Fodera sends trio to Meadowlands Pace elims
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As for Fodera's Meadowlands Pace horses, American History heads to his elimination off a 1:47 mile in a conditioned race last week at the Meadowlands. The time was one-fifth of a second off the world record for a 3-year-old pacer.
For his career, the son of American Ideal-Perfect Touch has won five of 10 races and earned $100,243 for owners Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz and American History Racing, which includes Fodera. The colt finished last season with a third-place finish behind Lost In Time and Stay Hungry in the Governor's Cup. This year, he was third in his elimination of the North America Cup and 10th in the final.
American History is in the second of the two eliminations, with supplemental entries Courtly Choice and Jimmy Freight plus Fashiononthebeach, Babes Dig Me, Odds On Lauderdale, Grand Teton and Dorsoduro Hanover. American History and driver Yannick Gingras will start from post one.
"We were very high on him last year," Fodera said about American History. "Tony took his time with him, that's why he only had five starts. We started real late at the end of the Lexington meet and he showed he had a lot of talent. And it's come to the fore.
"I thought he went a giant mile in the North America Cup elim; parked three deep to the quarter in (:26.1), and leading before getting beat by three-quarters of a length. The week after, he was as flat as could be. He couldn't beat anybody. He just didn't go. No excuses. We gave him a week off and he came back and trained great before last Friday. We're confident he will put in a very respectful mile here. I think it's going to be some race."
Babes Dig Me, a son of Somebeachsomewhere-Western Babe, has won two of 15 lifetime races and earned $122,974 for owners Brad Grant, Joe Sbrocco, Robert Leblanc and In The Gym Partners, which includes Fodera. The colt was third in the Art Rooney Pace and second to Courtly Choice in the consolation division of the North America Cup.
Captain Deo is in the first Meadowlands Pace elimination, with Ideal Feeling, Hayden Hanover, This Is The Plan, Nutcracker Sweet, Stay Hungry, and Thinkbig Dreambig. Captain Deo, a son of Somebeachsomewhere-Worldly Beauty, has won two of 10 career races and $30,307 for owners Alagna Racing, Sbrocco, In The Gym Partners, and Captain Deo Partners.
Elimination winners draw for posts one through six for the final.
"I think the eliminations will be very exciting," said Fodera, who retired in 2017 as principal at St. Peter's Boys High School on Staten Island and now serves as the school's president. "It will be a great night." (Ken Weingartner/USTA)