Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands got off to a flying start today with a pair of $30,000 divisions of the Duenna for three-year-old trotting fillies.
Longshot Delicious rallied through the stretch to register a two and one-half length victory in a career best 1:53.1 for Ron Pierce under a scorching sun with temperatures already at 30 degrees Celsius.
Taking the lead past the :27.1 opening quarter never faltering Delicious posted her third win of the season for trainer Ron Gurfein. The Cantab Hall filly who cost a mere $8,000 as a yearling now has banked $86,000 on the year and just over $200,000 lifetime for owners Patrick Quaid and J & T Silva Stable.
Blue Yonder was second with Chocolatta De Vie in third.
Valdonna and Jimmy Takter win their Duenna split. (Lisa Photo)
Jimmy Takter served notice he has his team ready when Valdonna captured the second division in lifetime best 1:52.2.
The daughter of Andover Hall had the lead by the quarter and then in a very controlled middle half she ran away from the field in the stretch to win by five lengths over Dorsay and Bluff.
Brittany Farms owns the filly for whom it paid $120,000 as a yearling to breeder Jean-Pierre Dubois. Despite the brisk time, the win leaves her short of paying for herself with $89,000 earned this season after not racing as a juvenile.
Meadowlands Results - Saturday
