KIWI-BRED RASPALIA N REPEATS AT BIG M
In a Friday night fillies and mares Meadowlands feature that could have been billed as the “Battle of the Foreign Breds”, New Zealand-bred Raspalia N recorded her second win in as many North American tries for trainer Agostino Abbatiello in a $14,500 conditioned event on the pace ...
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- February 20, 2026 -- In a Friday night fillies and mares Meadowlands feature that could have been billed as the “Battle of the Foreign Breds”, New Zealand-bred Raspalia N recorded her second win in as many North American tries for trainer Agostino Abbatiello in a $14,500 conditioned event on the pace.
The daughter of Johny Rock-Fun Sponge was one of five leavers in the eight-horse field, and was stacked up four-wide around the first turn before some aggressive Lauren Tritton handling found the 5-year-old on the point at the quarter in :27.3 after surging past 7-5 favorite, Irish-bred Churchview Meow IR, who raced in the pocket down the backside.
Tritton was able to rate the second fraction, reaching the half in :56.2 with no movement as the top two choices on the tote board continued their march to three-quarters. Sweetloveofmine vacated the four-hole at the five-eighths and made up ground racing on the rim before Churchview Meow IR popped out of the pocket in front of that one just after three-quarters, which was timed in 1:24.3.
Through the stretch, Raspalia N was kept to her task, and never experienced an anxious moment keeping Churchview Meow IR, who never threatened through the stretch drive, at bay in a dominant 1½-length score in a lifetime-best 1:52. Papi’s Dream, who advanced along the rail from the three-hole after Churchview Meow IR vacated the pocket, rallied along the inside to grab second over that foe.
“She’s come over and done a really nice job so far,” said Tritton of Raspalia N, who arrived in the U.S. last fall. “She’s quite a strong mare to handle. She’s had a great start since coming over. She’s really fast. She actually does her best work from behind. (On the lead) She looks like she’s done but she actually just waits for them and gets going again at the end. She’s definitely got a lot of talent and I’m just happy to have sat behind her for the last two weeks.”
The lightly-raced Raspalia N now has five wins from 16 lifetime starts. As the 2-1 second choice in the wagering, she paid $6 to win.
CARRYOVER REPORT: There were two carryovers when the night began, and that fact was unchanged at the end of the evening.
The $1 PK 8 went unhit, upping the carryover to $57,198. Odds for the winning horses during the sequence were 3-5, 3-5, 2-1, 8-1, 2-1, 21-1, 8-5 and 2-1. Those with seven correct collected $1,412.30.
The 20-cent Pick-6 now has a double carryover of $11,632 after a sequence that saw winner’s odds of 21-1, 8-5, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1 and 6-5. Those with five correct collected $23.22.
A LITTLE MORE: Tritton, Joe Bongiorno and Johnathan Ahle tied atop the driver leaderboard with two wins apiece. … All-source handle on the 14-race program totaled $2,075,580. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6 p.m.
