#Tall Dark Stranger scores a neck victory in Meadowlands Pace

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Tall Dark Stranger wins Saturday’s $636,650 Meadowlands Pace.
Lisa Photo

After a 42-year drought, women rule the Meadowlands Pace. Saturday night it was trainer Nancy Takter’s Tall Dark Stranger who won the 44th edition of the $636,650 Pace for 3-year-olds, a little over a year after trainer Linda Toscano made history winning with Best In Show.

Tall Dark Stranger (1-2), driven by Yannick Gingras, dueled with Papi Rob Hanover in the stretch and dug down deep to score the neck victory in 1:47 2/5. Allywag Hanover finished third.

The win by Tall Dark Stranger ($3) was Takter’s first and Gingras’ second in the Meadowlands signature race.

“I was really worried at the top of the stretch, I thought we were going to lose, frankly,” co-owner Buck Chaffee said. “Papi Rob is a great horse and for Stranger to fight back like he did just shows his grit and his heart. He’s got that champion in him.”

Earlier in the evening on a stakes-laden undercard, Gimpanzee (3-5) won the $464,900 Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-old trotters in 2:05 4/5 for the 1 ¹/₈-miles distance.

Trained by Marcus Melander and driven by Brian Sears, Gimpanzee ($3.40) showed why he’s the top-ranked horse in North America as he overcame post 13 to easily score the 3 ¼-lengths victory over Forbidden Trade.

The $391,300 William R. Haughton Memorial, a free for all pace, was won by Dancin Lou ($6), by 1 ¼-lengths over Century Farroh in 1:47 2/5.

In the Stanley Dancer Memorial, which was split into two $142,250 divisions, Back Of The Neck (4-5) and Ready For Moni (5-2) were victorious.

Back Of The Neck ($3.60) won his division for 3-year-old male trotters in 1:52, while Ready For Moni ($7.40) came home in 1:51 4/5.