Gate to Wire Effort by Escape The News in Aquarius Final

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ— Escape The News, off a victory in leg 2, took the sextet of four-year-old pacers around the Meadowlands oval to win the $57,000 Aquarius Final on Saturday, March 16.

Escape The News got the top and Warrawee Needy tuck into second. Mr Dennis tracked them from third as Escape The News paced the quarter in :27. In Commando made a move to the outside approaching the half, supplying cover to Bakin On The Beach. Post time favorite Warrawee Needy and Mr Dennis were locked at the cones through a :55 (:28) rated half-mile.

In Commando was in pursuit of the lead into the far turn. Escape The News gave him the cold shoulder passing three-quarters in 1:22.4 (:27.4). Warrawee Needy had room to pace as In Commando faltered at the top of the stretch. Yo Cheyenne Rocky began passing tiring rivals and moved into third. Escape The News battled off a drifting Warrawee Needy through the stretch and held on by a ½ length to win in 1:49.3. Warrawee Needy was second, it was another 5 lengths back to Yo Cheyenne Rocky in third.

Escape The News ($5.00) is a four-year-old gelding by Artiscape, out of the mare Ideal News by Western Ideal. He is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Jjk Stables and Howard Taylor, trained by Ron Burke and Yannick Gingras did the steering. 

TRI’s Picks March 16 Meadowlands

Meadowlands Racetrack Pick 4, Races 7-10, Saturday, March 16, 2013

Last night, we didn’t have a written report for the Pick 4, but handed it out on Facebook and Twitter. We went 2-for-4 last night with one bet, Wheels ($28.40). The other winner was Rocklamation ($3.60). We profited $8.40 for the night. Tonight’s ticket looks good, good luck!

$2 Play: 1,2,7/4,8/1,5/2 = $12

Analysis:

Race 7- (1) High Noon steps up off an impressive 1:49.3 mile in the B-1. He’s got a strong late kick and is an improving pacer and may bring some value tonight. (2) Outrageous Art steps up from the B-1 and is on a good streak. He’s a very speedy pacer and should improve greatly tonight. (7) Versado is the likely favorite in this event. He’s done well against the top pacers at the Big M and will be a fierce foe tonight.

Race 8- (4) Yankee Devil ships in to the Meadowlands off a win near similar at Harrah’s Philly. In his start stepping up from a victory in the C-2, he didn’t take a liking to the extra distance, fading back to fourth. He goes the standard distance tonight and should go faster. (8) Mega Lightning is a victor in the C-1 already. In his first start off a layoff, he won at the line at 13-1, then did not do well stepping up. The drop in class should benefit this guy tonight.

Race 9- (1) Pembroke Dewey drops in class after several starts of traffic issue in the B-1. He draws the rail, so he can get a pocket spot and prove he is much better than this field as they turn for home. (5) Gambler’s Tale is a peculiar pacer. It looks like his owners have high hopes for this pacer, since he is nominated for the William Haughton Memorial. That is a slight angle in our selecting, but he is also an improving pacer and should pace an easy mile tonight.

Race 10- (2) Digital Z Tam gets post relief off of a tough mile dropping last week. From post 8, he gunned for the lead and dueled first over, giving way and tucking into a pocket approaching the half. He was parked through a fast :27.1 quarter, which likely burned him out. He sat a pocket trip and bounced back to just miss the victory in 1:51.1. He will likely try and get another pocket trip tonight the leader will likely rate the mile, which means Digital Z Tam will stalk him all the way and pace hard to the wire. This will be one of his best efforts. 

Millionaire Sire Rocknroll Hanover Euthanized in New Jersey

CREAM RIDGE, NJ— Multi-million dollar sire Rocknroll Hanover, sire of 2010 Horse of the Year Rock N Roll Heaven and other million-dollar pacers, was euthanized at Perretti Farms Thursday (March 14) afternoon. Shipping home from breeding with a mare in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, he showed signs of discomfort early Thursday morning. Rocknroll Hanover’s stomach appeared distended and was sent to Mid-Atlantic Equine Hospital. Dr. Rodney Belgrave revealed to Peretti Farms that the condition was irreversible.

Rocknroll Hanover winning the 2005 Meadowlands Pace

“They believe his condition was a type of gastric impaction, where the stomach fills but doesn’t empty,” said Bob Marks, directeor of marketing at Perretti Farms. “Losing Rocknroll [Hanover] feels just like the loss of the horses in the barn fire here several years ago.”

Marks added that when Rocknroll Hanover was bred on Wednesday in Pennsylvania that, “He gave us a huge amount of semen and seemed fine. This morning they noticed he wasn’t right and while he was eating they said that’s because since their [Rocknroll Hanover] stomach gets larger, they just keep eating.”

Rocknroll Hanover was euthanized at age 11. Foaled on April 12, 2002, Brett Pelling took up the training of the soon-to-be star pacer. The son of Western Ideal, foaled by Rich N Elegant, won major stakes such as the Metro Pace at age two for his owners Jeff Snyder and group of Lothlorien.

Rock N Roll Heaven, sired by Rocknroll Hanover, winning
the Little Brown Jug in 2010

The Western Ideal colt showed his real talent on the track at age three. In his sophomore campaign, he captured the North America Cup, Meadowlands Pace and other major stakes on the 2005 calendar. Perretti Farms bought a share of the star pacer and sent him to stud in New Jersey. He retired at the end of 2005 with a lifetime mark of 1:48.3 and $2,754,038 in career earnings.

Rocknroll Hanover stood stud for eight years up to his euthanization today. He’s sired such millionaires as Rock N Roll Heaven, Put On A Show, A Rocknroll Dance, Rocklamation and Ticket To Rock, all of which have a lifetime mark sub-1:51 miles. 

Escape The News stalks ‘Speedy Needy’ to win leg two of Aquarius

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ— The Burke trained Escape The News, off a second place finish in leg one of the Aquarius, sat a pocket trip as Warrawee Needy paced fast fractions to win leg two of the Aquarius series in 1:48.4.

A quintet of four-year-old pacers lined up behind the gate for the second preliminary and Warrawee Needy, with Escape The News and Yo Cheyenne Rocky, were the quickest. Warrawee Needy cleared the lead at the quarter in :26.2. Nobody challenged him and he paced the half in :53.4 (:27.2).

Escape The News slingshots past 'Needy' to win

Escape The News began to tip out of the pocket as Warrawee Needy took the field by three-quarters in 1:21.1 (:27.2). Bakin On The Beach was closing in first over in third into the stretch. Warrawee Needy had a 2-length advantage on Escape The News at the top of the lane. Escape The News began to pace him down entering the eighth pole and approaching the wire, Escape The News got up in time to win it by a half-length in 1:48.4 (:27.3). Warrawee Needy was second, Bakin On The Beach was third and In Commando finished fourth.

Escape The News ($5.80) is a four-year-old gelding by Artiscape, out of the mare Ideal News by Western Ideal. He is owned by Burke Racing Stables, Weaver Bruscemi, Jjk Stables and Howard Taylor, trained by Ron Burke and Yannick Gingras guided him to a pocket-trip victory.