Worth Over $8,700,000 Famed Equestrian Clinches $1 Million Worth Trotting Trophy With ‘Tactical Approach’

The celebrated jockey Scott Zeron and trainer Nancy Takter have achieved a milestone in their equestrian career at the Meadowlands. At the $1 million Hambletonian trotting race, Tactical Approach won the prestigious race. Tactical Approach who started the race from post 10 gave his driver and trainer this career significant victory.

The three-year-old arrived at trotting classics with 12-1 odds. But Scott took full advantage of the postposition and manage to create an upset. Zeron has achieved his third trotting classic victory. While Nancy took forward the legacy of the family and won her first Hambletonian race.

Tactical Approach manages upset at Hambletonian

Tactical Approach arrived at the race, having placed in third position in his past three races. The odds were against him, but got a favorable post-start. From post 10, all that was needed was patience and pace at the right time. Tactical Approach did the same. In the beginning, 5-2 favorite Celebrity Bambino was first to take the lead. He crossed the half-mile in 56.0 seconds and three-quarters miles in 1:23.1. Celebrity Bambino took a comfortable lead and Oh Well started to take the second lead position. Winner’s Bet, Osceola, and Southwind Coors maintained the next positions in respective order. Tactical Approach advanced to sixth and waited for the right time.

In the final bend, Celebrity Bambino and Oh Well were involved in a duel in which the latter took the lead and was seen approaching the wire when Tactical Approach was full of trot surged past Oh Well, and won the race the final eighth in 1:50.3. The 34-year-old driver was elated by this win. After the race, Scott said, “I’ve had a lot of faith in this horse all year, but I over-drove him most of his starts. To give him a nice steer, a patient one, he respected it, and he thanked me.” He further said that if anyone had told him two months back that he is going to win this race, he would have believed him. It was just they were not getting the right momentum in the earlier races. Apart from Scott, there is another one the trainer who is happy with the race.

Trainer Nancy Scott carries the family legacy

Nancy Scott is the daughter of Hall of Fame Jimmy Takter who has four the Hambletonian under his belt. This was her first win and became the third woman in competition history whose trained horse won the race. She said that the driver did a perfect job. Speaking on the Tactical Approach, Nancy said, “I was just hoping he was going to have room down the stretch. I always kept the faith. I’ve always loved this colt since the first moment I saw him. He was very immature last year“.

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The trainer further said that “The partners were very easy to work with, and we just gave him the time that he needed. He came back this year so strong and Scott did an excellent job driving him, and today was the perfect proof of that.” This was Tactical Approach’s sixth win in his fourteen starts. His total earnings to date is $617,989.

Tactical Approach not only won the race but also gave his driver and trainer the gift of achieving a milestone in their career. Their faith and patience with the three-year-old paid off this time at the Meadowlands.

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