Me And Cinderella turned his Pennsylvania Stallion Series
harness rivals into pumpkins Monday (August 6) at The Meadows when he
triumphed in 1:57 to equal the stake record.
The $120,000 event for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters
was contested over six divisions, with Rossini, Smoother
Ride, Well Spiced, Valley Of Sin and Spiro De Vie taking the
other $20,000 splits.Dave Palone enjoyed a stakes double
with Me And Cinderella and Smoother Ride among his five wins
on the 16-race card.
Palone allowed Me And Cinderella to get away third but
sent him after the lead at the quarter.
The son of Cantab Hall-Missy's Goalfire
drew off to score by 2-1/2 lengths over Bullish, with
Celebrity Maserati third. The time matched the stake record
established by Broadway Zinger last year.
"He's cool," Palone said. "He's looking around at
everything scoring down, has his mind on everything but
racing. Then he goes in behind the gate, and he's a little
gentleman. Every time you speak to him, he wants to do his
work for you."
Joe Holloway trains Me And Cinderella, who has won four
of six starts for Bluestone Farms.
Rossini was an equally facile winner, scoring on the
front end for trainer/driver Jim Raymer and owner/breeder
Steve Organ in 1:58.1. High Gear Winner was second, 3-1/2
lengths in arrears, while VC Eclipse earned show.
"I thought he could get clear sailing in this race and
that he wouldn't be challenged," said Raymer of the
Classic Photo-Beverly Crusher gelding.
"We raced his grandmother and his mother. They've all had
the physical attributes of good horses, and he's smart about
it. Beverly Crusher died in foal last year, so he's the last
one. That's the only reason we didn't sell him at
Harrisburg; we were sort of sentimental about him."
Smoother Ride was out before the half en route to a
1-1/4-length victory over the rallying Punxsutawney in
1:58.2. Marat completed the ticket.
"He's done everything so easy we don't know how fast he
can go when he's pushed," said Toni Rose, assistant to
winning trainer Steve Elliott. "Steve wants to give him a
few starts this year and have him ready for next year. After
the stallion series final, I think he's pretty much done."
Angelo Frassetto and Elliott own the son of
Yankee Glide-Mazda Hanover.
In the $22,500 Filly & Mare Not Listed
Preferred/Preferred Handicap Pace, My Drag Queen made it
four wins in her last six starts by finding late room and
prevailing for Aaron Merriman in 1:52.3, a head better than
the first-over Crossthreaded. NY Yankees finished third.
Marcus Marashian trains the 4-year-old daughter of
Dragon Again-Kinki for Bill Bercury.
Stake racing at The Meadows resumes Tuesday with three
divisions of the $311,725 Florida Pro, a Pennsylvania Sires
Stake for freshman colt and gelding trotters. First post is
12:55 PM.
The Meadows 
