Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Classic Photo Hopes for Hambo Picture

July 7, 2005

Classic Photo is taking aim at the $350,000 Stanley Dancer Trot on July 15. He is rated the 8-5 morning line favorite in the second race, the first of a trio of $35,000 Dancer elims, on Friday night at the Meadowlands. From the 23 entrants, the top three from each of the elims - races two, three and five - along with the fastest fourth-place finisher will advance to the Dancer, the final step on the road to the $1.7 million Hambletonian. Hambletonian elims take place on a special twilight card on July 30 [first post 5 p.m.] and the $1.5 million Hambletonian Final is the featured event on August 6 [11:30 a.m. first post] at the Meadowlands.

Classic Photo, who will leave from post seven with Ron Pierce driving, carries a two-race winning streak into his Dancer elim, including the $277,100 Goodtimes Final on June 18 at Woodbine.

"I don't know if it mattered a lot as far as confidence is concerned by winning the
Goodtimes," said trainer Ervin Miller. "Winning is always good for a horse, but he hasn't lacked any confidence all along. Plus, Ron Pierce is doing such a good job driving him. I
believe if he keeps his legs, he'll go a little more when Ron asks him to. Ron will also have decision to make after the eliminations on Saturday if New York Yank makes the final, too.

"If he stays healthy we have a big shot at the Hambletonian," added Miller, who has the colt stabled at Magical Acres in Chesterfield, New Jersey. "So far, our horse hasn't had much variance. He's stayed upright through everything."

This year, Classic Photo has three wins, two seconds and a third from six starts, banking $169,301 toward his career total of $239,476. He races for HW Wright of Morton, Illinois; Mystical Marker Farms of Chicago Heights, Illinois, and Jack and Peggy Hood of Valparaiso, Indiana.

"I purchased Classic Photo at the Kentucky Standardbred Sale for $87,000," Miller explained. "As a two-year-old, he was a little immature and kind of a petite horse. He just wasn't filling out the way you like to see them. That's what took me so long to get him going. I was trying to let him grow up a little more. He put on a lot of weight when I gave him the time off last fall. He trained good and stayed strong. Since Day One this year he's been pretty solid. He doesn't take much upkeep, and he's a very sound horse. I don't think his 1:53.4 mile back on May 22 at the