PERICULUM CLINCHES CRAWFORD FARMS TROT

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Periculum, with Scott Zeron at the reins, fired midstretch from off the pace to carve a 1:50 score in the $164,000 Crawford Farms Open Trot on Saturday (June 28) at The Meadowlands.

Lexus Cody stormed from post 9 before being outkicked by Osceola and Aetos Kronos S while Periculum was unhurried from post 3. Osceola clocked the first quarter in :27 and soon faced a challenge from Aetos Kronos S, who launched out of third with a fiery brush to take the lead in a scorching :54.3 half.

Zeron meanwhile kept Periculum steady in fifth through the early kerfuffle. He managed to catch a helmet once moving into action in the last turn when Lexus Cody came first over from third. Aetos Kronos S continued on the engine through three-quarters in 1:22.3 with challengers looming.

Zeron took advantage of the quick three-quarters and placed Periculum perfectly on a path to show his speed in the stretch. Effortlessly, Periculum passed an all-out Aetos Kronos S and extended his lead to finish 3-1/4 lengths ahead of Aetos Kronos S, the other Melander-trained trotter in the race, with Lexus Kody completing the trifecta. Up Your Deo came from off the speed for fourth.

“He was sharp looking last time [in his most recent qualifier, winning by over 20 lengths in 1:53],” said winning trainer Marcus Melander, “He was supposed to race three weeks ago but he got a little fever on us, so we had to scratch him. He’s an older horse – he goes his intervals twice a week, jogs a little there in between. He’s sound, he’s happy. He’s a great horse.”

Melander said Periculum only raced twice this season because “there’s not much to go for [in this division] early in the season. There’s way more in the fall. We have three weeks to the Spirit of Massachusetts, and then we have the Cashman here.”

Periculum’s second win in two starts this season hiked his lifetime bankroll to $1,433,376 for owners Brixton Medical Inc. and Holly Lane Stud East LTD. The 6-year-old stallion by Muscle Hill registered his 13^th win from 52 starts in his career.

Driver Zeron was happy with the way the mile formed for the trotters. “He had a great trip,” he said. “We didn’t get flushed early on and we picked up a live flow.”

Periculum paid $6.40 to win.

To watch the replay of the Crawford Farms Trot, click here.

REYNOLDS WRAP UP: There were four divisions of the W.N. Reynolds for 3-year-old trotters contested on the undercard, with two dashes for colts and geldings and two for fillies.

In the first split for males, which went for a purse of $34,825, Hambletonian hopeful Go Dog Go (Greenshoe-Primary Target) followed live cover on the way to a lifetime-best 1:52 score for driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Carter Pinske. The 1-5 favorite paid $2.60 to win.

Another horse with Hambo dreams, Gap Kronos S (Face Time Bourbon-I’m Really Special) took the lead at the half and went down the road from there in the other division for males for Yannick Gingras and Ake Svanstedt in a lifetime-best-equaling 1:51.4. As the 9-5 second choice, he returned $5.60 to his backers in the $34,325 dash.

Yo Tillie (Tactical Landing-Consolidator) used an explosive move to three-quarters to win the first division for fillies – which went for $33,375 – by eight lengths in a lifetime-best 1:51 for Todd McCarthy and Andrew Harris. The 2-5 public choice paid $2.80.

In the $32,875 second split for fillies, New Jersey Sire Stakes champion and Hambletonian Oaks eligible Conversano (Muscle Hill-Celebrity Ruth) grabbed the lead at the half and held sway to the wire in 1:52.1 for Andy McCarthy and Juan Cano. As the 8-5 second choice, she paid $5.40.

A LITTLE MORE: A carryover of $6,742 enticed bettors to pour $57,678 of “new money” into the 20-cent Pick-6 pool for a grand total of $64,420. After a sequence that saw winner’s odds of 9-1, 2-1, 2-5, 10-1, 8-5 and 7-2, winning tickets were exchanged for $4,253.76. … Joe Bongiorno, Todd McCarthy and Dave Miller led the drivers with two wins apiece, while Svanstedt and Bongiorno topped the trainers as each took a pair of walks down victory lane. … All-source handle on the 14-race program totaled $3,515,284. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.

PHOTO (Credit – Lisa Photo):
Periculum with Scott Zeron winning the $164,000 Crawford Farms Trot