Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Harness Happenings
June 16,2004

Some facts on Hambletonian hopeful Cantab Hall:

He was a $310,000 yearling-the 4th highest priced of 2002, and he was also the co-highest priced yearling EVER to win a Breeders Crown, the other was Winkys Goal in 1991.

With Cantab Hall, trainer Ron Gurfein will be looking to win his fourth Hambletonian, and third with a FIRST crop sire. Here are this training great's other winners:
(1) Victory Dream from the first crop Valley Victory, a Hambo winner in 1994.
(2) Continentalvictory, from the third crop Valley Victory, a Hambo winner in 1996.
(3) Self Possessed, from the first crop Victory Dream, a Hambo winner in 1999.
(4?) Cantab Hall, from the first crop Self Possessed, would be Gurfein's FOURTH Hambo winner.

The "Hall" horses have enjoyed a huge run the past several seasons, as the following youngsters were all named Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year for their respective seasons:
1997-Conway Hall, 2000-Banker Hall, 2001-Andover Hall, 2002-Broadway Hall,
2003-Cantab Hall.

However, harness racing history is not on the side of two-year-old trotting champions, as only seven of the 36 winners of Two-Year-Old Colt Trotter of the Year have ever come back to win this title (Three-Year-Old colt Trotter of the Year) as sophomores.
1968-Nevele Pride, 1972-Super Bowl, 1976-Bonefish, 1978-Speedy Somolli, 1984-Baltic Speed,
1987-Mack Lobell, and 1997-Malabar Man.

None of the previous Hambletonian winners sent out by Gurfein were either undefeated or named the Trotter Of The Year at two.

For the 2003 Balloting for the Trotter Of The Year Cantab Hall received 114 votes and Mr Muscleman garnered 62 votes. That was the first and only time that a freshman trotter was named Trotter of The Year.

Finally, does Cantab Hall have a Home Field advantage? Cantab Hall is slated to make all his starts at the Meadowlands leading up to the Hambletonian. With the three other Ron Gurfein Hambletonian winners, all but one made their starts at the Meadowlands prior to capturing the Hambo. Only Continentalvictory in 1996 ventured away from the Big M to race, and that was when she shipped over to nearby Yonkers to win the Yonkers Trot after getting a bye for the elimination.

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