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ot Insider is your eyes and ears for all things Hambletonian. Full coverage of Hambletonian Day's supporting stakes at Meadowlands Racetrack can be found right here.


Likeabatoutahell Kicks Off Hambletonian Day


Likeabatoutahell rebuffed looming challenger Lubbock and held off a late rush from Misterizi to kick off Hambletonian Day with a career-best 1:51.3 victory in the $75,000 Paris – Vincennes Invitational Trot on Saturday at the Meadowlands Racetrack.


Driver Brian Sears fired Likeabatoutahell to the lead from Post 3 with Lubbock (Ron Pierce) parked and pressing past the first quarter in :27.1. Lubbock pushed ahead briefly down the backstretch but Likeabatoutahell repelled his rough-gaited challenger and hit the half in :54.2.


Lubbock came back on with Dont Know Chip (Tyler Buter) angling three-wide as they neared the 1:23.3 third quarter mark, but Likeabatoutahell continued on down the stretch and held off favourite Misterizi (Tim Tetrick) for the half-length victory. Dont Know Chip finished third.


Michael Andrew of Gorham of Maine owns and bred the seven-year-old son of SJs Caviar-Miss Molly Tamale, who paid $8.60 to win as the 3-1 second choice. Trained by Trond Smedshammer, Likeabatoutahell notched his seventh win in 22 starts this year and watched his earnings climb to $176,660 for 2010 and $689,898 lifetime.


Buck I St Pat In 1:51


Buck I St Pat dazzled the Hambletonian Day crowd on Saturday afternoon at the Meadowlands Racetrack with a 1:51 track record mile in the $100,000 Perretti Farms Matchmaker for free for all trotting mares.


Elusive Desire (John Campbell) was used hard to wrestle the lead away from Autumn Escapade (Dave Miller) past the :27-second opening quarter. She took the field to the half in :55 before Yursa Hanover (Dan Dube) forged to the front from fourth with Windsong Soprano (Ron Pierce) following and Buck I St Pat and Tim Tetrick spotted second over.


Three-quarters was up in 1:23.1 with Yursa Hanover still in control, but Windsong Soprano and Buck I St Pat took it to the leader down the stretch. Buck I St Pat won the sprint to the wire thanks to a :27.1 final frame. She stopped the clock in a career-best 1:51, shaving four-fifths of a second off Maid For Tag's track record for aged trotting mares set in 2009. Windsong Soprano finished one and three-quarter lengths behind while Jersey As (George Brennan) edged out Autumn Escapade for third.


“She’s as good as she’s ever been,” said Tetrick in the winner's circle. “She’s just strong, loves her work and when the money is down she shows up, boy."


“I hope not,” he said when asked if the seven-year-old daughter of Jailhouse Jesse-Name It Something would be retiring after this year. “I’m going to bat that she comes back for another year. She’s so much fun to drive. I hope she doesn’t go away.”


Buck I St Pat paid $3.20 to win as the 3-5 popular choice. The two-time Dan Patch Award winner has won five times in 11 starts this year for $367,455 in earnings. The 44-time career winner now sports $1,788,855 in purses on her card for trainer Ron Burke and owners Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold, Abraham Basen and Ronald Fuller.


As a winner of the race, Buck I St Pat’s connections will get to choose any of Perretti Farms’ stallions for a breeding in the future.


“Right now we have Muscles Yankee and Revenue and hopefully next year we’ll have Lucky Chucky,” said Bob Marks of Perretti Farms.


Merrie Annabelle To Thatsnotmyname


As expected, the regally-bred Thatsnotmyname was victorious in Saturday's $437,000 Merrie Annabelle for two-year-old filly trotters.


With one scratch and three of the nine fillies made breaks before the start, John Campbell eased favoured Thatsnotmyname away from the two hold and settled into third while Grace Marie (George Brennan) took the field to the first quarter in :28.2. Campbell was out and moving just as Grace Marie went off stride and took herself out of contention, with pocket sitter Refuse To Lose (Yannick Gingras) content to stay in the pocket.


As Thatsnotmyname passed the half in :57.4, Creme De Cocoa (D.R. Ackerman) started a challenging bid first up with Fitness Girl (Tim Tetrick) following her cover second over. The three-quarter station was reached in 1:26.3 and the field rounded the final turn and came into the stretch. Campbell pulled the plugs on Thatsnotmyname and she responded with a :28.2 final quarter to trip the timer two lengths to the good in a lifetime best 1:55. Creme De Cocoa stayed for second with Fitness Girl and Refuse To Lose rounded out the top four.


The time of the mile tied Macaria Hanover's track record and shaved one-fifth of a second off the stakes record.


"She's got a lot of talent, a great set of lungs and doesn't seem to get tired," said Campbell. "She was a bit rocky finishing but she keeps trying and that's the main thing."


Trainer Jimmy Takter wondered if he'd finished second in this race "nine or 10 times" but he knew for sure that this was his first win in the Merrie Annabelle.


"We've had so many seconds in this one, this race I wanted to win," said Takter.