Hes Watching Wins Pace In 1:46.4

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Hes Watching powered home off cover to match the all-age world record for a race mile of 1:46.4 in the $776,000 Meadowlands Pace on Saturday night at Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Tim Tetrick earned back-to-back wins in the Pace as he drove the American Ideal-Baberhood colt for Canadian-based trainer David Menary and owners Menary Racing Inc. of Rockton, Ont., Brad Gray of Dundas, Ont. Michael Guerriero of Puslinch, Ont. and Muscara Racing Trust of Ivyland, Pennsylvania.

Hes Watching paced the fastest mile ever in a race, matching the record held by Holborn Hanover, Somebeachsomewhere and Warrawee Needy. The former Meadowlands Pace record was 1:47, set by Art Official in 2008.

"I love it. Unbelievable," said Menary of the winning time. "Tim said there's more in the tank."

"He's a very special colt," added Tetrick. "He's very fast and he can rattle. He's not big at all, but he's mighty."

Luck Be Withyou (Ron Pierce) and Lyonssomewhere (Yannick Gingras) left together from the middle of the field with the latter clearing to command into a stakes record :25.3 first quarter. North America Cup champion and elimination winner JK Endofanera (Brian Sears) got away third from his chosen post two over insider National Debt (Scott Zeron).

Lyonssomewhere led the field down the backstretch while Tetrick tipped his elimination winner, He Watching, out from fifth with Sometimes Said (Corey Callahan) trying to advance to his outside after being parked three-wide early on. That move flushed out JK Endofanera first up as the field raced by the half in :53.2.

Lyonssomewhere continued to lead past three-quarters in 1:20.3 with JK Endofanera looming first over, but the real threat was Hes Watching as Tetrick showed that colt open road in the stretch and he kicked home in :25.3 to win by two and a half lengths in 1:46.4. Also closing from off-the-pace, the parked-from-the-start Joe Holloway trainee Always B Miki (David Miller) edged out Tellitlikeitis (Brett Miller) for the runner-up honours. Lyonssomewhere, Tellitlikeitis' fellow Jimmy Takter stablemate, finished fourth.

"I couldn't ask for a better trip," said Tetrick. "I was second over behind the other elim winner and it worked out great. My horse really exploded and paced all the way to the wire, it's unbelievable."

Tetrick earned his fourth win in the Meadowlands Pace in the past eight years. He captured last year's edition with Captaintreacherous and also won in 2010 with One More Laugh and 2007 with Southwind Lynx.

"It's unbelievable," he said. "It's a great horse and I'm lucky to pick up the drive in a big race like this. It's just an honour to get to compete in these races."

Purchased for just $3,000 at the Harrisburg Sale as a yearling, Hes Watching went eight-for-eight in his two-year-old season while earning $291,722 in purses and being named the U.S. divisional champion. His storybook career has continued as he's won half of his six sophomore starts so far and finished third in the $1 million North America Cup. The lion's share of the Meadowlands Pace purse boosts his seasonal earnings to $571,000.

"He's versatile; he likes it on the front and when horses come at him he picks up the bit, but he can explode off the helmet too," said Menary. "He started his career swooping the field from last twice on a half. He can race on any size track and he can do it anyway and he likes to do it fast."

Menary said that Hes Watching will get some time off before being pointed towards his next assignment, the Empire Series at Tioga Downs.

The complete order of finish was: Hes Watching, Always B Miki, Tellitlikeitis, Lyonssomewhere, Jet Airway (Marcus Miller), JK Endofanera, Luck Be Withyou, National Debt, Doo Wop Hanover (John Campbell) and Sometimes Said.

Hes Watching paid $6.20, $3.80 and $3.40.

For complete coverage of tonight's stakes-packed Meadowlands Pace undercard, click here.

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