stakes Recaps

Karl and T C I entered their respective divisions of Saturday’s (June 29) W.N. Reynolds Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters at the Meadowlands ranked as the top two contenders for August’s $1 million Hambletonian Stakes, and both solidified their standing with victories.

Karl won the first $34,250 Reynolds division by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:51, equaling his career-best time. Bright Star finished second and French Kronos was third.

Three races later, T C I overcame rain and wind in his $34,750 division to win by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:53.1 over a track labeled good. Tony Adams S finished second and Caballero was third.

Both winners were sent off as 1-9 favorites.

In the opening division, Bright Star led the field to the opening quarter in :27.3 before driver Yannick Gingras put Karl, ranked No. 1 in Meadowlands announcer and analyst Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Hambletonian, in motion from third and took the lead in a :56.1 half. Nothing changed from there, with Karl hitting three quarters in 1:24.2 and stepping home in :26.3 to victory.

“I just let people settle (on the first turn),” Gingras said. “When you’re 1-9, just trying to keep him out of trouble, not have someone make a break in front of him, then march my way to the front and go from there.”

Undefeated in four races this season, Karl has won 13 of 14 career starts and earned $1.20 million for trainer Nancy Takter. He has captured eight in a row since his lone setback, which came by a nose against T C I, last October.

Karl, a 2023 Dan Patch Award winner, is owned by Christina and Nancy Takter, Black Horse Racing, Crawford Farms Racing, and Bender Sweden Inc. The son of Tactical Landing-Avalicious was bred by Crawford Farms.

In the second division, Ron Burke-trained T C I, the No. 2-ranked horse in the Road to the Hambletonian, methodically worked his way to the front with driver David Miller in a :57.2 half and remained in control, reaching three quarters in 1:26 and coming home in :27.1.

“Our plan was to trip him out, get him in a hole, but it really wasn’t developing around the first turn,” Miller said. “Everybody was just kind of floating out of there. There was one little hole in the first turn, but it closed up quickly, so I had to go on. But I thought he raced well. He finished up strong.”

Unbeaten in three races this year, T C I has won 13 of 15 career starts and earned $1.32 million. A 2023 O’Brien Award recipient, T C I is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services Inc., and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. The son of Cantab Hall-Nicole’s Promise was bred by Concord Stud Farm.

Trainer Lucas Wallin is looking to have a big day on the first Saturday in August, and if Friday night is a good indicator, he will.

Wallin trained three winners at The Meadowlands from four divisions of the W.N. Reynolds Memorial for 3-year-olds on the trot, which gave a look at possible Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks contenders.

The first of Wallin’s hat trick came with Rebuff, the Breeders Crown champion from a year ago, who gunned down 2-5 favorite (and Goodtimes winner) Fast As The Wind by three-quarters-of-a-length in a lifetime-best 1:51.3 in the first of two splits for colts and geldings. The purse was $36,650. A marvelous performance given it was the son of Muscle Hill-Meucci Madness’ first start of the season.

“The trip worked out perfect,” said Wallin of the live cover journey right on the favorite’s back. “We actually wanted to stretch him out with the Hambletonian Eliminations coming up in four weeks. I was pretty confident he was going to do well. He has been training super. Rebuff is so good-gaited, he doesn’t need too many races to have a good performance.”

Rebuff, who was driven by Tim Tetrick, returned $9.80 as the 7-2 second choice in the betting.

B A Superhero (Muscle Hill-Win Missy B) gave Wallin – and Tetrick – a sweep of the two male divisions (this one for a purse of $37,150), grabbing the lead at the half and powering down the pike from there to best Classic Hill by 3¼ lengths in 1:51.2, lowering his previous mark by two-and-three-fifth seconds.

“In the [May 27] New Jersey Sire Stakes Final [when he finished fifth behind winner Pretender], we gambled a little and put a different bridle on him and he got a little too grabby,” said Wallin. “Then, we gave him a few weeks off. He did race well last week [when fifth with older foes], so I was really confident coming into tonight.”

B A Superhero returned $5.20 as the 8-5 second choice in the betting. Dover In Motion, the 6-5 favorite, broke before the half and finished last.

Reflecting on his big night, Wallin was sure to give credit where it’s due. “It’s a nice feeling [when you have nights like this]. We have a very good team in the barn, so I’m very happy. Without them, we wouldn’t be here.”

Or the Hambletonian, or Hambletonian Oaks.

A pair of big-time Hambletonian contenders – Dancinginthedark M and Venerate – bounced back from poor performances when they made breaks with impressive victories Saturday night in the W.N. Reynolds Memorial for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings at The Meadowlands Saturday night.

Dancinginthedark M ($3.20 as the 3-5 favorite) was moved to the front of the line in his $42,550 split by driver Tim Tetrick before the half and held sway from there as heavy rains fell to record a 1¼-length victory over Take All Comers in a lifetime-best 1:51.4. The Marcus Melander trainee is a son of Readly Express-Leila and is now six-for-11 lifetime.

Venerate (Love You-Peaceful Kemp) had to overcome post nine and a brutal parked-out trip to get his mojo back in the other $43,050 division for males. The winter-book Hambletonian favorite floated away from the gate from post nine and was handled with care by driver Andy Miller around the first turn. Racing first-over he steadily advanced on leader Sonofamistery, the even-money public choice, down the backstretch but lost a little ground off the far turn into the stretch.

After they straightened up for the wire, Venerate began a steady gain once again and kicked into another gear at the sixteenth pole. Nearing the wire, Sonofamistery went off stride, but it likely would not have mattered, as the Julie Miller-trained Venerate ($8.80 as the third betting choice) scored by a half-length in 1:52.1 after a mile that saw him never see the rail. After a brief judges’ inquiry, no action was taken against second-place finisher Sonofamistery.

The W.N. Reynolds Memorial divisions for 3-year-old male trotters were won by Jula Trix Treasure and Back Of The Neck, both from the stable of trainer Ake Svanstedt. Jula Trix Treasure, driven by Gingras, won in 1:51.2, with Beads second and EL Ideal third. Back Of The Neck, with Scott Zeron in the sulky, won in 1:52 with Play Trix On Me second and Maesteraemon third.Item description