Takter Trotters' Performance

The Nancy Takter barn showcased its depth and talent once again, as they triumphed in both trotting divisions for the second consecutive week in the third and final leg of the Graduate Series for four-year-olds. The Meadowlands hosted Saturday’s (June 22) card, which included four Graduate events, each with a purse of $68,493. The USD 250,000 (est.) finals will be held on July 6, coinciding with the Meadowlands Pace eliminations.

In the first trot, Winners Bet, driven by Dexter Dunn, shattered the track record for a four-year-old horse by clocking an impressive 1:49.3. Dunn led the son of Walner-Side Bet Hanover from the start, setting fractions of :27.1, :54.4, and 1:23, before sprinting home in :26.3 to secure a 1-1/2 length victory over Chapercraz, with Ponda Jet finishing third. This performance marked the fastest trot time of 2024.

Nancy Takter expressed her satisfaction with Winners Bet’s performance, stating, “It was nice to see him perform so well. He was perfect today. Dex said he had plenty left when horses came alongside him.” Winners Bet now boasts eight wins from 22-lifetime starts, amassing $780,784 in earnings for owners Lindy Farms of Connecticut and Robert A. Rudolph.

In the second trot, Hasty Bid, recently acquired by Takter’s barn, delivered a career-best 1:50.2 victory with Yannick Gingras at the reins. Gingras, filling in for James MacDonald due to a cancelled flight, guided Hasty Bid to a 1-1/4 length win over Special Way, with favourite Oh Well finishing third. Gingras humorously remarked, “I thought maybe I was two or three lengths better than James, but I guess I’m six lengths better.”

Hasty Bid’s win brought his lifetime earnings to $632,622 from six victories in 27 starts, rewarding his backers with $7.40 as the 5-2 third choice.

The pacing divisions saw upsets, with Act Fast and Ken Hanover emerging victorious. Act Fast, driven by Todd McCarthy and trained by Ron Burke, capitalized on a well-executed cover trip to win in a lifetime-best 1:47.3 at 23-1 odds. McCarthy credited the win to the horse’s potential and the trip, stating, “Ronnie thought we had a shot if we got a trip. He did a great job to hang on.” Act Fast’s victory boosted his earnings to $482,489 for his owners.

Ken Hanover, driven by Dave Miller, took control in the second pace, clocking a lifetime-best 1:47.4. Miller praised the horse’s consistent performance, saying, “He’s a good horse who always gives 100 percent.” Ken Hanover’s win increased his earnings to $660,371.

In the wagering pool, a single player hit the 20-cent Pick-6, winning $31,337.96 from a pool of over $36,000. The 10-cent Hi-5 in the 11th race paid out $1,837.83 to those with the winning combination of 1-5-7-8-6.

All-source handle for the 14-race card totaled $2,978,687, underscoring the popularity and competitive nature of the night’s races.