Trainer Noel Daley was on the mark Saturday night at The Meadowlands, as he schooled the winners of both $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes finals for 3-year-olds on the pace ...
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- May 24, 2025 -- Trainer Noel Daley was on the mark Saturday night at The Meadowlands, as he schooled the winners of both $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes finals for 3-year-olds on the pace.
In the dash for colts and geldings, Smooth Dream had to work harder than he had in any start this year, but the gelded son of Cattlewash-Dreamlands Latte proved up the challenge, wearing down an ultra-game Manolete at the wire by a hard-fought neck.
Manolete, off a leg two score in a lifetime-best 1:50.3, went right to the top from post one and had the top at the quarter in :27.4 and half in :56.2.
Driver Todd McCarthy activated Smooth Dream, the 1-5 favorite, from the three-hole and started to make his way toward the leader at the five-eighths. Manolete, the 4-1 second choice, upped the tempo, hitting three-quarters in 1:24, but it still appeared that Smooth Dream would lift his seasonal record to five wins in as many starts with ease, just like in his prior four outings.
But this time it wouldn’t come easily.
Manolete dug in the entire stretch drive as Smooth Dream gave his all racing alongside. It appeared Manolete actually battled his way to a slight edge with a sixteenth to go, but at the wire it would be Smooth Dream prevailing by a neck in 1:50.3. Making History was third.
“My horse has been super since he’s come back this year,” said McCarthy. “I give all credit to Noel. He’s done a great job with him. I was happy [with a three-hole trip]. I thought if I could get away close, I’d be content to come first-over with him. I’m just glad it worked out.
“Manolete never stopped fighting to the end. He’s a hard horse to get by.”
“You’re learning about him just like I’m learning about him,” said Daley of Smooth Dream, who moved into his barn at the start of the year. “I’m glad that Todd did what he did. I didn’t want him on the front. He fought on well.”
Smooth Dream is now five-for-eight in his career, good for earnings of $198,600 for owners Bay Pond Racing Stable, CTC Stable and KDP Stable LLC. He paid $2.60 to win.
‘WORK’ PREVAILS FROM THE RAIL: Normally, post position one is not a desirable spot to leave from at The Big M, but driver Andy McCarthy used the inside starting berth to his advantage in the split for fillies, going wire-to-wire in 1:51.4 in a thrilling finish that saw her a nose to the good at the wire.
“She dug down deep by the wire,” said winning driver Andy McCarthy. “I was proud of her.”
Worklifebalance (Cattlewash-Ubettergo) was away quickly from the inside and led at the quarter in :27.3 as 7-2 third choice Beach Babe was in the pocket and 3-5 public choice Reckless Abandon third. A :29.2 rated second fraction no doubt helped Worklifebalance as after she reached the half in :57, the action started to heat up.
Reckless Abandon abandoned the three-hole at the five-eighths, forcing Yannick Gingras’ hand with Beach Babe, who vacated the pocket to go after the leader while giving the favorite a live tow. After three-quarters was timed in 1:24.2, the race was on.
Worklifebalance turned for home with the lead with Beach Babe slowly but steadily making up ground as Reckless Abandon failed to find the necessary late pop to get close racing in the three lane. In a slugfest to the wire, Worklifebalance held on by the smallest of margins over a stubborn Beach Babe with Reckless Abandon third.
“I wanted to step her out of there a little bit,” said Andy McCarthy. “Either the two-hole or on the front. She’s very fast, and proved tonight she can do it both ways.”
Owned by CTC Stable, KDP Stable LLC and Manklin Creek LLC, Worklifebalance lifted her lifetime numbers to three wins from 13 starts, good for earnings of $203,416. As the 9-5 second choice, she paid $5.80 to win.
‘DIAL’ PROVES VERSATILE: Making her first start on North American soil, the Ake Svanstedt-trained and driven Swedish import Dial Square S made her way to the top after the quarter, fought off a ferocious challenge from 9-5 favorite M-M’s Dream down the backstretch, and prevailed by a long nose over a fast-closing Elista Hanover to take the $40,000 first leg of the Miss Versatility for open mare trotters.
The 5-year-old by Ready Cash-Eileen Boko stopped the clock in 1:51.3 in her 2025 debut, erasing all memories of a 2024 that saw her go winless in seven tries. As the 7-2 fourth choice, she returned $9.40 to win.
TROTTERS ON PARADE: In addition to the two NJSS finals for sophomore pacers, there were six $25,000 opening leg sire stakes divisions for 3-year-old trotters, three for colts and geldings and three for fillies.
The colt and gelding winners were:
· Travolta Hanover (Muscle Hill-Twice A Night), driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Nancy Takter, winning time 1:54.4, paying $5.20 as the 8-5 second choice
· Hidalgo (Muscle Hill-Brooklyn), Gingras, Ron Burke, 1:53.1, $5.40 as the 8-5 second choice
· Precise Landing (Tactical Landing-Southwind Tesla), Tim Tetrick, Dan Daley, 1:54, $64.60 as the 31-1 fifth choice
The victorious fillies were:
· Champagne Problems (Tactical Landing-Miss Caviar), Dunn, Takter, 1:53.3, $3.60 as the 4-5 favorite
· What A Bid Hanover (Muscle Hill-What A Knockout), Svanstedt, Svanstedt, 1:53.4, $2.60 as the 1-5 favorite
· Deja Blu (Muscle Hill-Atlanta), Gingras, Takter, 1:53, $5.60 as the 9-5 second choice
A LITTLE MORE: Four drivers combined to win 11 races on the night. Dunn led the way with three victories, followed by Brett Beckwith, Svanstedt, Gingras and Todd McCarthy with two apiece. … Takter led the trainers with three walks down victory lane. … All-source betting totaled $3,594,870, the second biggest night of business this year at The Big M. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.
