Heavily favored Well Said romps in Meadowlands Pace

Favored Well Said easily wins Meadowlands Pace

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Well Said was very good as a 2-year-old pacer, and he’s even better at 3.

Well Said gave driver Ron Pierce his second straight win in the $1 million Meadowlands Pace on Saturday night, scoring an impressive six-length victory in the race that was basically over heading into the stretch.

“This colt is wicked,” Pierce said. “I am telling you, he is fun. It is hard to say, but he is the fastest colt I have ever driven behind.”

In winning, Well Said became only the eighth horse to capture both the North America Cup and Meadowlands Cup in the same year. The Steve Elliott-trained colt also became the first horse to win the Breeders Crown as a 2-year-old and the Meadowlands’ signature race the following year.

Well Said paid $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10 as the overwhelming favorite. The win was his fifth in six starts this year and the $500,000 top prize pushed his career earnings to $1,798,808.

“He has been sharp,” Elliott said. “He is just a good horse. Good horses make trainers look good. He has just always been a good colt.”

Vintage Master was the best of the rest and returned $9.40 and $7.20. If I Can Dream finished third and paid $9 for show.

This one was a laugher.

Well Said, who started from the No. 3 post position, was fifth in the field of 10 3-year-olds entering the first turn.

Pierce and Well Said stayed there for a short time, but as soon as Art Colony and driver John Campbell moved to the lead, Pierce put Well Said in gear.

It took only a few strides for Well Said to overtake Art Colony, who was trying to make Casie Coleman the first female trainer to win the Meadowlands Pace.

“John went to the top and I just kind of moseyed up there and took the lead and just kept on going,” Pierce said.

Well Said opened daylight entering the final turn and expanded the lead to four lengths entering the stretch. The son of Western Hanover was never threatened in winning in 1:47.3, which was three-fifths of a second off the stakes record set last year by Art Official in his upset of Somebeachsomewhere.

“I chased him in the lane just to make sure he stayed focused,” Pierce said after winning this race for the third time. He also won with Dream Away in 1997.

Chasin Racin finished fourth and was followed by Schoolkids, Ideal Danny, Arctic Warrior, Hypnotic Blue Chip, Art Colony and Pair A Dice.

Well Said and Hypnotic Blue Chip each won their eliminations in 1:49.2 last weekend.

Owner Jeffrey Snyder was not surprised Well Said was even better this weekend.

“He won in 49.2 last week and was eased up,” said Snyder, who owns the colt with Susan Grange of Cheltenham, Ontario. “We just think the world of him. Out of all the horses we have owned together, Rocknroll Hanover, Red River Hanover, this horse is even more special.”