‘FERRARI’ DISPLAYS BIG SPEED IN BIG M FEATURE
One week ago, Ari Ferrari J had no chance to catch Lexus Kody in the weekly feature at The Meadowlands, lacking room until very late after sitting a pocket trip ...
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- June 6, 2025 -- One week ago, Ari Ferrari J had no chance to catch Lexus Kody in the weekly feature at The Meadowlands, lacking room until very late after sitting a pocket trip.
This time around, driver Brett Beckwith left nothing to chance, putting the Tony Alagna trainee on the lead down the backstretch and lasting to the wire in the $27,500 marquee event on the Friday night program, a $27,500 Open Handicap for trotters.
“I kind of just wanted to let him do his own thing,” said Beckwith, who sits atop the driver standings at The Big M with 83 wins. “I thought that was the way the trip would go.”
Southwind Coors, Sir Pinocchio, Ari Ferrari J and Outside The Fire were all in the first-turn scrum in the seven-horse field (likely favorite Periculum scratched) with Sir Pinocchio on the lead at the quarter while parked in :27.1.
Beckwith and Ari Ferrari J kept digging on the outside, and did not make the top until shortly before reaching the half in :55. Ari Ferrari J hit three-quarters in 1:23.1, and despite late rallies from Sir Pinocchio (who finished second) and Southwind Coors (third), held on to the wire for a safe 1½-length score in a lifetime-best 1:50.1.
Owned by Ken Jacobs, Ari Ferrari J, a 5-year-old son of Walner-Dream Child, returned $3.20 to win as the 3-5 favorite. He now has 14 wins from 48 lifetime starts, good for earnings of $1,147,662.
NJSS TROTTING ACTION: On the undercard were six second leg $25,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes dashes for 3-year-old trotters, with three divisions for colts and geldings and three for fillies.
The colt and gelding winners were:
· Mr Walner Fashion (Walner-Cooler Schooner), driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Jim Campbell, winning time a lifetime-best 1:51.2, paying $4.60 as the 6-5 favorite
· Mountcastle (Muscle Hill-Gama Bourbon Fr), Scott Zeron, Marcus Melander, first lifetime win in 1:51.2, $11.60 as the 9-2 fourth choice
· Onajetplane (Walner-Noble Lover), Andy McCarthy, Noel Daley, lifetime-best 1:52.1, $9.40 as the 7-2 third choice
The victorious fillies were:
· Stash Some Cash (Walner-Nothing But Moni), Dexter Dunn, Domenico Cecere, lifetime-best 1:52, $3.20 as the 3-5 favorite
· Conversano (Muscle Hill-Celebrity Ruth), Andy McCarthy, Juan Cano, lifetime-best 1:51.3, $9.20 as the 7-2 third choice
· Deja Blu (Muscle Hill-Atlanta), Yannick Gingras, Nancy Takter, lifetime-best 1:52, $2.80 as the 2-5 favorite
THAT’S A HALF-DOZEN, COUSIN: Smooth Dream continued his magnificent 2025 by making it six wins in as many starts after taking the $10,000 New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund dash for 3-year-old colts and geldings on the pace for trainer Noel Daley.
The gelded son of Cattlewash-Dreamlands Latte, who won the $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes final two weeks ago, grabbed the lead at the quarter before sitting a two-hole trip. In deep stretch, driver Todd McCarthy vacated the pocket and got past a stubborn Twin Fury in a lifetime-best 1:49.2. He paid $2.10 as the 1-9 public choice.
The six-race Big M winning streak is the longest this year at the mile oval. Heading into the night, Smooth Dream was tied with I’ll Hunt You Down, who won five in a row at The Meadowlands earlier this year.
A LITTLE MORE: Beckwith guided four winners on the program to top the driver colony, and in the process, padded his lead as the track’s leading driver to 25 over Jason Bartlett, who’s currently second. … Campbell and Daley led the trainers with two winners apiece. … The 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 remains one of the best bets at The Big M. After a sequence that saw winner’s odds of 3-1, 6-5, 1-9, 4-5, 3-5, 9-2 and 7-2, winning tickets were exchanged for a smile-inducing $8,352.86. … All-source handle on the 14-race card totaled $2,896,193. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m.
