East Rutherford, NJ --- Symphony In Motion caught the favorite, Higher And Higher, in the final strides to win the $63,750 Cape & Cutter Final on Friday night at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
Symphony In Motion drafted behind the early leader, Go On BB, and darted between horses in the stretch to prevail by a nose in 1:52.1. Ginger And Fred closed stoutly to finish third. Symphony In Motion, trained by Mark Harder, paid $7.00 to win the fourth race feature.
“I didn’t think we had it because Higher And Higher is so long and tall and this mare is kind of short,” Pierce continued. “I thought he (Higher And Higher’s driver, Daryl Bier) had me by a couple of inches.”
The victory was the first of the season for Symphony In Motion, who surpassed $1 million in career earnings. Lifetime, she is now 35-for-119. Joseph Jannuzzelli of Manalapan, N.J. bred and co-owns the 8-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight with Carol Demarch of Springfield, N.J.
“She’s toiled away for a few years and done it the hard way against open mares,” Harder said about reaching the earnings milestone. “She’s just such a sweetheart and a pleasure to race.”
“It worked out perfectly,” winning driver Ron Pierce said. “We buzzed out of there pretty good, fell in the two hole and followed Yannick (Gingras and Go On BB) around. We got a bit of a breather in the third quarter. (Yannick Gingras) backed things off a little and she swelled up in the hole. The horse coming first-up, Higher And Higher, just got a little tired and we were able to slip up the inside and nip her.
Robert Di Nozzi’s Jamie Sue capitalized on a miscue by the leader to take the $47,000 Tender Loving Care Final later in the evening.
Tim Tetrick steered the 3-year-old Art Major lass to a career-best 1:54 victory. Jamie Sue, trained by Mark Ford, improved her record to two wins in 18 career starts.
“She really likes a target and she got it today,” Tetrick said. “I got out and she did the rest. She doesn’t always pay attention. She’s got an open bridle on and she looks at everything. When she finally does get in gear, she goes well.
“It made my job easier when Yannick’s horse (Winning It) ran, but we got there. She’s really green. She hasn’t really figured out how to race yet.”