Kindergarten Finals get November stakes rolling at Big M
At 10h28, on November 10, 2023 • By MEADOWLANDS
Four fabulous performances last Saturday (Nov. 4) kicked off a month-long frenzy of stakes action that takes place at The Meadowlands during November.
The Crawford Farms Kindergarten Series finals for 2-year-olds saw competition for horses of each sex and gait, and the most exciting finish came in the pace for colts and geldings when 2-1 second choice Lou Vuitton (Sweet Lou-Shark Lightning) survived a three-horse photo by a head after a pulse-pounding 1:51.1 finish for driver Dave Miller – who guided the winners of two of the finals on the night – and trainer Ron Burke.
The filly pace went to Caviart Belle (Captaintreacherous-Eloquent Grace), who paced a gigantic final quarter of :26.3 from well off the pace to score in a lifetime-best 1:49.4 for Yannick Gingras and Nancy Takter as the 6-5 public choice.
On the trotting side, Sambuca Hanover (Bar Hopping-Snow Angel Hanover) pulled off an 8-1 surprise for Miller and Nifty Norman in the dash for fillies from just off the pace in a lifetime-best 1:54.2.
Breeders Crown champion Karl was the evening’s star attraction, and the son of Tactical Landing-Avalicious delivered in the division for colts and geldings in a thoroughly dominant mile from post 10, winning by 3¼ lengths in 1:53.2 as the 1-9 public choice as Gingras and Takter ended the night with a tag-team Kindergarten double.
The stakes carousel stays in motion this Saturday (Nov. 11) when $250,000 in purses are up for grabs in the New Jersey Garden State and New Jersey Home Grown, which are events for 2-year-olds of each sex and gait.
The Garden State and Home Grown are part of what will be another big weekend at the mile oval. Betting last week (Nov. 3-4) totaled over $5.5 million, including $3.075 million on Saturday, the 51st occasion this year from 73 race cards where betting busted the $3-million barrier.
“The Meadowlands offers horseplayers around the world a very unique wagering menu,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “We have come a long way from offering one Pick-4 a night. This makes it possible for players to take a variety of paths in their quest to make a score. Big fields and low takeouts are an essential part of making the playing field for our horseplayers as attractive as possible.”
