A Rocknroll Dance made a quarter pole move and cruised
home to capture the $600,000 Meadowlands Pace on Saturday evening to top off
a big night for Quebec native Yannick Gingras at Meadowlands Racetrack.
After outside starters Allstar Legend and Jim
Morrill Jr. nearly pushed the gate away as they
fired to the lead, inside starters
A Rocknroll Dance and Gingras pulled the pocket
as the field moved by the :26.4 opening quarter and
swept to command.
North America Cup champions Thinking Out Loud and
Randy Waples were flushed first up from third during
the second interval, but only offered up mild
pressure as A Rocknroll Dance rolled past middle
fractions of :54.2 and 1:21.2. With that rival
leveling off in the stretch, the Rocknroll
Hanover-Wichita Hanover colt cruised home for the
1:48.1 triumph. Pet Rock, driven by Brian Sears,
rallied off cover to finish second while Allstar
Legend settled for third.
"My horse felt super," said Gingras after the
victory. "He got a cheap half and when you're racing
against horses like this, if you get a cheap half,
it's catch-me-if-you-can. They didn't tonight.
"The last eighth I was thinking I wish my
grandfather [Jean-Marc Gingras] was here," added the
reinsman. "He's my number one fan and that's who I
was thinking about."
Meadowlands Pace victory circle -
Lisa Photo
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Jim Mulinix trains and owns A Rocknroll Dance
with Diamond Creek Farm LLC, Denny Miller, and J And
T Silva Stables LLC.
“I was a little nervous because the weather’s
been so hot, and my horse has been heading back and
forth [to Ohio],” said Mulinix. “We ship him home
every week and make sure he gets green grass every
day.
“I sold almost every horse I had, but I wanted to
buy something before I retired,” he added. “I’m 60
years old. It’s a good thing I had a partner on him.
I spent $15,000 on him, but I spent $18,000 on
staking him.”
Gingras also earned victories with the John
McDermott-trained
Hurrikane Kingcole, who was flushed first up
near the half and sprinted home to a dazzling 1:47.3
open length victory in the $100,000 consolation, and
Jimmy Takter trainee Little Brown Fox in a $153,000
division of the
Stanley Dancer Memorial.
"This is definitely the best night I've ever had,"
said Gingras. "All of them are speicial. I think
Little Brown Fox set himself up good for the
Hambletonian, this horse [A Rocknroll Dance] now
proved what a great horse he is and winning for my
buddy John McDermott was really sweet too."
