Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

The Quiet Mon Set in Abe Lincoln Stake

November 15, 2006

Trainer John Butenschoen’s The Quiet Mon comes into Friday's $105,000 Abe Lincoln Stake fresh off a 1:51.2 victory in last Saturday night’s $130,000 American National Pace. Driven by 30-year-old Jason Dillander, the Quiet Mon handed top freshman Home Bed Advantage his first career defeat in the Am Nat Colt & Gelding Pace at the Crete one-miler against eight other rivals.

The Quiet Mon led at nearly every post through fractions of :27, :55.4 and 1:24.1, pushing his career earnings to $162,600. The time of 1:51.2 was a lifetime best for the John Butenschoen trainee, who picked up his sixth victory of the season in his eighth career start for owners Butenschoen, Ed Bardowski and Mr Vi's Stable of Illinois, New Jersey and Wisconsin.

“This horse is just perfect in every way,” Dillander explained. “You’d swear you were driving an aged pacer when you sit behind him. He’s straight as a string in the bike, and if you just touch his mouth lightly he’ll come right back to you.”

The Quiet Mon didn’t begin his pari-mutuel career until August 13, but scored a win in 1:54.1 the first time he went behind the starting gate. He followed that up with three more consecutive victories, including a 1:51.2 effort in his $12,500 Orange & Blue elmination on September 9 at Balmoral. He finished second to Home Bed Advantage in the $285,000 Final on Super Night.

He was runner-up to Home Bed Advantage one month later in the $50,000 Sarah Myers at Balmoral, before capturing his $23,400 American National elimination two weeks ago at the Crete facility in 1:51.3. This will be his first start over Maywood’s half-mile surface, but driver Dillander isn’t concerned.

“Post is going to make a big difference, as it always does at Maywood. Lots of times the front end speed holds up here at Maywood, and so naturally, everyone wants to be on the front. The tough part can sometimes be getting there,” Dillander said of his Abe Lincoln strategy. “However, this horse is so sharp right now that I don’t think he’ll have any troubles in here tonight.”

The Quiet Mon was a relatively late foal by some standards, having been born on May12 of 2004 at Walker Standardbreds in Sherman, Illinois. The son of Richess Hanover was the sixth and most prolific foal out of the unraced Cam Fella mare Camela Anderson. He is a half-brother to: Manly Crue (by Falcon Seelster) p,3,1:52.3m, an 11-race winner of $78,423; Ladysox (by Abercrombie) p, 3, 1:51.4m, a six-race winner of $63,775; Un-Real Desire (by Life Sign) p, 3, 2:01.3h, 6, 1:54.3, an 18-race winner of $60,262; and the three-year-old gelding Chevie Dooley (by Sportsmaster) p,g, 2, 1:56 ($26,976), among others.