The Last Weekend In May

There are three splits of the Super Bowl tonight at the Meadows. There are six each by Donato Hanover and Explosive Matter entered. Donato’s son Uncle Lasse, a full brother to Shake It Cerry, was probably his best freshman since Possess The Will, who was from Donato’s first crop. Cerry, Check Me Out and several other fillies have held up their end of things, but Donato needs Uncle Lasse and The Bank, who also starts in the Super Bowl, to come through.

Explosive Matter needs a star, male or female. Pinkman, who came on strong in the fall, winning the Breeders Crown and Valley Victory, and capturing the division, will face Father Patrick’s little brother, Whom Shall I Fear, in the Super Bowl. He has the rail tonight and is coming off an easy win in the PASS in his seasonal debut at Harrah’s. Explosive Matter’s overall numbers are fine, but Pinkman needs to validate him with a superior sophomore campaign.

Dewey’s fastest son, Master Of Law, tries Jimmy Marohn on for size against NW15 at The Meadowlands tonight. He broke last time out in the Cutler; finished eighth in a TVG open prior to that; and lost four opens at The Meadowlands before that. Even Jimmy Takter is overmatched when it comes to putting this guy on the straight and narrow.

Confederation Cup winner All Bets Off may be a four-year-old, but his elders will have a tough time beating him from the rail in tonight’s Molson Pace. He’s moved effortlessly into the half-mile track specialist slot previously occupied by Foiled in the Burke Barn. (Foiled qualifies tomorrow) All Bets Off has won the Messenger, Rooney, Milstein and Confederation Cup on small tracks. Chris Christoforou pulled a win in the Molson out of his rear end last year, but it will be tough to make it three straight with State Treasurer from the second tier.

There are ten sons of Sportswriter entered in tonight’s three $70,000 OSS Gold splits at Western Fair. However, there are no sons of Shadow Play entered. Sportswriter produced a huge first crop; there were 78 more of them from the crop racing tonight than there were foals by Shadow Play—154 to 76. Last year constituted something of a sophomore slump for the latter, but one would expect to see him represented in these races.

Go Daddy Go, who debuts in a Gold split tonight, won his Metro and Breeders Crown eliminations, but he lost six of his last seven start in 2014. Some are touting him as a serious Cup contender. He’ll need to turn things around for John Campbell.

Speedball Bandolito, who scorched the Rosecroft surface in 1:49.4, winning the open by seven last time out is back at Pocono to take on NW $27,500. GNap will drive—a match made in Heaven. He finished fourth in the Van Rose at Pocono three weeks ago. Bandolito is the 5/2 morning line favorite.

What happens in the Indiana Sire Stakes is rarely of much interest to the outside world, but Wiggle It Jiggleit vs Freaky Feet Pete in tomorrow’s $75,000 C&G final will draw lots of eyeballs. The Mr Wiggles gelding has never tasted defeat in his eight starts, while Pete enters the race with a ten of eleven record.

The trotting filly Churita takes a nine of eleven record into her ISS final. The daughter of Airzoom Lindy (Cantab Hall) is always the odds-on choice. Airzoom Lindy is a full brother to Lindy’s Tru Grit. There were only twenty foals in Churita’s crop, and that number was reduced to single digits for subsequent crops.

Luck Be Withyou, the son of Western Ideal who won the Breeders Crown at two, earned $300,000 last year, but didn’t live up to expectations. Last week he wired a WO25 field at Harrah’s for GNap in 1:50. Tomorrow night he tries the same class at Yonkers from the outside post for Eric Carlson.

Jug winner Michaels Power has four wins and four seconds in his last ten starts at Yonkers. He’s banked almost $180,000 for the year. Michaels Power is less than $32,000 from passing Mystician and becoming the richest son of Camluck.

Hurrikane Ali, the Rocknroll colt who is dominating the New Jersey Sire Stakes, was a $63,000 Lexington purchase. He’s a half to near millionaire Driven To Win. Yannick Gingras starts him from the four in tomorrow’s $100,000 final.

Joe FitzGerald