Postino’s Vow used a well-timed rally to catch 4-5 favorite Desperado in the final yards and went on to a half-length victory in the $35,000 featured allowance last night to kick off the first of five all-turf thoroughbred cards during the Monmouth-at-Meadowlands meet. 

A crowd of 2,575 – compared to last year’s opening crowd of 1,524 – bet $139,595 on track on the six races. That’s an increase over last year’s on-track handle of $120,195 for the same number of races. 

Total handle was down slightly, with $1,225,002 bet overall compared to $1,321,702 a year ago.  

Postino’s Vow, ridden by Trevor McCarthy and trained by Skip Einhorn, closed relentlessly after it had appeared the Desperado had gotten the jump in mid-stretch on the field of eight other Jersey-breds in the mile and a sixteenth race. 

The 4-year-old gelding, who returned $8.60 to win, covered the distance in 1:48.65 over a turf course labelled “good.” 

Jockeys Jairo Rendon, Jorge Gonzalez and McCarthy each won two races to account for all of the victories on the six-race card. 

All-turf racing will continue at the East Rutherford facility the next two Fridays and Saturdays (Sept. 21 and 22 and Sept. 28 and 29). Post time is 7 p.m. nightly.