Despite 4-5 favourite Gangster Hanover having everything his way on the front, Chin Chin Hall emerged from the pylons after a four-hole trip and wore down the leader in deep stretch to take the featured $36,000 Open Trot at The Meadowlands Saturday night (Sept. 4).
Gangster Hanover and George Napolitano Jr. set sail for the top from the pegs in the abbreviated five-horse field (there was one scratch) and hit the quarter in a tepid :28.2. Off a 14-1/4-length score in 1:52.2 at Pocono Downs, things looked good for the Ake Svanstedt trainee, and they looked even better after the half was reached in :55.4 and three-quarters in 1:23.1, all while 8-5 second choice Lovedbythemasses, who twice has won this year in 1:50.2 (one of which was a win in the Vincennes Trot on Hambletonian Day) was trailing the field.
Driver Victor Kirby took his shot with Chin Chin Hall by vacating his spot on the cones on the far turn, and in workman-like fashion, chipped away at the leader’s edge through the stretch on the way to a one-length victory in a lifetime-best 1:51.1. The pocket-sitting Chaptiama outkicked Gangster Hanover for second.
A five-year-old gelded son of Cash Hall-Canland Hall who is trained by Nifty Norman and owned by Oldford Racing and David McDuffee, Chin Chin Hall has now won 11 of 41 starts and banked $633,720. As the 16-1 fourth choice in the betting, he paid $35.40 to win.
HANOVER ‘RUTHLESS’: Ruthless Hanover, the early season Graduate Series sensation, flaunted his class in the pacing feature, scoring in 1:48.4 in a non-winners of $17,500 conditioned event.
The four-year-old gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere-Rockaroundthetrack had to get past a stubborn Ana Afreet N, the eventual second-place finisher, to lead at the half in :55. From there, the Tom Cancelliere trainee paced his back half in :53.4 to report home a six-length winner. Vettel N was third.
Owned by John Cancelliere, Ruthless Hanover, who opened the year with three wins in four Graduate starts, paid $3.20 to win as the 3-5 public choice. He’s now won 10-of-22 lifetime outings, good for earnings of $205,968.
A LITTLE MORE: There were no winning tickets sold in the 20-cent Pick-6, setting up a carryover of $9,776 for next week. Those with five correct collected $171.52
Free past performances for all Meadowlands cards are available by going to playmeadowlands.com.
Victor Kirby, Joe Bongiorno and Jim Marohn Jr. all recorded driving doubles.
All-source wagering totaled $2,166,478.
Racing resumes Friday (Sept. 10) at 6:20 p.m.
(The Meadowlands)