Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Meadowland's Pace Eliminations Contested
Field Now set for $ Million Final

July 9, 2005

In a pair of $50,000 eliminations to determine the 10 finalists for next Saturday night's $1 million Meadowlands Pace, Rocknroll Hanover suffered his first loss of the year, but he and two other Brett Pelling trainees - Cam's Fool and Village Jolt - advanced. Leading X Ample slipped up the pylons and caught Cam's Fool in the final strides to win by a head in the third race, the third race, the first of the two elims, in 1:50.1.

George At Bigs was third by four and a quarter lengths. Allamerican Inca and Load The Dice advanced to the final.

Leading X Ample, driven for the first time by Eric Ledford, posted his fifth win in eight starts this year. The winner of the Provincial Cup at Windsor and a division of the Burlington Cup at Woodbine, the son of The Panderosa has banked nearly $400,000 lifetime for the Leading X Ample Stable of Port Perry, Ontario.

"I watched him race, and he's been in difficult spots each time and showed up for the race," said Ledford. "I landed third, which was okay. I didn't suspect John [Campbell with Cam's Fool] was going to let him go. Around the turn, Ron [Pierce with P Forty Seven] made the break in front of me, but I still thought we'd make the final. I never thought I was a winner in the last eighth of mile. Being the good horse he is, he overcame everything and just chased him down. [The Meadowlands Pace is] about the only big race I haven't won, something to shoot for."

Cam's Fool, coupled in the wagering with Speed Demon, cut the fractions and seemed to have the race wrapped up until the final 70 yards.

"He raced good tonight," said John Campbell, the driver of Cam's Fool. "He got a little tired in the last sixteenth. He hasn't raced in a couple of weeks and this race will help him going into the final."

Stonebridge Regal upset 1-5 favorite Rocknroll Hanover, popping out of the pocket and taking the lead in the final 70 yards of the fifth race for a three-quarter-length tally in 1:49.3. Longshot Team Hutch finished a length back in third. Village Jolt and American Ideal rounded out the top five.

"I didn't want to be coming from last and had to take a shot to leave out of there," said Jack Moiseyev, who had post 10 with Stonebridge Regal. "Once I got close, I was confident I'd qualify for the final. When I yelled at him, he swelled up and dug right in. I was happy with him through the stretch. He never throws a bad race."

Stonebridge Regal, unraced at two, posted his tenth win with three seconds in 14 starts this year and pushed his earnings to more than $450,000.

"At two, he wasn't fully developed, wasn't ready to race," said trainer Bob McIntosh. "This year he's a totally different horse. I guess he's rewarding us this year for our patience. He had a qualifier to tighten him. This horse will give a 110 percent, and he's probably my best shot ever in the Meadowlands Pace."

Stonebridge Regal races for Robert Kauffman of New Albany, Ohio, Angie Stiller of Arva, Ontairo; Robert McIntosh Stable of LaSalle, Ontario and W Springtime Racing Stable of Johnstown, New York.

Rocknroll Hanover, who had won his first five starts of the year, had not raced since capturing the $1.2 million North America Cup on June 18 at Woodbine.

"He went good and straight," said driver Brian Sears. "He hadn't raced in a while so he wasn't real snug tonight, but he'll be better for it next week."

$50,000 Meadowlands Pace Elim The Meadowlands Saturday, July 9, 2005
PP Horse Driver
8 Leading X Ample Ledford
7 Cam's Fool J Campbell
4 George At Bigs Morrill Jr
2 Allamerican Inca D Miller
9 Load The Dice M Lachance
6 Pat's All Star D Dube
3 Speed Demon B Sears
1 P Forty Seven Ron Pierce
5 Four Starz Sisco Brennan
:27 :54.4 1:23.1 1:50.1

$50,000 Meadowlands Pace Elim The Meadowlands Saturday, July 9, 2005
PP Horse Driver
10 Stonebridge Regal Msyv
2 Rocknroll Hanover Sears
5 Team Hutch Eric Ledford
3 Village Jolt Ron Pierce
9 American Ideal Campbell
6 Syncro's Z Tam P Lachance
7 Dawn Ofa New Day Miller
8 Glittering Beaches Manzi
4 Runover Feeling Ouellette
1Climb The Ladder Brennan
:26.3 :53.2 1:21.4 1:49.3