Meadowlands: Tactical Landing takes wild, event-filled second Hambletonian elimination

In what may have been the wildest elimination in Hambletonian history, Tactical Landing emerged victorious in the second $100,000 division on Saturday afternoon at the Meadowlands, while odds-on favorite Six Pack failed to reach the final.

Again, there was plenty of live action at the outset. First, Alarm Detector made a miscue, but to his inside was Classichap and Trond Smedshammer sprinting out sharply to the front, with Fourth Dimension to his outside settling into the pocket. You Know You Do and Yannick Gingras also left the gate to the inside of Six Pack, and that forced the favorite to take back to settle into a hole as Gingras marched forward through the 27 second opening quarter.

Past the quarter Jimmy Takter guided Tactical Landing to the outside, and they were briefly pushed three-deep by Six Pack, who was looking to find cover. With a half posted in 54 4/5 by Classichap, You Know You Do was not making progress, and entering the final turn Six Pack was creeping up behind that cover. Tactical Landing and Takter came three-wide and put Six Pack into a blindswitch that got much worse as he ran up on You Know You Do at the same time as pocket sitter Fourth Dimension was making a break and causing more confusion behind.

Classichap hit three-quarters in 1:23 3/5 and opened ground on the field as Fashionwoodchopper found room and looked to rally, but Tactical Landing had the most trot despite being wide much of the mile and rallied to win convincingly at 6-1 for Takter, who drives and trains the $800,000 yearling purchase. Patent Leather rallied between horses for the place spot, with Fashionwoodchopper third. Alarm Detector recovered from an early break for fourth and Classichap finished fifth.

Six Pack ducked inside in the homestretch and had no room trying to come inside. Driver Ake Svanstedt sent the 2-5 favorite inside the pylons, then collided with Classichap, forcing both to break stride and cross the wire with their wheels interlocked. The judges made no disqualification as Classichap crossed the wire ahead of Six Pack.

The Tactical Landing Stable own Tactical Landing, who won for the third time in four starts as a sophomore.

"He's a horse that's not easy to drive but he can race all day on the outside," said Takter. "He's a strong horse."