The Meadowlands in New Jersey witnessed another remarkable performance by the hottest horse in the region, Oakwood Ardan.
Trained by Robert Cleary, this incredible Irish-bred gelding secured his fifth consecutive victory on a comfortable winter evening, clocking in at an impressive lifetime-best time of 1:50.2 over the mile oval.
Oakwood Ardan, a five-year-old son of Sweet Lou-Trend Setter, had previously been competing in Great Britain before returning to the United States. He qualified impressively at Harrah's Philadelphia and then added Lasix to his racing profile. Following a fourth-place finish at The Big M, the gelding embarked on an extraordinary winning streak, culminating in his fifth triumph on Saturday night.
"We'll take things one week at a time," commented Cleary. "We'll carefully select the races that suit him best, without pushing him too much. He has been exceptional thus far."
During Saturday's race, driver Andy McCarthy positioned Oakwood Ardan in fourth place, trailing behind the leaders. As the race unfolded, Sheer Terror took the lead after Gretzky The Great set the initial pace. Oakwood Ardan found himself in an advantageous position second-over, benefiting from the strong move made by Century Inspector. In the final stretch, Oakwood Ardan surged past his rivals effortlessly, winning by 1-1/4 lengths. Sheer Terror and Gretzky The Great displayed commendable performances, securing second and third place, respectively.
McCarthy praised Oakwood Ardan's professionalism, stating, "He exceeds expectations in every aspect. He is eager to perform and has been a joy to work with. Cleary has done an outstanding job with him. In the deep stretch, he showed he had even more left in the tank. This horse is truly exciting."
Cleary, while acknowledging the potentially less challenging competition during the winter season, remained grounded, stating, "We want to stay realistic and see how far he can take us."
Oakwood Ardan, the overwhelming favourite with odds of 1-20, rewarded his backers with a return of $2.10 for a win. This remarkable victory marked his 14th career win out of just 33 attempts.
Another notable performer at The Big M recently has been Odds On Boca Raton, trained by Dan Morrissey. After winning at the $7,000 claiming level, the eight-year-old gelding extended his winning streak to four, closing with an impressive burst of speed to secure victory in a $20,000-$30,000 claiming handicap pace, clocking in at 1:51.3. Corey Callahan skillfully guided Odds On Boca Raton to success as the 5-1 third choice.
The Saturday night program at The Meadowlands also saw a notable all-source handle, with a total of $3,456,865 wagered across the 14 races. This continued the trend of strong Saturday night business, with a total of $10,867,859 wagered over the past three Saturday programs, resulting in an average of $3,622,619 per card.
The 20-cent Pick-8 proved elusive once again, leading to a carryover of $13,550 for the upcoming Friday. However, those who managed to select seven correct picks were rewarded with a payout of $1,731.78. The 20-cent Pick-6 also went unclaimed, resulting in a carryover of $4,641. Participants who achieved five correct selections received a return of $117.04.