STANDARDBRED BREEDERS & OWNERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY

Representing the drivers, trainers, caretakers, breeders and owners of New Jersey

64 Business Route 33

Manalapan, NJ 07726

Phone: 732-462-2357

Fax: 732-409-0741

STANDARDBRED BREEDERS & OWNERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY

Representing the drivers, trainers, caretakers, breeders and owners of New Jersey

64 Business Route 33, Manalapan, NJ 07726 

Phone: 732-462-2357 | Fax: 732-409-0741

BACK

VOUKEFALAS TAKES BIG M FEATURE

Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations • June 9, 2024

New Jersey Maturity champion Voukefalas got a bit of class relief and returned to his winning ways after a three-race winless streak Saturday night at The Meadowlands, taking the featured $18,000 high-end conditioned pace ...

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- June 8, 2024 -- New Jersey Maturity champion Voukefalas got a bit of class relief and returned to his winning ways after a three-race winless streak Saturday night at The Meadowlands, taking the featured $18,000 high-end conditioned pace.


“He's a different horse this year as far as his temperament,” said winning trainer Michael Russo. “He has a great attitude but seems to know he's a stud this year.”


Voukefalas certainly raced like a stud, as he went after Lyons Steel – who led at the quarter in :26.1 – while parked and did not see the rail until he made it to the top at the three-eighths before hitting the half in :54.1.

“I was mildly concerned with his qualifiers because it seemed as though something was holding him back,” said Russo. “I can't really knock any of his races up to now, but I did think this race was important for him to win against a good field of quality older horses.”


The 4-year-old son of Lazarus N-Inittowinafortune kept strolling along on the point, opening up a 1¾-length edge at three-quarters in 1:22 as the pocket-sitting Lyons Steel was steadily losing ground. ‘Vouk’ opened up three on the field at the head of the stretch before reporting home a 1½-length winner in a lifetime-best 1:48.4. Joemikiyoursofine rallied for second while the rail-sitting Stonebridge Reef grabbed the show dough.


“He’s been really good,” said driver Jordan Stratton, who guided Voukefalas to his third win in six 2024 tries. “The 4-year-old year is tough because you face older horses. Tonight, he was down a little bit in class. He was pretty well in hand.”


Owned by Michael N Pagonas, Voukefalas paid $4.80 to win as the 7-5 favorite, and upped his lifetime stats to 10 wins from 25 starts, good for earnings of just over $600,000.


“I was thrilled with the race tonight,” said Russo. “Especially, with the Graduate looming next weekend.”

MONTEMURRO’S MONEY: Nick Montemurro took home $2,000 as the winner of The Big M’s handicapping contest that offered a prize pool of $5,000. All one had to do to enter was buy a $100 betting card, off which they could keep the profits if they won for the night.


Montemurro totaled $245.50, while second-place finisher K. Fossli totaled $228.00 to cash in for $1,250. Finishing third through fifth were J. Gioberti ($149.00, $1,000), Jim Bohnarczyk ($142.00, $500) and Bill Finnigan ($141.50, $250), respectively.


A LITTLE MORE: Stratton and Tyler Buter led the driver colony with two winners apiece. … A $21,360 carryover led to almost $66,000 in “new money” being poured into the 20-cent Pick-6 pool for a grand total of $87,176. Those with winning tickets after a sequence that saw winner’s odds of 1-9, 6-1, 3-5, 46-1, 5-2 and 2-1 cashed in for $3,865.14. … All-source handle on the 14-race program totaled $2,802,424. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.

By Hambletonian Society July 8, 2025
Thirteen trotters entered the 12th edition of the Hambletonian Maturity G1, which will race for $425,000 on a stake-heavy Meadowlands Pace night card on Saturday, July 12 ...
By Meadowlands Racetrack July 8, 2025
Dining options are still available for this Saturday, July 12th – Meadowlands Pace Night ...
By Meadowlands Racetrack July 8, 2025
In the wake of the news that original 7-5 morning-line favorite Louprint will be out of action for at least several weeks, this is now the field for the $656,000 Meadowlands Pace, an open event for 3-year-olds that takes place at The Meadowlands on Saturday, July 12, 2025, with post position, horse, driver, trainer and updated morning-line odds ...
By Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager July 7, 2025
A crowd of 270 people gathered Sunday evening at the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame to celebrate the induction of the Hall of Fame class of 2025 ...
By Frank Cotolo, for The Meadowlands July 6, 2025
Last season’s Hambletonian Oaks winner Warrawee Michelle, one of three mares in the field and a rank outsider in the wagering, won the $230,000 Stan Bergstein Graduate Series 4-Year-Old Open Trot on Saturday night (July 5) at The Meadowlands ...
By Ray Cotolo, for The Meadowlands July 6, 2025
Off a grinding return-to-form effort in defeat in the last preliminary, driver Dexter Dunn took authority with Sabonis for a slam-dunk 1:47.3 victory in the $230,000 Stan Bergstein Graduate Series Pace on Saturday night (July 5) at The Meadowlands ...
More Posts