Meadowlands: Yellow Jacket floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee in Home Grown

Yellow Jacket worked out a perfect trip along the inside and was unleashed at just the right moment by driver Vinny Ginsburg to take the featured $45,000 New Jersey Home Grown for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

Departing from post two in the nine-horse field, Ginsburg wedged Yellow Jacket into the pocket as We Want Eazy took the field past the quarter in 27 2/5 while 2-5 favorite Velvet Ditch was reserved early, racing in fourth.

"My horse looked like he can leave and (Velvet Ditch) seemed a little bit off, a little bit bad-gaited. A little green, maybe," said Ginsburg. "So, I had my horse step out of there. (We Want Eazy) was a decent horse to follow. I was intent on sitting in the two-hole."

We Want Eazy took the field past the half in 55 4/5 as the wonky-gaited Velvet Ditch vacated the rail to go after the leader. 'Eazy' was still there at three-quarters in 1:24 2/5 as Velvet Ditch continued to inch closer on the rim, and at the head of the stretch, the two were on even terms.

Through the lane, We Want Eazy weakened, and Velvet Ditch appeared on his way to victory lane, but in mid-stretch, he took more bad steps, losing momentum with a sixteenth to go, just as Yellow Jacket was vacating the pocket finding a seam to race through. The son of Perfect Sting-Wingding Hanover used a burst of speed to grab a half-length win over a fast-closing B C's Odds On. Velvet Ditch held third.

"In deep stretch, (Velvet Ditch) got a little funky. He was moving in and out," said Ginsburg. "I kind of wanted to move my horse at the top of the stretch. He had a lot of go. But he hasn't been finishing his miles. So, I wanted to keep him in as long as I could. I got a little bit lucky in the stretch when things opened up. The more I asked him down by the wire, the faster he went."

Trained by Joe Holloway, Yellow Jacket won for the second time from five lifetime tries. The winning time of 1:52 4/5 was a lifetime-best for the 5-1 second choice, who returned $12.80 to win.

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FABULOUS FILLIES: There were also a pair of $25,000 New Jersey Home Grown dashes for 2-year-old filly pacers contested on the program.

The first division went to Perfect Hope Deo for driver Johnathan Ahle and trainer Noel Daley. Ahle put the daughter of Perfect Sting-Machnhope on the lead while parked to the quarter in a snappy 27 2/5 and went down the road from there to record her second win in five lifetime tries. She stopped the clock in a lifetime-best 1:51 4/5 and returned $2.20 to win as the 1-9 favorite.

Division two was taken by Sterl The Pearl for Brett Beckwith and Joe Bongiorno in a lifetime-best 1:51 3/5 in a powerhouse performance that resulted in a five length jog in the park.

The daughter of Lazarus-Cloud Diva returned $4.80 as the 7-5 second choice after upping her record to two wins from five career outings.

A LITTLE MORE: Brett Beckwith led the driver colony with four wins on the night, while Joe Bongiorno topped the trainers with three walks down victory lane. All-source handle on the 13-race program totaled $1,862,442. Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m. (EDT).

--press release (Meadowlands)--