Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Happenings at The Meadowlands

For the week of April 6-11, 2005

Don Boss Vita Wins Su Mac Lad Sunday
Don Boss Vita held off the late rally of Mr Muscleman to win the $154,200 Su Mac Lad Final in a stakes record 1:52.1 on Sunday afternoon at the Meadowlands.
A neck separated the two trotters at the wire. Hurri Kane Billy G was four and three-quarter lengths back in third.

"He's got the biggest heart," said Virginia Louthan, who trains Don Boss Vita for her fiancé, owner Alvin Beiler of Felton, Delaware. "As soon as I saw them leave easy and there was no crazy speed duel, I was happy. Once he gets a good opening quarter and clears like that, he will fight them off the distance and he won't give up. God made a truly magnificent animal when He made him. He has old injuries; he's an old warhorse. We want to keep him together and preserve him. If we do, it could be a really good summer."

Don Boss Vita, who won his season's debut last week in the second leg of the Su Mac Lad, had not previously raced since June 4, 2004 when he was sidelined with a suspensory injury. Overall, he now has a six-race winning streak and a career record of 15 wins, 10 seconds and six thirds from 57 starts and earnings of $319,337.

Don Boss Vita took the lead before the half and was not challenged until Mr Muscleman attempted to chase him down in the stretch.
I knew Mr Muscleman was a few back, and I wasn't going to wait on him," said winning driver Brian Sears. "I called on him a couple of times, and he dug right in. The effort he put in after was impressive."

The 1:52.1 mile, a lifetime best for the six-year-old son of Donerail, eclipsed the stakes record of 1:53.4 established in 2002 by Magician, the last of Magician's unequaled three straight wins in the Su Mac Lad.

Magician was honored in retirement ceremonies on Sunday, after the second race, where he was reunited with trainer Earl Cruise, driver David Miller and the friends and family of his late owner, Bill Augenstein. Magician's retirement home is Leslie McLaren's Blairwood Farms in Columbus, New Jersey.

Mr Muscleman, the 2004 Older Trotter of the Year, had won his first start of the year last week in his Su Mac Lad preliminary and was sent off as the 6-5 favorite in the final.

"We picked up some dead cover and just had too far to come," said Ron Pierce, the driver of Mr Muscleman. "But this horse raced tremendous." Mr Muscleman trotted his last quarter in 26.4, a second faster than Don Boss Vita.

Mr Muscleman raced without the medication Lasix, which he received in his previous starts, so that he could be eligible for Sweden's premier event, the Elitlopp at Sovalla Racecourse on May 29. Don Boss Vita races with the anit-bleeding medication Lasix, which is barred in Sweden.
Hans G. Lindskog, the racing secretary of Solvalla, was on hand to present the Su Mac Lad trophy and to possibly issue invitations to the Elitlopp.

"What I saw today was a very impressive performance by Mr Muscleman and by Don Boss Vita," said Lindskog. "Mr Muscleman was the best in the race. He was very fast in his last quarter. He had a very unlucky race. But the time is superior.

"I know [trainer] Noel Daley and [owner] Adam Victor are interested in racing at Solvalla, but they also know they can't race with Lasix," Lindskog added. "He showed today that he can race without it. He raced excellent. I'm going to meet with Adam Victor tonight and discuss what will happen. We long to see an American horse race in the Elitlopp in Sweden."

"I'm very happy with him," Daley said of Mr Muscleman. "He just had too far to come. Our plans are to race him in the [Cutler at the Meadowlands on May 21, with the elims on May 13] next and then ship him for the Elitlopp. It's going to be pretty tight because we'd have to race him on Saturday and ship him on Sunday. But we'll see what happens. That's the plan [if the invitation comes]."

Jenna's Choice Wins Suslow Friday Night
Jenna's Choice coasted to victory in the $22,500 opening leg of the three-week Robert J. Suslow Series, the third race on Friday night at the Meadowlands. The three-year-old gelded son of Jenna's Beach Boy paced the mile in 1:51.1.

Trained by Mark Silva and driven by Brian Sears, Jenna's Choice won by two and a half lengths over Mega Hall, with Robin of Locksley in third. Jenna's Choice has already won the $95,000 Junior Trendsetter Final and the $104,450 Matt's Scooter Final.

Thursday Night at The Meadowlands
Driver David Miller captured both $19,000 Fox Sports Net divisions among the four winners he recorded in the first five races of the night on Thursday at the Meadowlands. In the opening round of the three-week Fox Sports Net, Miller won with Hop Sing in the third race and Su Hanover in the fifth race.

Hop Sing, making his first start since he was claimed for $100,000 on March 19 by Donna Wier of East Aurora, New York, bested Armbro Barnes for a head victory in 1:51.1. Silver Flash was third by a length and three-quarters. Hop Sing, a four-year-old son of The Panderosa, now trained by Chris Oakes, picked up his first win in eight starts this year.
Shu Hanover, trained and co-owned by Ken Rucker, collected his second straight win and fifth in 11 starts this year. The four-year-old gelding found room on the inside and won by neck over Lucky Life. It was three-quarters of a length back to Whodunit in third. Shu Hanover paced the mile in 1:50.4.

More News From The Big M...
Tim Tetrick, who flew in from Chicago for eight drives last Saturday night only to see them washed out when the card was canceled, will try again this weekend. He is named on four for trainer Robin Schadt on Saturday night at the Meadowlands. "What are you going to do," he said. "I missed out on the eight drives at the Meadowlands because of the weather, and 12 drives at Balmoral, who did race."

Three top-class pacers make their 2005 debuts in Saturday night's eighth race, a $47,500 open - Articulator, Boulder Creek and Georgia Pacific. Norm Parker, trainer and co-owner of Artbitration, has high hopes for the mare in Saturday night's $100,000 Thomas Strada Memorial, a fillies and mares invitational carded as the sixth race.

"She wasn't in the Overbid, so this works out well for us," he said. "I never let her down the past month or so. She qualified on the off track excellent and even did it dragging me around with her. She's better and healthier than last year. Her race last week [third in the mares open], I was quite happy with it. She no longer has to race on or near the front end. She's clearly more versatile this season. Post position two allows us to control our own destiny to a certain degree. We know that Loyal Opposition is going to be forwardly placed at some point. We just want to be right there with her."

Parker will turn the lines over the Pat Berry.

"Pat has surprised me this year," he noted. "Racing at the Meadowlands I guess maybe that is it, but he isn't out and gunning with everything. He's shown patience I've never seen from him before."

Berry acknowledged that he is trying to suit Artbitration's preference. "I definitely 100 percent adapted to her style of racing," he said. "She told me. I follow her lead. There was a time when I wanted to duck her, but she had other ideas, so I had to go on with her early. I like to be able to race her from off the pace at times if I can. Last week's race off the mini-layoff I thought was very good."

Stonebridge Kisses brings a two-race winning streak into the Strada Memorial. "She's shown that she can kick in each week when they get to the three-quarters in 1:24 or 1:25," said driver Yannick Gingras. "Now the question is whether or not she can do the same when they get there in 1:22. I hope she can. I can't say for sure, but it wouldn't surprise me if she did."

George Brennan has the call behind Loyal Opposition, the Strada 5-2 morning line favorite, who has won three, sweeping the Overbid Series.

"If she is on her game, they have to come and get her," noted Brennan. "She is the one to beat. She's good and sharp right now, and I'm very happy with her."

Jet Lag N, who won the inaugural Strada Memorial last year, is back to defend her title, drawing post eight and driver Eric Ledford in the feature.