8 September 2024, from Ray Cotolo & Frank Cotolo, and The Meadowlands.
CAPTAIN OPTIMISTIC (CAPTAINTREACHEROUS) and driver Yannick Gingras and ROCKET DEO (CAPTAINTREACHEROUS) won their $150,000 New Jersey Classic Finals for two-year-old colt and three-year-old filly pacers, respectively, at The Meadowlands on Friday night (Sept. 6).
CAPTAIN OPTIMISTIC, the prohibitive favorite at 1-9, floated off the gate and followed Tom Horn through the first turn and into a :26.3 first quarter. Tom Horn moved to the lead and past Manolete into the backstretch, leaving CAPTAIN OPTIMISTIC on the outside. First over and gliding, Gingras volleyed CAPTAIN OPTIMISTIC past Tom Horn and guided the field to the half in :55.1.
“I didn’t want to get to the lead,” Gingras said after the race, “but he felt great and I didn’t want to be stuck near the back.”
Todd McCarthy urged Manolete to challenge for the top again, passing Tom Horn and attempting to duel with CAPTAIN OPTIMISTIC as he clocked the 1:24.1 three-quarters. CAPTAIN OPTIMISTIC “responded well,” said Gingras after the race, as the pair easily dismissed the challenge with a :26 final panel to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:50.1, a personal best. Nancy Takter trains CAPTAIN OPTIMISTIC, a 2-year-old out of the Art Official mare Cinamony. It was the fourth win in three first-season starts and it raised the colt’s earnings to $103,665.
“The equipment changes worked well,” Gingras said. “He was good in his mouth. He steered good and straight.”
PHOTO: Captain Optimistic (CAPTAINTREACHEROUS), Lisa Photo
Sophomore ROCKET DEO (CAPTAINTREACHEROUS) had no problems making her early foot take her to the wire in Friday’s (Sept. 6) New Jersey Classic harness racing finals for three-year-old pacing fillies at the Meadowlands. ROCKET DEO, out of double millionaire Rocklamation, was sent off at 1-5 in the $150,000 New Jersey Classic final for three-year-old pacing fillies, and she lived up to that billing with a 1:50.1 victory.
Andy McCarthy was content to race ROCKET DEO behind the early cover of his brother Todd, guiding second choice MIRACULOUS DEO (STAY HUNGRY), as that one cleared just past a :26.3 initial split. ROCKET DEO then moved to the front, reaching the half in :55.3 and then three-quarters in 1:23.3 as DONEGAL SPIRIT (CAPTAINTREACHEROUS) gained uncovered on the far turn.
The race boiled down to these three, with MIRACULOUS DEO edging out of the pocket late and DONEGAL SPIRIT lasting bravely after the grinding trip, but they were no match for ROCKET DEO, who triumphed by a length over MIRACULOUS DEO, with DONEGAL SPIRIT another neck back in third.ROCKET DEO, whom Brett Pelling trains, now has eight seasonal victories and a lifetime bankroll of $340,951 for Morrison Racing Stables and John Fielding.
“She’s a big, robust filly,” McCarthy noted after winning his second Classic. “I wasn’t really worried about my filly (holding onto the lead). I gave her a few taps to remind her to go on; she always gives her best every week.”
PHOTO: Rocket Deo (CAPTAINTREACHEROUS), Lisa Photo
CANT SEE ME (CAPTAINTREACHEROUS) never felt a worry in a thievery mile to take the $83,623 other division of the Champlain for freshman pacing fillies. With no enthusiasm going forward, driver Bob McClure inherited the top seat with CANT SEE ME in a :29.1 crawl to the first quarter. The accelerator only started pushing after a :58.1 half, but the soft speed only sealed the back-half sprint for CANT SEE ME. She clicked past three-quarters in 1:26.2 and scampered away to a 2-3/4-length win in 1:53.1 with pocket-chaser Bonhomie Hanover left in second. Au Jus Hanover sat a ground-saving trip to take third.
“You usually don’t get that lucky in a race like that going for that kind of money,” trainer Mark Steacy said. “That sets us up real good for next week.”
PHOTO: Cant See Me (CAPTAINTREACHEROUS), New Image Media
