Jenna's Choice Passes Test

Jenna's Choice won his fourth in a row and Fate's Place prevailed in a five-horse finish in a pair of $25,000 first-round divisions of the Four Leaf Clover Series Saturday night at the Meadowlands.



Inn the first division Jenna's Choice took the lead before the half and held on for a three-quarter-length tally over Pacific Renegade, who edged 3-5 favorite Hop Sing, the Isle of Capri winner.



For Jenna's Choice the victory was his fourth in five starts this year and matched his lifetime best with a mile in 1:50.1. "I had concerns going into tonight," acknowledged winning driver Brian Sears. "Hop Sing is an iron horse right now. But he just got shipped back and forth from Pompano, which is a lot before a start. I'm just happy my horse raced well."



For Jenna's Choice, who missed nine months with a pastern fracture, the return to racing in February has been impressive, but this was the 4 year old's first test against older horses. "I think he raced good," said trainer Mark Silva, who co-owns the son of Jenna's Beach Boy with Cliff Pattick and Dan Borgo. "He's starting to impress me. Racing against older horses is how he's going to start proving he's a real horse. We'll see how he does in this series and see if he's a stakes caliber horse for the big races this summer or if he'll just be in the 4-year-old opens. This is the test."



Jenna's Choice has career earnings of $294,584 with 13 wins, five seconds and two thirds from 30 starts.



Only a length separated six of the horses on the wire of the the second division. Fate's Place, driven by David Miller and trained by Ross Croghan, hung on for a neck victory over Silver Flash in 1:51. Pokagon was a half-length back in third.



"We were first up," said Miller. "He basically grinded his way into the race. He is a tough horse. He is a little lazy, but this is a racehorse and he knows what he is out there to do."



Fate's Place races for the partnership of the Let It Ride Stables, Robert Cooper and the Smart Money Stables LLC. He has 11 wins, 11 seconds and nine thirds from 49 starts, banking $210,905.



"Everything went the way we hoped it would go," said Juan Fonseca, assistant to trainer Ross Croghan. "We had a nice trip. He's better from off the pace, but he can race either way. He's a very lazy horse, one of the laziest I've worked with. It takes a little bit to get him going, but he's a really good horse. Where we were (in the race), we were in a good spot. The only question was whether we'd get out when we did. Going first-over doesn't bother him."



The Four Leaf Clover Series continues next week with a $137,120 final March 25. - The Meadowlands.

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