Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Bob's Bits...news from Bob "Hollywood" Heyden

for Saturday, March 5, 2005

Cabrini Hanover Update...She set the world two-year-old pacing filly mark of 1:51 flat last year in the She's A Great Lady. Now, she is on the comeback trail for her eagerly anticipated sophomore season. Jimmy Takter trains the daughter from the first crop of Western Ideal out of the Hall Of Fame mare Cathedra. Bob Anderson is one of those who dug deep to get her for $350,000 in 2003.

"She had two and a half months off," owner Bob noted. "She's back now training and has been out four to five times. She radiographed well, and we're hoping that she is fully recovered and ready for her three-year-old year. She's a monster lright now-she's glowing. We're not going to rush her."

Trotting Experimentals...They're out. 40 years after the first set of Experimental Ratings came out, they're here for 2005. Here's a closer look at the trotters and how they are rated for the upcoming season:
#1 Ken Warkentin 8-9 at two, overwhelming choice for year end hardware. The last time Jimmy Takter started at the top? He came thru with flying colors in 1997 with Malabar Man
#2 Diesel Don Campbell's own Valley Victory winner, and has proven he can take air-HUGE in this class. The last-and only-Valley Victory winner to also take the Hambo?? 2001-2002 Chip Chip Hooray-also trained by Chuck Sylvester
#3 Strong Yankee Trond Smedshammer can't do this again-can he? This is Tronds ONLY sophomore hope, but no one had Windsongs Legacy on the radar screen at this time last year, either.
#6 Touch Of Moni-When your mom is Moni Maker-anything is possible
#8 Flirtin Miss solid Takter season at 2-Breeders Crown winner
#12 Solveign-division winner gives Jimmy Takter three in the top dozen
#14 New York Yank Peter Haughton winner-and history tells us that that does NOT bode well for their 3 YO seasons. But sire Yankee Glide busted out big time in 2004 and wound up 2nd at years end to Muscles Yankee in all of North America
#17 Magic Swan Nice story possible here-Trainer and part-owner Jeff Long has handled this gelding right every step so far-he'll debut in NJSS May 29 at Club Med
#21 Motivational Loves the front end, but in this class, that can be hazardous to your long range health
#25 Musclesextraordinaire Muscles Yankee-the two-time defending #1 trotting sire, dominates the list.

Yankee Lariat and the Other Most Expensive Yearlings Of Their Years...
Yankee Lariat cost $360,000 in 2002, the highest priced yearling of the season-trotter OR pacer. Now resold at Harrisburg last November for $125,000, he debuts for Kelvin Harrison and his owners Saturday at the Meadowlands in the Four Year Old Open, gearing up for the Four Leaf Clover. Here's a closer look at how the other highest-ticket yearlings have done throught the years. Records began being kept in 1944

Of the 60 highest ticket yearlings,only 11 have won more than their yearling price on the racetrack. Only once has a highest ticket yearling wound up with a million dollar career-Winkys Goal-1991-$210,000-she won $1,063,936. Only twice has the highest ticket yearling gone on to become Horse Of The Year: 1944-Victory Song-1947 HOY; 1963-Bret Hanover-1964-65-66 HOY.

Two horses have won $800,000 MORE than they cost: Bret Hanover-$50,000 1963-$922,616 career & Winkys Goal-$210,000 1991 $1,063,936

Yankee Lariat-4 Years Old-makes just his second start at the Meadowlands Saturday March 5. VERY unusual for a #1 priced yearling NOT to start at the Big M at some point of their 3 YO season. His only prior Big M start? 2003-Breeders Crown elim-8th. Yankee Lariat made $107,000 as a freshman despite NOT winning a race.

Meadow Skipper is the ONLY sire to have the highest ticketed yearling four STRAIGHT years, from 1976 to 1979. Only once has a Meadowlands Pace winner emerged from the list of the years most expensive yearlings. 1976-$150,000 Falcon Almahurst. He not only won the Meadowlands Pace in 1978, but did so over the HORSE OF THE YEAR to be-Abercrombie. How much you think Abercrombie went for as a Yearling??? try $9,500!

Who was the first EVER $100,000 yearling?? Dancer Hanover-to Stanley Dancer in 1958-$105,000 (Earned 87g back-then a productive sire in his own right). The Most expensive yearling of 2000-Andover Hall at $482,000, was the 2002 Hambletonian 3-5 favorite but made a break. No Meadowlands Hambletonian winners have come from the list of the most expensive yearlings.

Final note...Speaking of high ticket items, it is especially chancey on the trotting side. Of the 35 trotting yearlings--in the history of the sport--that have gone for $300,000 or more-NONE-ZERO-NADA-have ever won either the Hambletonian or a million dollar race! Period! It took on added significance in 2004, when Windsongs Legacy won the Hambletonian-he was a $27,000 yearling. The two horses who finished right behind him were both $300,000 yearlings-Cantab Hall-$310,000 and Cash Hall-$300,000.