FULTON STEAMS TO MEADOWS TRACK RECORD 1:49.4 IN KEYSTONE CLASSIC

By Evan Pattak For The Meadows Standardbred Owners Association

WASHINGTON, PA, Sept. 30, 2022  — Pennsylvania champion Fulton became the fastest 2-year-old ever at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows when he steamed to a 1:49.4 victory in Friday’s $82,500 Keystone Classic. Lyons Stealth sprang a 7-1 upset in the other division of the stake for freshman colt and gelding pacers.

It figured to be a soft spot for Fulton; his bankroll was nearly 10 times that of his closest rival. But Linda Toscano, who trains the son of Heston Blue Chip-Bettor Be Steamin, advised winning driver Aaron Merriman not to adopt that mindset.

“I’ve driven horses for Linda over the years, and she usually has no advice about them,” he said. “But she phoned me and told me last week he went slower fractions and about got himself beat. She told me to let him go where he was confortable and not go cheap fractions. He’s way better not doing that. And she was correct.”

So even as Fulton widened his lead late, Merriman tapped the sulky once to keep him on task. The result: Fulton knocked a tick from the mark Huntsville established in 2016. He also erased the stake record of 1:51.1 held jointly by Dragon Eddy and Southwind Gendry. Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC campaign Fulton, who now has banked $248,545. Lou On The Beach was 7-1/4 lengths back in second, with Lite N Sweet third.

Bettors installed Annapolis Hanover, runner-up in the PASS championship, as the prohibitive 2-5 favorite in his division, and Hunter Myers, aboard Lyons Stealth, indicated he wouldn’t have disagreed with them.

“I was hoping to stay as close as I could and hope for a decent check,” Myers said. “I didn’t think he would be blowing by like that.”

Thus, Myers kept the son of Sweet Lou-Zane Hanover up close in third, and when the field turned for home, he had little trouble zooming by Annapolis Hanover by 1-1/2 lengths in a career-best 1:51.2. Mayweather Hanover completed the ticket. Jim King, Jr. conditions Lyons Stealth for Threelyonsracing.