big horse. He put the blind bridle on him tonight and he really responded.

"He's a great big lazy colt. He doesn't really pay attention all the time. When he gets his mind on business, he knows what's going on. When the summer comes and when he's hot and tight, he can carry the mail."

Last year's Mohawk Million champion, Oh Well is a Muscle Hill colt trained by Marcus Melander for owner S R F Stable. Bred by Concord Stud Farm, Oh Well has a record of 5-7-0 from 13 attempts, pushed his earnings to $893,355, and returned $9.20 to win as the 7-2 second choice.

"I kept an open bridle on him so far this year and today was the time to put the closed one on like he had every start last year," remarked Melander. "It's a long season and I didn't want to pull all the plugs right away. We've been managing him to have him on top on Hambletonian Day, and so far it looks good.

"The other years we've always had a horse in the Hambletonian, but it seems like I've been peaking my horses a little bit earlier. Now, I changed a little bit in the training system, and it seems like at least this guy is right on time."

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Dunn made amends in the other section, guiding Domenico Cecere-trained Winner's Bet to a 1:51 victory. He bided his time on the cones in the three-hole as first Kilmister (Brian Sears) and then Tactical Approach (Scott Zeron) put up panels of 27 3/5, 56 2/5 and 1:24 1/5, angled out at the top of the lane, and charged home in 26 1/5 to down Kilmister by half a length. Tactical Approach wound up third.

"He's come back really well. Domenico and the team have done a great job bringing him back," stated Dunn. "He's super-relaxed this year, he's trotting great and he's filled out. He had a good draw to use tonight and we got a good trip but I was really impressed with his turn of foot.

"Last year he had that kind of speed but his legs weren't put in the right places when he did it. This year he's putting the right foot forward."

Bred by S R F Stable, Winner's Bet is a Walner colt owned by Lindy Farms and Robert Rudolph. He made his fifth appearance in the winner's circle in his 12th try, has now banked $431,080 and returned $13.40 to win as the 5-1 fourth choice.