A look at Meadowlands Pace 49 and some interesting facts from the past
by Bob Heyden
The scratch of morning-line favorite Louprint changed the complexion of this year’s Meadowlands Pace. Here’s a look at the participants in the 49th edition of The Meadowlands Signature Event.
1. Dave Miller debuted in the Pace in 1995 with Cinder Lane Sam finishing fifth from post 10. He broke through in the win column in 2018 with Courtly Choice. He has post 1 this year with Papis Pistol for trainer Sam DePinto. DePinto was runner-up to Sportswriter in 2010 with We Will See in the North America Cup. Post position 1 captured just two of the first 25 Pace finals: Nihilator (1985) and Dream Away (1997).
2. Papi’s Rocket has the services of three-time Pace winner Yannick Gingras (2012, 2020, and 2022) who was the rare driver favored in his Pace debut (9-5) in 2004 with Timesareachanging. Gingras is closing in on $250 million, about $550G away. A huge night including a Pace victory could make him the fourth to do so. Team Burke is looking for the barn’s first Meadowlands Pace.
3. Knockout Round will try and give Tony Alagna his second Pace. He won with Captaintreacherous in 2013.
4. Prince Hal Hanover tries to give Dr. Ian Moore his second Pace. He won via the only DQ in Meadowlands Pace history with Lawless Shadow in 2021.
5. Captain Optimistic looks to give driver Dexter Dunn his breakthrough Meadowlands Pace and trainer Nancy Takter her second (Tall Dark Stranger in 2020). Dunn and Takter combined to set The Meadowlands track standard for freshmen with Captain Optimistic last year in 1:49 flat.
6. Metro winning Fallout looks to give driver Tim Tetrick his record-tying seventh Pace, putting him on par with John Campbell. Trainers Tony Alagna and Dr. Moore each have a pair in.
7. Joel And The Jets looks to get 2024 Pace runner-up driver Louis-Philippe Roy (Nijinsky) in the win column. Dr. Moore conditions.
8. Manolete has Scott Zeron’s services. He’s looking for Pace No. 1. Zeron fell a few bucks shy in 2019 with NA Cup winner and heavy favorite Captain Crunch. Trainer Bruce Saunders was just nailed on the wire in 2010 in the Pace with HOY Rock N Roll Heaven by One More Laugh.
9. Madden Oaks is handled by the youngest driver in the field Braxten Boyd (25 years and 4 months). Tim Tetrick was just 25 years and 8 months when he won his debut in 2007 with Southwind Lynx, the youngest Pace-winning driver. Montrell Teague won in 2015 at age 24 with Wiggle It Jiggleit, but it was not his Pace debut.
WILL THE 2025 MEADOWLANDS PACE EMULATE THE 1997 EDITION?
With the early scratch of Louprint, this year’s Meadowlands Pace could emulate the 1997 edition which was a wide-open event with the highest priced post time Pace favorite, Arturo (5-2) who finished fourth.
The richest horse-to-be in the field finished eighth, Red Bow Tie (lifetime $2.7 million). That year’s Triple Crown winner, Western Dreamer, could manage no better than third.
The horse who wound up second from post 10, At Point Blank, would not visit the winner’s circle all year, going 0-for-15. He ironically started from the same post as his sire, Beach Towel, did winning the Pace in 1990.
John Campbell drove At Point Blank in the final after he finished fourth in the elimination with George Brennan. Campbell had the most unusual season, for him, in that he also did not qualify anything for that year’s Hambletonian, and wound up sitting that one out ending a 14-year streak.
Half the 1997 Pace field was 4-1 or less, and Dream Away, from the first crop of Artsplace, duplicated his own 1:50.2 elimination victory with the exact same time capturing the final.
Heck, the consolation went three-fifths-of-a-second faster in 1:49.4, the first ever sub-1:50 Pace conso.
Brett Pelling won for the second time in three years following Davids Pass (1995). Katz, Goldband, and Libfeld got that long awaited first million-dollar score, with a pacer!
The 2-year-old stars from the 1996 season were not in the final. Divisional champ, The Big Dog, didn’t even make the elims. Woodrow Wilson winner Jeremys Gambit was second in the consolation, while Metro winner Gothic Dream disappointed in the elims.
The morning-line oddsmaker that year was Dave Brower.
We can only hope the 2025 Meadowlands Pace has as many sub-plots as did the Meadowlands Pace a mere 28 years ago.
A FEW MORE MEADOWLANDS PACE RELATED FACTS
• Day In A Life was the first winner of the Meadowlands Pace to be claimed. Just 11months after his 1998 score he was purchased for $150,000.
• 1988 marked the final year of a 12 horse Pace final. That year Armbro Global won his elim and was rewarded with post 11 in the final where he finished third.
• Different era? Oh yes! Gee Gee Digger was making his 33rd career start in the 1996 Pace and 23rd of that year alone.
• Nancy Takter is the lone female trainer in this year’s Pace. Andrea Chadwick got the ball rolling for the ladies in 1992 with Lord Willing.
• The last two fillies to try it come Pace elim time, both broke stride: Miss Easy (1991) and Drop The Ball (2011).
• July 12 this year, Pace Night, marks an anniversary for Team Burke. On that date, 17 years ago, Buck I St Pat surpassed $1 million for her career. She was their first divisional champ, and a three time Trotting Mare of the Year. Mickey Burke was the trainer in 2008, his final year programmed as such.
• 2008 is generally thought of as the greatest of the 48 Pace finals. Had Somebeachsomewhere won that night instead of Art Official, it would have meant that both the Pace winner (10-for-10) and the Hambletonian winner Deweycheatmnhowe (14-for-14) for the only time ever would have entered and emerged undefeated.
• Back to SBSW for a second. His career bankroll on Pace Night 2008 was $1,608,296. Three others on that night’s card had more: mares Darlins Delight ($2,027,086) and My Little Dragon ($1,772,736), as well as Total Truth ($1,918,917).
• 1984 was a festive year indeed for the Meadowlands Pace. A record 40 entered in the elims. The purse of $1,293,000 was the all-time high, but maybe most important (to the bettors), was the regularity of high prices all night long! Take a look: First race — Albus ($18.20), second race — Escondido ($9.80), third race — Raffi ($9.80), fourth race — Payson Lobell ($45.00), fifth race — King Towner ($10.40), Sixth race — American Freedom ($14.20), seventh race — On The Road Again in the Meadowlands Pace ($7.20), eighth race — Theora Hanover ($14.80), ninth race — Wildwood Dallas ($32.80), 10th race — Alvoc ($5.80), 11th race — Torino Lobell ($20.40), 12th race — Rorty Rip ($33.40), 13th and final race —Smooth Millie ($9.80).
