Tagliabue Wins Hambletonian

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. —  Racing alongside Giants Stadium, where his namesake frequently hangs out, Tagliabue took the lead on the backstretch at the Meadowlands and pulled away to win the 70th Hambletonian by 2 1/4 lengths over Abundance.

The winning time was 1:54 4/5.

Tagliabue, a late-blooming 3-year-old who didn’t race at age 2, is named for NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and was bred by John Skoglund, chairman of the board of the Minnesota Vikings.

John Campbell was the winning driver for the fourth time, a Hambletonian record.

CR Kay Suzie, who was almost everyone’s favorite to win trotting’s most prestigious race, broke stride in the first heat and just missed qualifying for the final.