Control The Moment captures Meadowlands Pace

by Dave Little, for Meadowlands Media Relations

cover photo by Lisa Photo

It was like he never left.

Brian Sears, the dominant driving force at the Meadowlands for the first decade of the new millennium, returned to his old stomping grounds Saturday (July 16) night and won the $732,050 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-olds at the Meadowlands in 1:48.2 with Control The Moment, a horse he drove for the first time last week in the Pace elimination.

Lisa photo

Control The Moment conquers his foes in the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace.

“It was great to get a spin with him last week,” said Sears, who also won the 2005 Pace with Rocknroll Hanover. “And I was real happy with the post draw.”

After winning a week ago from well off the pace, Sears had Control The Moment on the go early from post three and was up in the early fray as Lyons Snyder hit the quarter in :26.3. Racing Hill, the Tony Alagna trainee who opted to take a bye into the final, surged to the lead at the three-eighths before yielding the top to a headstrong Control The Moment, who had the lead at the half in :53.2 and three-quarters in 1:21.2.

Control The Moment looked home free after opening up a 2-1/2-length edge at the head of the stretch but got leg weary nearing the wire as Racing Hill came back for more. In the final sixteenth, the 8-5 second choice was coming at the 3-5 favorite, but came up a nose short at the finish. Check Six was third.

“The trip worked out perfect,” said Sears. “And I think the fractions were pretty comfortable. But it was pretty exciting at the wire.”

Control The Moment returned $3.40 to win for trainer Brad Maxwell and owners Control The Moment Stable of Philadelphia, and has now won 11 of 16 lifetime starts, good for earnings just shy of $900,000.

All-source wagering for the night totaled $4,205,981.

Racing resumes at the Big M Friday at 7:15 p.m.