Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Sears Nails Top Trots at The Big M

July 1, 2005

Driver Brian Sears guided Muscle Memory in the $98,700 Dickerson Cup and Third Reef in the $90,300 Coaching Club Trotting Oaks to victory Friday night at The Meadowlands. Muscle Memory finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Strong Yankee in the Historic-Dickerson Cup, while Northern Kid was a length back in third. Muscle Memory scored his third win in four starts this year, trotting the mile in 1:55.1 on a track rated good.

"This horse really likes to pass horses," said Sears. "I followed George [Brennan with Northern Kid] and got hung out there. But when I called on him, he trotted on. I think he's good enough to compete in the Hambletonian."

Muscle Memory's victory pushed his career earnings over the $100,000 mark for Christina Takter of East Windsor, New Jersey, and the Syracuse, New York trio of Edmund Smith, Diana Smith and Paul Nojaim. Next up will be the elimination races for the Stanley Dancer Trot, the last stop before the $1.5 million Hambletonian.

Sears was back in the winner's circle for the third time on the program in the fifth race with Third Reef who held on for a three-quarter-length victory over Her Culese in the Coaching Club Trotting Oaks. Third Reef's entrymate, Magenta Hall, was third by two and a half lengths. Both daughters of Conway Hall are owned by the partnership of Little E LLC of New York, New York; David Stolz of Columbus, Ohio and Arthur Geiger of Livingston, New Jersey. Unlike Magenta Hall, who had won five of six starts at two and finished second in the Elegantimage Final on June 18 at Woodbine, Third Reef had been struggling to reach the winner's circle. Her victory in the Coaching Club Oaks was her first in 10 career starts.

"I had a lot of trot last week and didn't get to use her," Sears said of his sixth-place finish in the Elegantimage. "I was fortunate enough to follow two live horses. I was third over on Motivational, and she took me close enough so I could take a shot. She raced game. When I pulled her, she went by."