Five stakes on tap in Jersey

Five stakes finals and a suite ticket giveaway for New Jersey Devils and Nets games top the action this weekend at the Meadowlands.

The first big stakes weekend of the season kicks off Friday night with the $81,200 Cape & Cutter for pacing mares. Miss Galvinator, a winner of 13 of her last 14 starts, was tabbed the 2-1 morning line favorite in the field of eight distaffers. Trained by Ettore Annunziata, she will start from the rail with Yannick Gingras in the sulky. Street Dancer, an impressive wire-to-wire winner in last week’s second leg of the series, is rated as the 5-2 second choice from post four for driver Ron Pierce and trainer Nelson Willis.

Round one Cape & Cutter winner Nanny Withafanny aims for the upset from post two for driver Cat Manzi and trainer Carmine Fusco. The 4-1 third choice in the race, Nanny Withafanny snapped Miss Galvinator’s 13-race winning streak with a 1:51.1 score in the first leg of the Cape & Cutter on Feb. 9. On the board in five of six starts this season, she has climbed her way to the open ranks since entering Fusco’s barn one year ago.

“When I first got her around this time last year, she was racing in the non-winners of $5,000,” said Fusco. “She was overweight; I'd say 100 lbs. or so. I tried a few things and a few weeks later, she showed a lot of improvement. I wasn't surprised that she won (the first leg). I'd say overall, she's a ‘B’ type open mare, maybe not with the top ones--especially some of the ones that will be coming back like My Little Dragon or Darlins Delight--but right there with the others."

On Saturday night, Meadowlands guests can enter to win suite tickets to a New Jersey Devils or Nets game. Each winner and three friends will enjoy the action from a luxury suite, complete with food and beverages. On the track, the Saturday night card features a trio of stakes finals: $70,000 Exit 16W, $90,400 Junior Trendsetter and $74,000 Aquarius.

After conquering the Clyde Hirt, JK CU Later bids for his eighth straight win and his next series sweep in the $70,000 Exit 16W final for 4-year-old conditioned pacers. JK CU Later was installed the even-money favorite from post three (program number four). Trained by the father-and-son team of Mickey and Ron Burke, JK CU Later carries a seven-race skein into the Exit 16W that includes both preliminary series legs. Last month, he swept the Clyde Hirt and set a stakes record of 1:51 in the $85,000 final.

An easy winner in round one of the Junior Trendsetter Series, Be Bad Bill is the slight 3-1 morning line favorite from post seven in the $90,400 final for 3-year-old pacers. The son of Badlands Hanover has won three of his six career starts for trainer Joe Hundertpfund Jr. His only finish off the board was a fourth in his career debut.

"He's a high-speed horse,” Hundertpfund said. “I'm excited about his potential. I'd say he's one of the best horses I've ever had, along with Fog and a Jolly Roger colt I had in the 1970s by the name of Grandpa Roger. He would have won his last three starts (of his freshman season), but he didn't have a headpole on in the $100,000 final (Delaware State Breeders Fund, Dec. 3 at Dover). He was throwing his head and broke once he was into the stretch."

Last year’s Junior Trendsetter Series winner, Fox Valley Appeal, will try to add the $74,000 Aquarius to his credentials at four. He is listed at 6-1 on the morning line from post six. Trained by Jeff Smith, Fox Valley Appeal was a 1:51.3 winner in the first leg of the Aquarius. He split rivals in the lane to finish fourth in last week’s second round of the series.

"He is a little, bitty thing but he is a sweetheart,” Smith said. “Right now, he is good. I just hope he can stay this way longer than he did last year. He is a trip horse. If he is close, he loves going by other horses. (In the first leg) he was behind Real Mean Art, who brought him into the race and he exploded off cover. He did the same thing a few times in the Trendsetter last year. It is his kind of trip and, hopefully, we get a few more like that.

“He fits in with these horses,” Smith added. “The better 4 year olds are in other stakes since they made more money. This may be better for him and make him more consistent. He was weak at the end of (last) year. This year he is a little stronger and more muscled.”

At three, Fox Valley Appeal won six of 21 starts and swept the Junior Trendsetter Series at the Meadowlands. He is owned by Jerold Spitzberg and Robert Cohen, who race as Ribbonships of Somerset, N.J.

"He was good in the Junior Trendsetter and average in the Matt’s Scooter,” Smith noted. “We put him in a couple of stakes against the better horses at the end of the year and it kind of hurt his feelings. He is a fast, petite horse. Going against the better horses, when he was going as fast as he can and they are going the same or faster, all it can do is just hurt his feelings. He does better when he is not chasing Artistic Fella and horses like that. We bought him to be an open horse at Yonkers, not here (the Meadowlands). He is better on a half I think because the stretch is shorter. He’s built more for the smaller tracks. That looks to be his future."

Also featured this weekend is the $76,000 Senior Trendsetter final for 4-year-old pacers on Sunday. Post positions will be drawn for the Sunday program late Wednesday afternoon. (Meadowlands)

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