A $35,000 invitational and $33,000 open for older pacers headline the Saturday night card at the Meadowlands.
After completing a sweep of the Oil Burner Series, Bettor Sweet bids for his fourth straight win as the 3-1 morning line favorite in the ninth race open. Amid bitter cold and snow, Bettor Sweet unleashed a stakes record 1:49.4 mile to take the $63,500 Oil Burner Final on Dec. 20. The son of Bettor's Delight capped his three-year-old season with nine wins in 17 starts and earnings of nearly $315,000. Trainer Joe Poliseno and owner John Cancelliere are pointing Bettor Sweet toward the three-week Aquarius Series for four-year-olds, which begins Feb. 7 and culminates in an estimated $75,000 final. On Saturday night, Bettor Sweet will face older horse for the first time.
"He just has the Aquarius [ahead]," said Ellie Sarama, Poliseno's wife and training partner. "We really didn't want to race against older horses just yet, but the race office couldn't go with the four-year-old preferred, so we had to race him in the class he's in Saturday. We don't want to let him down yet; he'll be turned out after the Aquarius."
In the sixth race invitational, recent standout Winbak Speed will take on a trio of millionaires - Palone Ranger, Special Report and Casimir Camotion. Winbak Speed is rated as the 3-1 morning line favorite from post five for driver Ron Pierce and trainer Wayne Givens.
Post time is 7 p.m. on Saturday night. The Meadowlands will race its first Sunday matinee of the season this weekend. Post time for the Jan. 4 card is 1:10 p.m.
Click here to view Saturday's entries.
(NJSEA)