Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Passionate Glide & Glidemaster Tops

December 23, 2006

It was smooth sailing for Passionate Glide and Glidemaster when it came to earning honors as the top horses in their respective harness racing divisions. Passionate Glide, who was the No. 1-ranked Standardbred in the final Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, topping Glidemaster by two points, was named the sport’s best 3-year-old filly trotter in voting by the U.S. Harness Writers Association. Glidemaster, who won the Trotting Triple Crown, was selected the best 3-year-old male trotter.

No other horses in those divisions received at least 15 percent of the vote, which is the minimum to be considered an award finalist. A total of 193 voters participated in the balloting.

Also locking up honors by being the only recipients of at least 15 percent of the vote in their divisions were 2-year-old male trotter Donato Hanover, older male pacer Lis Mara and mare trotter Peaceful Way.

Finalists in contested divisions are 2-year-old male pacers Artzina, Kenneth J and Yankee Skyscaper; 2-year-old filly pacers Isabella Blue Chip and Luck Of Michelle; 2-year-old filly trotters Pampered Princess and Possess The Magic; 3-year-old male pacers Artistic Fella and Total Truth; 3-year-old filly pacers Darlin’s Delight and My Little Dragon; mare pacers Burning Point and Glowing Report; older male trotters Sand Vic and Vivid Photo.

Winners will be honored at the USHWA awards dinner, Feb. 25, at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Trotter of the Year, Pacer of the Year and Horse of the Year also will be announced.

Passionate Glide, trained by Jimmy Takter and driven by Ron Pierce, won 13 of 15 races and earned nearly $1.1 million to claim her second consecutive Dan Patch Award; she was the 2-year-old champ in 2005. Her victories included the Hambletonian Oaks, Delvin Miller Memorial and Kentucky Filly Futurity.

Glidemaster swept the Triple Crown events – the Hambletonian, the Kentucky Futurity and Yonkers Trot – and was never worse than second in his 15 races this year. He won eight times and earned $1.9 million, setting a single-season record for trotters. He was trained by Blair Burgess and driven by John Campbell and George Brennan.

Donato Hanover lost the first race of his career, and that was it for the rest of the season. He won his final eight starts and earned $662,587 for trainer Steve Elliott and driver Ron Pierce. His victories included the Breeders Crown and Peter Haughton Memorial.

Lis Mara won 10 of 17 races and hit the board 16 times on his way to earning $967,485. Trained by Erv Miller and driven by Brian Sears, he won the Breeders Crown and Canadian Pacing Derby.

Peaceful Way, who earned her second consecutive Dan Patch Award, scored her top triumph in the Maple Leaf Trot, defeating a field of male trotters that included Sand Vic. Trained by Dave Tingley and driven by Trevor Ritchie, she also won the Armbro Flight en route to five victories in 11 starts and earnings of $709,763 for the season.

Below is a look at the 2006 Dan Patch Award finalists. Horses are listed in alphabetical order.

Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts and Geldings
Artzina (Artiscape-Koutzina)
Record: 13-7-1-3 – $486,229 – 1:51.1s
Top purse win: $221,176 Matron.
Trainer: Dylan Davis. Driver: Jack Moiseyev, John Campbell.
Owners: Kalman Liebowitz, Marc Rubach.

Kenneth J (Bettor’s Delight-Advantest)
Record: 11-7-2-1 – $421,990 – 1:50.3m
Top purse win: $150,000 NY Sires Stakes final.
Trainer: Linda Toscano. Drivers: Stephane Bouchard, Ron Pierce.
Owner: Kenneth Jacobs.

Yankee Skyscaper (Artiscape-Skyfire)
Record: 9-4-2-0 – $545,500 – 1:52.1m
Top purse win: $900,000 Metro.
Trainer: Chris Ryder. Drivers: Jody Jamieson, John Campbell.
Owner: Yankee Skyscaper Partners.

Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies
Isabella Blue Chip (Bettor’s Delight-Iminthemoodforlove)
Record: 15-8-3-2 – $658,583 – 1:51.2m
Top purse win: $439,000 Three Diamonds.
Trainer: George Teague Jr. Driver: David Miller
Owners: Only Money Inc., Teague Inc.

Luck Of Michelle (Camluck-Michelle’s Destiny)
Record: 13-9-3-1 – $615,091 – 1:53.1s
Top purse win: $117,000 Ontario Gold Final.
Trainer: John Pentland. Driver: Michael Saftic.
Owners: Karen Carroll, Natalie Pentland.

Two-Year-Old Trotting Colts and Geldings
Donato Hanover (Andover Hall-D Train)
Record: 9-8-0-1 – $662,587 – 1:55.0m
Top purse win: $600,000 Breeders Crown.
Trainer: Steve Elliott. Driver: Ron Pierce.
Owners: David Scharf, Golden Touch Stable, Steven Arnold.

Two-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
Pampered Princess (Andover Hall-Bold Dreamer)
Record: 12-10-1-0 – $626,244 – 1:54.4m
Top purse win: $487,097 Oakville.
Trainer: Jimmy Takter. Drivers: Takter, John Campbell.
Owners: Bob Anderson, David Anderson.

Possess The Magic (Self Possessed-Chorine Hanover)
Record: 13-9-3-0 – $697,540 – 1:54.2m
Top purse win: $600,000 Breeders Crown.
Trainer: Ron Gurfein. Driver: Mike Lachance.
Owner: Brittany Farms.

Three-Year-Old Pacing Colts and Geldings
Artistic Fella (Pacific Fella-Everything’s Easy)
Record: 18-11-1-0 – $941,385 – 1:48.4m
Top purse win: $1 million Meadowlands Pace.
Trainer: Steve Elliott. Driver: Cat Manzi.
Owner: Joe Alborano.

Total Truth (Jenna’s Beach Boy-Babe Ruthless)
Record: 19-8-3-4 – $1.49 million – 1:49.1s
Top purse win: $1.35 million North America Cup.
Trainer: George Teague Jr. Driver: Ron Pierce.
Owners: Only Money Inc., Teague Inc.

Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies
Darlin’s Delight (Bettor’s Delight-Town Pro)
Record: 15-10-3-1 – $940,352 – 1:50.1f
Top purse win: $638,190 Fan Hanover.
Trainer: Jeff Stafford. Driver: Yannick Gingras.
Owner: White Birch Farm.

My Little Dragon (Dragon Again-My Little Pretty)
Record: 13-6-7-0 – $898,627 – 1:50.2m
Top purse win: $500,000 Breeders Crown.
Trainer: Noel Daley. Driver: Brian Sears.
Owner: Adam Victor & Son Stable.

Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts and Geldings
Glidemaster (Yankee Glide-Cressida Hanover)
Record: 15-8-7-0 – $1.91 million – 1:51.1m
Top purse win: $1.5 million Hambletonian.
Trainer: Blair Burgess. Drivers: John Campbell, George Brennan.
Owners: Robert Burgess, Karin Olsson Burgess, Marsha Cohen, Brittany Farms.
Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
Passionate Glide (Yankee Glide-Miss Marita)
Record: 15-13-1-1 – $1.08 million – 1:52.2m
Top purse win: $750,000 Hambletonian Oaks.
Trainer: Jimmy Takter. Driver: Ron Pierce.
Owner: Brittany Farms.

Older Pacing Horses
Lis Mara (Cambest-Lisheen)
Record: 17-10-5-1 – $967,485 – 1:47.3m
Top purse win: $830,370 Canadian Pacing Derby.
Trainer: Ervin Miller. Driver: Brian Sears.
Owners: MJG Racing Stables, Louis Willinger.

Older Pacing Mares
Burning Point (Camluck-Tour De France)
Record: 28-5-10-10 – $782,415 – 1:49.2m
Top purse win: $348,525 Roses Are Red.
Trainer: Steve Elliott. Driver: Ron Pierce.
Owner: Cuzzins Stable.

Glowing Report (Artsplace-Grand Lady)
Record: 21-9-4-3 – $569,268 – 1:49.2m
Top purse win: $354,375 Milton.
Trainer: Jerry Silverman. Driver: David Miller.
Owner: Marvin Rounick.

Older Trotting Horses
Sand Vic (Mr Vic-Cindy Q)
Record: 18-10-3-1 – $1.13 million – 1:51.2m
Top purse win: $800,000 Breeders Crown.
Trainer: Trond Smedshammer. Driver: Brian Sears.
Owner: August Miedel.

Vivid Photo (S J’s Photo-Miss Garland)
Record: 21-7-3-2 – $607,100 – 1:50.2z
Top purse win: $250,000 Trotting Classic.
Trainer: Roger Hammer. Driver: Roger Hammer.
Owners: Todd Schadel, Roger Hammer.

Older Trotting Mares
Peaceful Way (Angus Hall-Royal Bait)
Record: 11-5-1-1 – $709,763 – 1:52.1m
Top purse win: $789,750 Maple Leaf Trot.
Trainer: Dave Tingley. Driver: Trevor Ritchie.
Owners: Goin My Way Stable, Dave Tingley, Angie Stiller, Sam Goldband, Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld.