Meadowlands: Twin B Joe Fresh rallies by Sylvia Hanover in Perfect Sting

Twin B Joe Fresh and driver Dexter Dunn rallied off cover and stormed past Sylvia Hanover in the deep stretch to capture the $112,500 Perfect Sting for older pacing mares at the Meadowlands on Saturday night. A 4-year-old by Roll With Joe, Twin B Joe Fresh won her fourth consecutive stakes race and provided her driver with his 2,000th win since coming to the United States in the process.

Sent off as the 1-5 choice, Dunn and Twin B Joe Fresh left the gate but were looped quickly by Racine Bell and Jason Bartlett to her outside and Silver Label to her inside. Dunn relaxed his mare in the four-hole right behind second choice Sylvia Hanover. Bartlett pursued the front and took it from Silver Label before the 27 second first quarter.

The field of six strolled casually to the half as Dunn awaited his cover to move off the pylons. Once Racine Bell passed the half in 56 1/5, driver Bob McClure tipped Sylvia Hanover out to go on the attack, and they towed Dunn and Twin B Joe Fresh into the race with ideal cover. Sylvia Hanover turned up the pressure on the leader as the pair sprinted a 27 2/5 third quarter, and once into the stretch, Sylvia Hanover put away Racine Bell and awaited her next challenge.

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Dunn kept cover as long as he could behind Sylvia Hanover, but as soon as he tipped Twin B Joe Fresh she took off in high gear and was immediately at the throat of her rival as the field hit mid-stretch. Under urging, Twin B Joe Fresh surged past Sylvia Hanover and easily held off Silver Label, who came clear along the pylons to finish third. Twin B Joe Fresh completed the mile in 1:49 1/5 with her final quarter in 25 2/5 for her fourth stakes win in five starts this year for trainer Chris Ryder, who co-owns the mare with Dunn, Pete Trebotica and Barry Spak.

"She's come back great this year," said Dunn of Twin B Joe Fresh's impressive 4-year-old season. "She sprinted out good. It's been hard to pass Sylvia Hanover, but she dug in."

As the 1-5 favorite Twin B Joe Fresh returned $2.40 to win.