Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Cutler & Gradute Finals posts & morning line odds

Raced at The Meadowlands Saturday, May 21, 2005

Fifth Race -- $180,000 Cutler Final
Hd# PP Horse Driver______________Morning Line Odds
1 6 HP Paque Trond Smedshammer 8-1
1A 10 Sand Vic Brian Sears 8-1
2 1 Al Dente Hanover John Campbell 20-1
3 2 Hurri Kane Billy G Yannick Gingras 4-1
4 3 Mr Muscleman Ron Pierce 6-5
5 4 Elegant Man Brian Sears 15-1
6 5 ENS Snapshot Mike Lachance 12-1
7 7 Hellava Hush Cat Manzi 6-1
8 8 Hez Striking David Miller 5-1
9 9 Hunt M Down Eric Ledford 20-1
The Skinny: Since the first Cutler Memorial in 1998, two horses have won the race and gone on to be named Older Male Trotter of the Year: Magician in 2000 and Fool's Goal in 2002. The only veteran of a previous Cutler Memorial in this year's field is Elegant Man, who was third behind War Paint and Approved Action last year. In 2003, he was seventh.

HP Paque won $575,488 withvictories in the Su Mac Lad and Breeders Crown, both at the Meadowlands. His North American earnings ranked second among older trotters to Mr Muscleman ($593,323) and he was a finalist for the Dan Patch Award for older male trotter. HP Paque has earned $1.5 million in his career. In his Cutler elimination he was third behind Mr Muscleman and Hez Striking in 1:54.2.

Sand Vic, who sold for $4,200 at the February 2002 Blooded Horse Sale in Ohio, is a newcomer to the Smedshammer Stable after being purchased by August Fredrik Miedel of Pompano Beach, Florida last December. As a two-year-old Sand Vic won nine of 14 races, including a division of the Bluegrass, and earned $206,624. Last season he trotted to a stakes record of 1:55.1 winning a division of the Currier & Ives, and ended the year with two victories in 15 starts and $55,887.

Seventh Race -- $225,000 Graduate Final
Hd# PP Horse Driver____________Morning Line Odds
1 7 Metropolitan David Miller 6-1
1A 10 Driven To Win Michael Lachance 6-1
2 1 Life Source George Brennan 3-1
3 2 Boulder Creek Brian Sears 7-2
4 3 Holborn Hanover Jim Morrill Jr. 4-1
5 4 Articulator Ron Pierce 10-1
6 5 Mini Me Yannick Gingras 15-1
7 6 Mypanmar John Campbell 15-1
8 8 Casimir Camotion Patrick Lachance 5-1
9 9 Town Champion Eric Ledford 10-1
The Skinny: Life Source won his elimination race by 2¼ lengths over Articulator in 1:49; Holborn Hanover, who won last year's Meadowlands Pace, won the other elim by a neck over Driven To Win in 1:49.2.

Life Source has been something of an iron horse in recent years. He has won five of 15 races and $215,825 this year, including the Presidential final, and has averaged 30 starts per season since 2000. He has made at least one start in every month since June 2003. In 2004 Life Source won a division of the U.S. Pacing Championship and earned a career-best $655,558. He also won the 2002 Classic Series final, and again is competing in the Classic Series for 2005. Three of the last five horses to win the Dan Patch Award as Older Male Pacer of the Year have been winners of the Graduate -- Four Starzzz Shark (2004), Gallo Blue Chip (2001) and Western Ideal (2000).