A winner at The Meadows after 19 tries

Global Winner K, an 18-race maiden entering Monday’s Triple Diamond Series, picked an opportune time to get his act together, as he captured a $28,200 race for 3- and 4-year-old colt and gelding trotters at The Meadows.

 

Global Winner K had come close to graduating before, losing a win to disqualification last year and breaking stride on a clear lead in last week’s Triple Diamond leg. Those near misses encouraged Norm Parker, who trains the 4-year-old Bob Key homebred.

 

"I’ve known for a long time the horse has a lot of ability,” Parker said. “But he’s a very slow learner. He finally put it together at the right time.”

 

Despite the horses lengthy winless streak, Parker and Key resisted the temptation to geld the son of American Winner-Pacific Kathryn.

 

“Mr. Key regards castration as a last, last, last resort,” Parker said. “He says that many times when people have done it, it hasn’t made a difference. So we just keep working and hope that we hit the right combination. It looks like it happened at the right time. Now, he has to learn to be a complete racehorse. That will be our next challenge.”

 

In the series final, Aaron Merriman sent Global Winner K to the front. He endured a parked-out first quarter over a sloppy surface and a determined, uncovered bid by Staying Smooth, downing that rival by one-half length, in 1:57. King Chip K was a rallying third. Global Winner K was part of a three-horse Key-owned entry sent off the 8-5 second choice.

 

Good And Firm took the $15,000 Triple Diamond consolation, scoring in 1:59.1 for driver Eric Ledford, trainer Steve Owens and owner Kimberly Owens. The 4-year-old gelded son of Family Firm-Temptress Hall was a neck better than Lord of Andover, with Whatsupwiththat third. (The Meadows)