by Bob Heyden

How about a round of applause for Dealt A Winner, who has raced against three different Horses of the Year and took his lifetime mark against Wiggle It Jiggleit in the 2015 Cane Pace of 1:47.3. He also has gone head to head versus Always B Miki and McWicked. Dealt A Winner, son of the oldest living Horse of the Year Cams Card Shark, made his 100th career start-finishing 7th in the TVG Open Pace last Saturday and now sports a 100 21-16-10 $1,307,799 record for Mark and Tammy Silva.

McWicked (indeed)

McWicked retires with 110 starts and record of 40-26-16, $4,931,842 in a career that saw him twice lead all pacers in earnings — and he did it four years apart — 2014 and 2018.

Mother’s night?

The dams of the top two finishers in the Three Diamonds were J K Shes A Lady (J K First Lady) and Rocklamation (Rocknificent) — the former a HOY and the latter a $2 million winner.
E L Ideal won the Valley Victory and improved to 10 4-3-2 $523,934 on the year. His dam was one of the first ever half-million-dollar yearlings, Courtney Hall — $500,000

All on board

Brett Pelling doubled up on Final Four-TVG Night with Caviart Ally and Papi Rob Hanover. Neither missed the board all season:

Caviart Ally — 19 9-7-3 
Papi Rob Hanover — 12 6-4-2

Yearling prices

1. $130,000 Papi Rob Hanover
2. Homebred E L Ideal
3. $30,000 Always A Prince
4. Homebred J K First Lady
5. $30,000 Six Pack
6. $35,000 Caviart Ally
7. $165,000 Emoticon Hanover
8. $285,000 Senorita Rita

$675,000 TOTAL including the pair of homebreds

Memories of 1980

Two Horses of the Year — McWicked and Hannelore Hanover — retiring at the same track on the same night? This brought back memories of mid-October 1980, when the Meadowlands had a duel promotion of Spectacular Bid and Niatross parading for the fans. The “BID” was retired at that point, but Niatross wasn’t. He was fresh off his Messenger victory at Roosevelt to complete the Triple Crown, which was on the heels of his 1:49.1 time trial. Both spent the early part of the evening in stalls right next to each other. Both, of course-were named HOY, Niatross for the second time.

Yannick Gingras’ huge TVG night

$768,467 in total purses
8 checks in the 8 stakes
6 straight on-the-board finishes in the first 6 stakes
$175,000 TVG Mares Trot second with Atlanta
$401,850 Governors Cup third with Cattlewash
$505,050 Valley Victory second with Ready For Moni
$475,100 Goldsmith Maid second with Sister Sledge
$350,000 TVG Open winner with Always A Prince
$411,000 Three Diamonds winner with J K First Lady
$350,000 TVG Open Trot fifth with Mission Accepted
$175,000 TVG Open Mares 4th with Warrawee Ubeaut

How about Luc Blais?

On Hambletonian Day, he beat 1-5 favorite Greenshoe with Forbidden Trade

On TVG/Final Four Night, he beat last year’s Hambletonian winner, Atlanta, at 1-9 with Emoticon Hanover.