Trainer-driver combination Jan Johnson and George Brennan swept both $146,250 divisions of the Del Miller Memorial for three-year-old trotting fillies Friday night at Meadowlands Racetrack
.
Springtime Volo shook loose in the stretch and charged past race leader Bone A Fide (Yannick Gingras) to win the first division in 1:53.2. She paid $16.80 to win. Bone A Fide was 1-1/4 lengths behind her, while Ultimate Cameron (Trevor Ritchie) was third.
The daughter of Classic Photo-Silver Springs was a $65,000 yearling purchase at the Lexington Selected Sale. Jan Johnson trains the filly for owners Kentuckiana Racing Stb. of Lexington, Kentucky and Jorgen Jahre Jr. of Sandefjord, Norway.
“The race went exactly like I thought,” said Brennan. “I knew I had to leave out of there if I had any chance of winning the race and I was able to get around the one and two [IPO Blue Chip and Religious]. I was able to slip out in the last turn and just wear them down, which was really good. I felt pretty confident making my last move. I didn’t know how much the five-horse [Ultimate Cameron] had left but I knew I
was going to give a good run at the end.”
Glide Power led wire-to-wire to win the second division in 1:53.4, paying $6.80 to win. Behindcloseddoors (Tim Tetrick) finished two lengths back in second and Bramalea Hanover (David Miller) was third.
The daughter of Yankee Glide-Armbro Vote was a $25,000 yearling purchase at the Lexington Selected Sale. The filly is now 5-for-13 lifetime for owners Elbridge T. Gerry Jr. of Locust Valley, New York and Diamond Creek Farm LLC of Paris, Kentucky.
“I didn’t mind that I was able to rate my own fractions after that [taking the lead] and she trotted off willingly in the end,” Brennan said. “She did everything I asked her to do. She still felt pretty good [in the stretch] so I had enough of a jump on him [Mike Lachance and Crown Laurel] where I did feel okay. [I urged her] a little bit and she was a little tired after that first quarter, but she’s a
professional racehorse and knows how to win.”
Both Del Miller winners are progeny of New Jersey-based stallions. They are also eligible for the $850,000 Hambletonian Oaks on Saturday August 7.
Fan Hanover runner-up Put On A Show turned in a 1:50.2 winning effort in a $25,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Open Pace later on the card in rein to Tim Tetrick. The millionare daughter of Rocknroll Hanover-Stienams Place won by 2-1/2 lengths over Dancin Barefoot (Yannick Gingras) and Feeling You (Brian Sears).
Chris Ryder trains the filly, who is five-for-six on the year with wins in the New Jersey Sires Stakes Championship and Miss New Jersey. Her 2010 earnings surpassed the $400,000 mark for owners Craig Henderson of Chicago, Illinois and Richard and Joanne Young of Coconut Creek, Florida.
Tomorrow night’s card features plenty of action with three divisions of the Stanley Dancer Memorial, a quartet of New Jersey Sire Stakes Championships and the $1 million Meadowlands Pace. Past performances for tomorrow's stakes are available online, courtesy of TrackMaster.
To view Friday's results, click here.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)