CAMARA MOMENT LUNGES TO BIG M UPSET
ames Borke and DeWitt Stables' Camara Moment rode the pocket to a mild 6-1 upset in Saturday's (Aug. 9) co-featured $17,500 upper-level conditioned pace at the Meadowlands, stopping the clock in a seasonal best 1:50.3 and notching his sixth top-two finish in his last seven starts ...
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- August 9, 2025 -- James Borke and DeWitt Stables' Camara Moment rode the pocket to a mild 6-1 upset in Saturday's (Aug. 9) co-featured $17,500 upper-level conditioned pace at the Meadowlands, stopping the clock in a seasonal best 1:50.3 and notching his sixth top-two finish in his last seven starts.
With the scratch of It's My Show reducing the field to six, Camara Moment and driver Mark Herschberger had no trouble vaulting to the lead from their outside post, clearing T H Tyson (driven by Patrick Ryder) on entry to the first turn before yielding to that rival just beyond the :27.4 first quarter. Camara Moment enjoyed clear sailing in the two-hole behind T H Tyson through middle splits of :57 and 1:24.1 before angling off the pegs to set up a stretch duel.
"I was thrilled with the trip," said Herschberger. "Nobody was pushing out of there (at the start), so I decided to go ahead for it, and it worked out T H came back and covered us up and gave us a nice trip."
Ryder called upon T H Tyson for all he had in the final eighth, but the persistent Camara Moment lunged to reel him in with 70 yards to go and win by a widening 2-1/2 lengths on the strength of a :26.1 individually-timed sprint home. Stay Grounded (Jack Callaghan) gave stout chase from just off the top pair to narrowly miss the runner-up spot.
Michael Fiumenero trains Camara Moment, who now has 21 career wins to his credit and $319,704 in career earnings. As the 6-1 fourth choice, Camara Moment paid $15.20 to win.
MAKING HIS 'MARK': Herschberger took top driving honors on the 12-race card with four wins, including a 42-1 upset with Bill Augustine's Trumpster Blues ($87.40) in the co-featured $17,000 conditioned pace for developing horses. The 5-year-old Always B Miki-Simplyirresistible entire swung wide off live cover provided by Captain Bazinga before striking the front in deep stretch to best 22-1 outsider Beach Club Monty by three-quarters of a length in 1:51.3.
The 30-year-old reinsman also found the winner's circle with Geovany Hernandez trainee Rojan's Way ($10.00, 1:52.2) and Harold Herrera trainee Good Rockin ($23.00, 1:49.4).
YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST: Jack Callaghan, 23, drove his first-ever North American winner when he teamed Gazoo to a 1:51.1 win in the evening's fifth race, a $10,500 TrackMaster Rating pace. Callaghan sent the 6-year-old Roll With Joe-String Bikini gelding to the lead from post six, and the pair controlled sectional times of :26.3, :55.4 and 1:23.2 before staving off a late rally from Captain Marvel to win by a half length for trainer Veronica Spicer and owner Peter Kleinhans.
Callaghan also won the finale, an $8,000 TrackMaster Rating pace, with 6-1 shot Ayr Pioneer GB, who rallied from far off the pace to score in 1:54.4 for trainer Besim Odza and owner Dein Spriggs.
In his native Australia, Callaghan has driven the winners of 803 races, including seven Group 1 trophies.
A LITTLE MORE: Odds-on favorites were upended in the final three races, prompting a pair of carryovers to Friday's (Aug. 15) card: $26,408.12 in the Late Pick-4 and $4,028.49 in the Pick-6. ... The 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 paid $6,808.16. ... All-sources handle totaled $1,586,724. ... Live racing returns to the Big M on Friday; first post is 6:20 p.m. (EDT).
