Big efforts in Graduate elims

Ponder and Quality Western won their respective $50,000 eliminations of the Graduate Saturday night at the Meadowlands and will be among the 10 free-for-all pacers advancing to the $225,000 final May 20.

In the first elim, Ponder followed Casimir Camotion into the top of the stretch, fired out of the pocket and took the lead with a sixteenth of a mile to go, winning by seven lengths. Jenna's Choice got up for third, 8 1/4 lengths back. Also making the cut were Pacific Renegade and Whodunit .

“He was a real nice colt last year but for some reason this horse really grew during the break,” said winning driver Ron Pierce. “He must have got five inches taller, eight inches longer and put on 200 pounds. He's really filled out nice.”

Ponder, a 5-year-old son of The Panderosa, matched his lifetime best of 1:48.3 for the mile.

Trainer Bob McIntosh co-owns the Canadian Pacing Derby winner in partnership with CSX Stables and John Fielding.

Quality Western rallied from next to last with a three and four-wide move on the turn for home to catch the pacesetting Leading X Ample for a 1 3.4-length tally at odds of 20-1. The 1:49.4 clocking matched the 6 year old's career best. Hop Sing, the 6-5 favorite, got up for third, two lengths back. Also making the final were Mypanmar and Georgia Pacific.

Quality Western, driven by George Brennan and trained by Richard Johnson, posted his second straight victory. He now has three wins, two seconds and two thirds from 15 starts and earnings of $105,334 this year toward a career total of $780,032.

In April, he was purchased by a quartet of New Jersey owners:- the D'Elegance Stable, Royal Flush Stables, TLP Stable and Ronald Sultan. (Meadowlands)

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