Meadowlands: Tactical Mounds sizzles in Miss Versatility Series

After a third-place finish behind divisional standout Jiggy Jog S in the $112,500 Six Pack on June 29, Tactical Mounds surged back to the winner's circle with a scintillating 1:49 4/5 lifetime-best mile and her second victory in the Miss Versatility, capturing the $40,000 fourth preliminary leg of the series for trotting mares on Saturday (July 13) at the Meadowlands.

Scott Zeron put Tactical Mounds in play from the outset, pressing at the pegs to string HP Mama B (driven by Louis-Philippe Roy) out through a 26 2/5 first quarter before yielding to draft briefly in the pocket. Tactical Mounds made her move to the lead with nine-sixteenths to go, edging out of the pocket and pushing clear of HP Mama B at the 54 3/5 midway point. The 4-year-old Tactical Landing-Mounds mare remained unchallenged on the far turn, evading a gradual first-over push from 1-5 favorite M-M's Dream (David Miller) out of third to three-quarters in 1:22 3/5.

M-M's Dream took over second from HP Mama B off the corner for home, but Tactical Mounds shifted gears and burst to a 4 1/2 length advantage at the eighth pole. Zeron kept her to her task with mild encouragement through the stretch, and she won by a measured two lengths. Runner-up M-M's Dream closed ground steadily in deep stretch despite drifting to the six-path; Nelsonbriteagle NO (Åke Svanstedt) narrowly held third over Warrawee Xenia (Bob McClure) after loosely stalking cover on the far turn.

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"Louis was rocking and rolling through the first quarter, and I had Dave right behind me," said Zeron of the contested early pace. "I wanted to make a move (to the front) before Dave did."

Now a 14-time winner with $463,686 in career earnings, Tactical Mounds is trained by Megan Scran for TheStable Tactical Mounds. She paid $10.00 as the 4-1 second choice.

"She's been getting better and better every single week," added Zeron. "I had a lot of confidence in her."