An X Ample in Haughton final

Leading X Ample [$8.80, $4.40, $3.00] capitalized on a third-over trip and closed fastest of all to win the $650,000 William R. Haughton Memoria for free-for-all pacers in 1:48.2 Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

Driven by David Miller, Leading X Ample tipped off the back of 2-1 favorite Ponder [$4.00, $3.00] and out-sprinted him in the stretch for a neck victory. Hop Sing [$3.40] closed along the pylons to finish a length behind in third.

“He’s got one humongous kick,” Miller said. “If he gets dragged into it, he’s a real factor. I was right where I wanted to be [past the half]. I was following Ponder and figured he’d take me where I wanted to go. My horse, he got by [Ponder] real easy and then he kind of let up. I had to keep chasing him right to the wire. When I tipped him, he just flew on right past [Ponder]. I felt pretty confident. He’s very sharp right now, he’s on the up and up.”

Trained by Bill Elliott, Leading X Ample notched his second win in 12 starts this season and boosted his career bankroll to $1,083,929 for the Leading X Ample Stable of Port Perry, Ontario. The 4-year-old stallion by The Panderosaalso lowered his lifetime mark from 1:50.1 with the victory.

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