Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Gurfein Has Trio of Hambletonian Hopefulls

July 4, 2005

With three Hambletonian victories and an impressive roster of world champions to his credit, trainer Ron Gurfein has deservedly earned the nickname "The Trotting Guru." As the $1.5 million Hambletonian on Saturday, August 6 at the Meadowlands draws closer, "The Guru" shared his thoughts on the competition for this year's 80th edition of the prestigious event for three-year-old trotters, including his own trio of hopefuls---Muscle Bound, Cadillac Hall and Yankee Valor pointed towards the Hambletonian.

Muscle Bound has won four of his 11 career starts and has two victories in the New Jersey Sire Stakes this season. He took his mark of 1:55.3 on June 9 at the Meadowlands. Owned by Brittany Farms, Jerry Silva and Sampson Street Stables, Muscle Bound was a $175,000 yearling purchase [sold as Big Dig] at Tattersalls. The son of Muscles Yankee out of the mare Habit is a half-brother to Civil Action, a winner of more than $600,000.

"Every time Muscle Bound ever raced for $100,000 he's had the 10-hole, and he hasn't been able to prove himself yet," Gurfein said. "I think he's a much better horse than he's shown. I like him a lot."

Unraced at two, Cadillac Hall has won half of his four starts this season. He finished second to 2004 Two-Year-Old Filly Trotter of the Year Solveig in his last start on June 23 but was clocked in 1:56.3, the fastest he has trotted. A son of Striking Sahbra-Canland Hall, Cadillac Hall is a half-brother to Gurfein's 2003 freshman divisional champion and
millionaire Cantab Hall. Cantab Hall finished second in the 2004 Hambletonian to Windsong's Legacy. A homebred, Cadillac Hall is owned by Walnut Hall Limited, Berto
Stable and Birnam Woods Farm.

"Cadillac Hall is an overachiever, a little short-legged thing, but he's a very nice horse," Gurfein said.

Yankee Valor also has only four starts under his belt but won his last race on June 22 and was clocked in 1:57.4. Most recently, he finished second in a qualifier, timed in 1:58.2, on Friday morning at the Meadowlands. Yankee Valor was a $175,000 yearling purchase at the Kentucky Standardbred Sale and is owned by a partnership that includes Brittany Farms, Yankeeland Farms, Sampson Street Stables and Jerry Silva.

"Yankee Valor is the fastest of the three, but he has many issues," he said. "Some time between now and the sixth of August, we'll get rid of those issues. I'd love to see Yankee Valor pop up and shock everybody, but that's yet to be proven."

While the defending divisional champion Ken Warkentin was the toast of the sport last year, Gurfein says where he thinks the Jimmy Takter-trained colt ranks this year.

"Last year in Lexington, I liked him, his last start was unbelievable," he said. "He came from an absolutely impossible position and probably impressed me more than any two-year-old I ever saw. This year he didn't grow any and I'm certainly not going to knock the horse and I can't knock the trainer because he's my friend, but I think he's a
little bit too small for the first Saturday in August."

Of New York Yank, the 2004 Peter Haughton champion trained by Noel Daley, Gurfein said: "A very fast horse, has a great trainer, one of the hottest trainers in North America. New York Yank may be a little too one-dimensional for me. I don't think that's going to cut it in the Hambletonian."

With five weeks to the Hambletonian, Gurfein put Diesel Don at the head of the sophomore trotting class.

Diesel Don, who is campaigned by three-time Hambletonian winning trainer Chuck Sylvester and five-time winning driver John Campbell, captured five of eight starts last season, but has made only one start in 2005, finishing second in a three-year-old open trot at the Meadowlands.

"I don't think he's been hiding in the wings, I think this was well-planned," Gurfein said. "Chuck's probably one of the greatest trainers that has ever lived; his driver is certainly one of the greatest drivers that has ever lived and the horse was very impressive last year. He would be at the top of my Road to the Hambletonian. He did everything right last
year and was very impressive, and his trainer and driver are unbelievable."

Gurfein also added that Classic Photo, trained by Erv Miller, should not be counted out as a possible Hambletonian winner.

"Erv Miller is a very dear friend and a great horseman," he said. "I'm not fond of the horse, because I've seen the horse at his worst, but he's raced much, much better since I've seen him. To me, he'd have to grow a little also because he doesn't have much stature. But the trainer certainly has stature. You never could eliminate Erv Miller from any race."

Gurfein has trained the winner of three of the last 11 editions of the Hambletonian: Victory Dream in 1994, the filly Continentalvictory in 1996 and Self Possessed in 1999. When asked which of his three victories was the most satisfying, Gurfein said:

"Satisfying is a funny word. Frank Antonnacci [owner/breeder of Lindy Lane] and I have been friends for 30 years and it was almost a grudge match between Lindy Lane and Continentalvictory. It was very satisfying to beat the colt, but I love Self Possessed. He's by far the fastest, best trotter I've ever seen. I really believe that his mile in 1:51.3 was probably the greatest trotting mile in history. First of all he was a three-year-old, second of all it was the Hambletonian, and third of all, I trained him."