Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

First Leg of Presidential Series Contested

January 15, 2006

Hop Sing & Ron Pierce win the first leg of the Presidential
Series Saturday night at The Meadowlands

Hop Sing captured the $50,000 opening leg of the three-week Presidential Series, overcoming stinging rain, gusty wind and sloppy conditions on Saturday night at the Meadowlands. Ron Pierce positioned Hop Sing behind Shu Hanover, posting a length and a quarter victory in 1:51.2. Quality Western was third.

“There is rain and ice, and it stings when it hits you,” said Pierce after the sixth race. “This little horse raced super. He raced super last week. He just got roughed up a bit. He was good tonight and paced home real strong.”

Hop Sing, a five-year-old gelded son of The Panderosa, was claimed by owner Richard Annunziata of Mahopac, New York, on December 3, 2005 for $125,000. This was his first win in his fifth start for his current connections.

“He raced good,” said Ettore Annunziata, father of the owner and the pacer’s trainer. “He’s been knocking on the door the past couple of starts.”

The Presidential Series for free for all pacers continues next week with a final worth $106,680 on January 28.