Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Notes from The Big M
...by Bob "Hollywood" Heyden

December 16, 2005

Blur’s victory in Thursday night’s $100,000 Matron at Dover Downs lifted her earnings over the $1 million mark and made her the sixth millionaire in three years to come out of the barn of trainer Trond Smedshammer. She joins Strong Yankee, Windsong’s Legacy, Stroke Play, Housethatruthbuilt and HP Paque. Only one trainer has more millionaire credits * Chuck Sylvester with seven [1987 to 2002]. The seven are Mack Lobell, Britelite Lobell, Pine Chip, Winky’s Goal, Running Sea, Armbro Keepsake and Chip Chip Hooray. The other top millionaire-makers are Jimmy Takter with five [Moni Maker, Malabar Man, Kramer Boy, Mr Lavec and Kadabra] and Ron Gurfein with four [Victory Dream, Continentalvictory, Self Possessed and Cantab Hall].

Nelson November, a five-year-old trotter in the Smedshammer barn with two straight wins at the Meadowlands, was fatally injured on December 15. “He got loose and ran out on the road and hit by a truck,” trainer Trond Smedshammer said. The incident occurred near White Birch Farm in Allentown, New Jersey.

Georgia Pacific will be returning to the Meadowlands early in the new year, reports trainer Randy Bendis. "I am prepping Georgia Pacific for the Presidential,” he said. “I'm going to try him early this year. Last year, I rolled him out in the April and didn't make any money with him until August. I didn't know how difficult it was to race a four-year-old. I had heard what it was like, but never fully experienced it before. Now, I see it. He had a tougher go of it, but now I'm going to take a shot at the early money. I have 15 yearlings, and some horses paid up to some of the Winter Series here. I think we can have a good year. [Driver] Tony Hall and I did well the past season. He's a good driver. I had Brian Sears drive for me for five years, and Tony is at the exact same spot career-wise that Brian was. He is absolutely a driver."

Hall of Famer Jim Doherty, along with Cat Manzi, has driven a winner at the Meadowlands every year since the track opened in 1976. Ray Remmen was a member of that exclusive club but has yet to win a Meadowlands race in 2005. Doherty’s top three favorite mares that he has raced over the years were Green With Envy, No Nonsense Woman and Fortune Moy. He reports that he is “aiming [War Paint] for the Su Mac Lad [in 2006],” he said.

“He’s got the speed, but he bullies a bit. I think he’ll be all right.” Doherty is not expecting free for all trotter Fool’s Goal to return, however. "I don't think we'll see him racing again,” Doherty noted. “He qualified June 10, and his pastern joint was bothering him. I waited some and jogged him in the fall. I didn't like him. He wasn't right. His feet have always bothered him. He's got some age on him, and he's lost a few steps. I think they'll [the owners] will retire him. I don't think he should race."

Trainer Mark Harder is heading home to New Zealand for two weeks, starting December 20. He is currently fourth in the North American standings with nearly $3.9 million in earnings, a solid year, following on 2004 when he lead all trainers with $6,85,875 in earnings.

"I had a very good year,” said Harder. “I have lots of two-year-olds turning three that got put away fresh and sound. I'm looking forward to bringing them back. I don't have a lot of racehorses." It was a challenge to match expectations for 2005 after his 2004 campaign. "It's hard to duplicate that kind of year,” he noted. “Some people asked me about it and some thought I was having an off season. But that's not the case. I had a very good season, and I'm looking to have another next year. You can look at the 2004 season I had and expect to see more of that."

Harder had his first Hambletonian starter, Northern Ensign, in 2005. "I am not sure if he was that kind of horse, but the experience was great,” he added. “Everything surrounding the experience was super."