‘LINDY’ FLEXES ‘MUSCLE’ IN NJSS AT BIG M
By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Lindysmusclemania threw his hat into the ring as a major Hambletonian player Friday night at The Meadowlands, taking one of three $25,000 divisions of the first leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings in a sparkling 1:51.4.
The Ake Svanstedt trainee, a son of Muscle Hill-Possessed By Lindy, displayed a big brush to assume command at the half, then rated the third fraction in :28.2 before trotting a final quarter in :26.4 to lower his previous lifetime best by one-and-three-fifth seconds, set two weeks ago in a blowout qualifier. Really Fast was 2¾ lengths back in second with Bee Forever third.
“There was a lot of hype about him after his qualifier,” said winning driver Dexter Dunn, who sat behind the horse for the first time. “I’m obviously impressed. I settled in early and made a move down the back. It was like driving a car when I asked him to go. I then asked him to stretch out a bit in the stretch and the rest of the way was just a ride for me.”
Lindysmusclemania returned $3.00 as the 1-2 favorite.
In the first division for male horses, Cuatro De Julio (Trixton-Clarabelle) cleared the top at the three-eighths and powered down the road from there to score by an easy length in 1:53.1 for trainer Marie Ortolan Bar and driver Lucas Wallin as the 2-5 public choice. Mon Amour was second with Locatelli third.
Svanstedt earned a training triple – and driving double – after his Narzario pulled off a 19-1 upset in the third division for colts and geldings in 1:53. The gelded son of Trixton-Gerri’s Joy emerged from a loose pocket late to rally and finish a neck in front of a resilient Kildare King, who just missed in a bid to go wire-to-wire. After 6-5 favorite Take This Society was disqualified for interference, Cricket Fashion was placed third in the official order of finish.
With his loaded barn on display, earlier on the card Svanstedt sent out a winner in the first of two $25,000 NJSS divisions for trotting fillies as his Wet My Whistle sat a pocket to 6-5 public choice Eazy Pass before closing along the inside to record a nose win in 1:53.1 as the 5-2 second choice. Svanstedt drove the daughter of Muscle Hill-Slightly Tipsy.
The Ron Burke-trained Hot As Hill took the second division for fillies in 1:53 by a length as the 9-5 favorite. Dave Miller moved the Muscle Hill-Smarty Pants miss off the rail before the half and made the top on the far turn before going on to an easy score over a fast-closing Awesome Trix.
