The Meadowlands host Graduate Series on Saturday
At 0h36, on June 22, 2024 • By Meadowlands Racetrack
Like last week, the Graduate Series will sit atop The Meadowlands marquee this weekend, with four $50,000 dashes for 4-year-olds – two for pacers and two on the trot – as leg three takes place on Saturday (June 22).
After taking next week off, the two $250,000 (est.) finals will take place on Saturday, July 6, when the Meadowlands Pace eliminations will also be contested.
In Saturday’s first trot, the Nancy Takter-trained Winner’s Bet (4-5 on the morning-line) seeks a second straight Graduate score. He’ll likely have to track down Ponda Jet (5-2) again, the Jay Hochstetler trainee who showed high speed from the start in his Big M debut a week ago before getting gunned down.
Winner’s Bet’s mile time of 1:50 tied him as the fastest trotter of the year in the sport with Jiggy Jog S and Lexus Kody.
The paces also have intriguing matchups.
Coach Stefanos (5-2) will seek a second straight Graduate win for Erv Miller in the first pace.
He stopped the clock in a Big M season’s-best 1:47.3 a week ago, holding off the late charge of New Jersey Maturity winner Voukefalas (7-2).
No Control (5-1) pulled off a big upset at odds of 29-1 in the other pace, as the Tan Micallef student completed the mile in 1:47.3. He and Coach Stefanos now sit tied in the top spot as the fastest performers this year at The Big M.
