Dismissed at 23-1, Sir Caviar found late trotting room and blazed by Rembrandt Spur in deep stretch to pull off the shocker in Thursday's $22,500 preferred handicap trot at The Meadows.
Sir Caviar won five straight races, none of them in the preferred, at The Meadows between May 24 and July 10, only to see his streak snapped by a poor performance at Mohawk that had players looking elsewhere. And with Sir Caviar apparently trapped in and Rembrandt Spur, a multiple track record-holder, in gear, the outcome seemed sealed.
But Brian Zendt angled Sir Caviar off the pylons for clearance, and the four-year-old SJs Caviar-Sierra Flower gelding did the rest, downing Rembrandt Spur by a length in a career-best 1:54.2. Master Begonia finished third. Leslie Zendt trains Sir Caviar and owns with Bill Zendt.
The co-featured $22,500 filly and mare preferred handicap pace also brought an upset, as 15-1 Palazzo Princess went from worst to first with a pylon-skimming trip for Eric Ledford to notch her third consecutive victory. The four-year-old daughter of Jate Lobell-Hawaiian Exotica scored in 1:52.4, three-parts of a length better than the rallying Francies Dream, while Forever Ivy saved show. Paul Kennedy trains Palazzo Princess for Paint Creek Farms.
Elsewhere on the card, Dont Blink captured a non-winners of three trot in 1:57.2, which is now the fastest mile this year by a two-year-old trotting filly on a five-eighths-mile track. Dave Palone drove for trainer Kris Rickert and owner Dale Wareham.
Tony Hall drove three winners on the 14-race program.
Grand Circuit action at The Meadows resumes Friday with three Arden Downs Stakes: the Catherine Baker Knoll for freshman filly pacers; the Ned McCarr for three-year-old trotting fillies, and the James Manderino for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters. A total of $228,486 will be up for grabs over eight stakes divisions.
(The Meadows)
