Mr Pine Chip wins by neck

A trio of Trond Smedshammer trainees, led by Mr Pine Chip's 1:52 score, swept the $375,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial for 3-year-old colt trotters Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

Mr Pine Chip [$2.60, $2.20, $2.10], with driver Brian Sears in tow, took the lion’s share of the purse, while stablemates Blue Mac Lad [$5.00, $2.20] and Here Comes Herbie [$2.10] finished second and third, respectively

Blue Mac Lad led the field early and was reluctant to be rated by driver George Brennan when Chocolatier came up to challenge just past the :27.4 first quarter. But while making his bid for the lead Chocolatier broke stride, leaving Blue Mac Lad unchallenged until Mr Pine Chip tracked him down in the final strides for a neck victory.

Mr Pine Chip is now a perfect five-for-five this season.

“This was my first experience behind him,” Sears said. “I heard a lot about him and he lived up to everything I was told. I was sitting fourth or fifth on the rail and I thought I’d be second-over. The pace was pretty hot. There was no pressure to pull. I got a pretty easy trip.”

Mr Pine Chip is owned by Joe Sbrocco of Brecksville, Ohio and Southwind Farm of Pennington, New Jersey.

The Stanley Dancer is the last major prep for the $1 million Hambletonian on August 5 [eliminations on July 29].

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