Using a powerful late kick, Louisville GB continued her winning ways Friday night at The Meadowlands, taking the $17,500 feature, a TrackMaster 89.4 for fillies and mares on the pace ...
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- May 16, 2025 -- Using a powerful late kick, Louisville GB continued her winning ways Friday night at The Meadowlands, taking the $17,500 feature, a TrackMaster 89.4 for fillies and mares on the pace.
The Robert Cleary trained 5-year-old daughter of Sweet Lou-The Player Hanover won for the seventh time this year from just nine starts and now has 16 victories in 29 lifetime tries.
“He brings them ready,” said winning driver Tyler Buter of Cleary. “You have to try and put them in the right spot.”
And that’s exactly what Buter did.
Hers Hungry, Miss Dottie Mae, My August Moon A and Elektra A all barreled into the first turn, assuring a fast pace, as Buter kept the 2-5 favorite Louisville GB off the action, sitting seventh in the nine-horse field as My August Moon A had a narrow edge on a parked-out Elektra A at the quarter in a snappy :26.4.
Elektra A led at the half in :53.4 and three-quarters in 1:22 but was under siege from a first-over Pembroke Southie at both of those calls, setting the race up for a closer.
Louisville GB was in position to strike third-over and swung three-wide coming out of the far turn. With a full head of steam Louisville GB was on even terms with new leader Pembroke Southie at the head of the stretch before striding clear to the wire to record a 3-length win in 1:50, a clocking that lowered her previous lifetime best by one-and-two-fifth-seconds. Pembroke Southie was a determined second-place finisher. Hers Hungry was third.
“Robbie [Cleary] switched up her routine and kept her outside,” said Buter. “She was a lot calmer [than usual]. She let me do what I wanted with her and she exploded home. She’s great-gaited and can race on any size track.”
With the victory, Louisville GB lifted her lifetime earnings to just shy of $80,000 for owner Ken Jacobs. She returned $2.80 to win.
FABULOUS FOSSILI TAKES CONTEST: Karen Fossili finished the night with a bankroll of $443.70 to win the fifth edition of the 2025 Meadowlands Monthly Handicapping Contest and walked away with the first prize of $500 in the competition that offers $1,000 in prize money.
Russ Slader’s bankroll of $350.00 was good for second and a check for $250. Finishing third was D. Gieck, who collected $150 with a bankroll of $244.20. Fourth went to Russ Slader, whose bankroll of $150.00 earned him $100.
By finishing 1-2, Fossili and Slader have now qualified for the year-end contest on Dec. 13, which has a prize pool of $10,000.
LUCKY 7 FOR WARKENTIN: Track announcer Ken Warkentin treated his following to a big night at the windows, correctly selecting seven winners on top, featuring Artist Best in the seventh race, who returned $43 to win.
TV co-host Dave Little, who finished the night with five of the last six on top, chipped in with six winners on the night, including Roma Amor in the 14th, who paid $15.60.
A LITTLE MORE: Buter led the driver colony with four winners on the program. … Ivan Llopez and Carl Tirella paced the trainers with a pair of victories each. … A carryover of $11,399 motivated players to pour $62,453 of “new money” into the 10-cent Hi-5 pool in the 14th race. With 3-5 favorite Moneymakesherhappy failing to be in the top five, the winning combination of 4-3-8-6-7 returned $859.75. … All-source betting on the 14-race card totaled $2,533,356. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m. The feature is the $158,000 Arthur J. Cutler Memorial for older trotters.
