Emoticon Legacy and Maximum Mearas S, who came into the $25,000 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Colt Trot eliminations with just five and four starts, respectively, down many more seasoned foes on Friday afternoon at the Meadowlands.
Driven by Louis Roy in the first elimination, Emoticon Legacy yielded to sit behind Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion Meshuggah (Scott Zeron) past the 27 4/5 quarter. Meshuggah kept control through a 55 4/5 half and a 1:24 three-quarters, but came off the cones in the lane, which gave Emoticon Legacy a path through. Once he had the space, Emotion Legacy shot through, went by Meshuggah and pulled away to a 2 1/4 length decision in 1:52 3/5.
Meshuggah held off a first-over Hidalgo (Dexter Dunn) for third, Memento Mori (Anthony MacDonald) was fourth and Tactical Dynasty (Yannick Gingras) came in fifth. Tactical Dynasty would end up as the fifth-place finisher from the two elims with higher lifetime earnings and also made next Friday's final.
"He's still a little green. The one time I raced him on the front - I re-moved him past the quarter I believe - I felt like he raced bad because he just got lost on me there. If you keep him a target, he'll give you a pretty good kick at the end," Roy said after the race. "We felt very good (in the pocket), and when I saw I had a little bit of room on the inside, I just tipped him there. He was very strong."
Bred by owner Determination and trained by Luc Blais, Emoticon Legacy is by Walner and is out of two-time Breeders Crown champion Emoticon Hanover. Emoticon Legacy has four wins from six starts, has pocketed $155,656 and paid $7.60 to win.
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In the other elimination, Maximum Mearas S (Scott Zeron) led early, but a two-wide Happy Jack B (Svanstedt) pressed on to the front beyond the 27 2/5 quarter. 1-2 favorite Super Chapter (Dunn) watched all that transpire from fourth and then pulled to the outside in the backstretch. He trotted up to and around Happy Jack B passing the 56 2/5 half and then was unchallenged to three-quarters in 1:24 4/5.
Zeron swung Maximum Mearas S to the outside out of third in the lane, and behind a 27 2/5 final quarter, he would vault past Super Chapter at the wire, defeating him by a head in 1:52 4/5. Blank (Andy McCarthy) saved ground on the cones and came in third, and Go Dog Go (Todd McCarthy) stayed flat after breaking twice at The Red Mile while on his way to potential victories and clocked a 26 4/5 final quarter off dull cover to get fourth.
"He's very graceful. His stride is beautiful and his manners are professional. He's honestly a pleasure that way," remarked Zeron. "It's just a matter of how fast can he really go."
Lucas Wallin trains Maximum Mearas S, a Chapter Seven colt bred by Snogarps Gard Inc., for owner Kjell Magne Andersen. Maximum Mearas S has four victories and a second in five outings, has put away $84,795 and returned $16.40 to win as a 7-1 offering.
By virtue of their tallies, Emoticon Legacy and Maximum Mearas S drew for posts one through six for the final. Maryland already advanced to the final as a result of his victory in last month's Peter Haughton Memorial at Harrah's Hoosier Park. Here is the draw for that $700,000 final next Friday.
2-YEAR-OLD COLT AND GELDING TROT
PP - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1 - Meshuggah - Scott Zeron - Marcus Melander
2 - Maryland - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
3 - Maximus Mearas S - Scott Zeron - Lucas Wallin
4 - Emoticon Legacy - Louis Roy - Luc Blais
5 - Hidalgo - Dexter Dunn - Ron Burke
6 - Super Chapter - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
7 - Go Dog Go - Todd McCarthy - Carter Pinske
8 - Blank - Andrew McCarthy - Marcus Melander
9 - Tactical Dynasty - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
10 - Memento Mori - Anthony MacDonald - Jason McGinnis