Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Hambletonian & Hambletonian Oaks Notes

August 2, 2006

By statistician guru Bob "Hollywood" Heyden
2006 Hambletonian Oaks.....Jimmy Takter is the ONLY trainer to win both the Oaks and the Hambo in the last decade......Simple Task and Velma K are the only two unraced 2 Year Olds.....The last trainer to win BOTH the Oaks and the Hambo in theSAME YEAR was Jan Johnson, in 1988 with Armbro Goal and Nans Catch (Dam of Moni Maker).......Yankee Glide is the leading sire in EACH final with three.....Yankee Glide, Credit Winner, Muscles Yankee and Conway Hall are the four sires in BOTH the Oaks and the Hambo......Three trainers in this year have previously won the Oaks: Brett Bittle, Jimmy Takter (twice) and Chuck Sylvester......It's been 16 YEARS since Mike Lachance (Miss Wisconsin) won the Hambletonian Oaks, with Working Gal in 1990.

Paul Kelley---Looking for biggest win ever with Quick Credit---a winner of $355,304 lifetime from the second crop of Credit Winner, is looking to make some noise in the $750,000 Hambletonian Oaks Saturday August 5. She was third in her elimination to advance to the final, the second year the fillies go for 3/4 of a million.

Paul, "That's the second time this year she got to pacing before the start. She did it at Buffalo too. I'm not sure why, maybe she's just overanxious. In the elimination, John was 6 lengths or so off the gate at the start, and had to gather her back in. She trotted well the rest of the way-I was very happy with her race (3rd). She made three moves if you count her catching the field as one."

Tony Morgan will drive her this week for the Kelley Racing Stable LLC and the Valley High Stable (William Weaver). Paul remembers the beginning, "I bought her at Harrisburg for $35,000. Carter Duer sells most of the horses for Bill Weaver (Valley High Stable), so I was a little uncomfortable at first to ask him if he wanted a piece. He's in the business of breeding, and doesn't race many horses. I gave him the right of first refusal. He took it. Half of the filly. Since day one, this filly has been good. No tricks to training her, or hanging her up. She's good gaited and her attitude has always been super. A real professional."

Quick Credit comes off a busy freshman season of $322,164 on the strength of 15 8-2-1. Paul continued. "Because she started 15 times last year, and with the Breeders Crown coming later into November, I took my time with her coming back. The Oaks final is just her fifth start of the year. She's been ready for a while, but I just couldn't see throwing her into the fire right away. She was eligible for the Miller, but I decided not to go. She was prepped well all winter in Florida-Eddie Wheeler does a good job for me getting them ready. So I decided to go a little slower with her early." Paul concluded, "I'm hoping she's ready for her best race Saturday. This means a lot-a big race like this-plus the relationship that I've developed with Bill Weaver. It would be great to win it."

Velma K is going for a $750,000 pot with $18,375 Lifetime!!!.......Valley Victory is a 4-time winning Oaks sire, he has 6 of the 10 in here as either his grand-daughters of great granddaughters.......22 starts for Celebrity Sweedie the most, with 6 for Simple Task, the fewest........Miss Wisconsin is trying to join Armbro Fling (1986-1987) as the only two to win the Merrie Annabelle AND the Hambletonian Oaks.

1974---Why is this year of any interest for the 2006 Hambletonian? Well consider this: -It was the first Hambletonian win for Billy Haughton in his 17th try!! He would then win it 4 times in a 7 year span until 1980....1974 was also the FIRST year Doug Ackerman (Chocolatier) tried his hand in the Hambletonian.......Billy Haughton is the last horseman to go into the Hall Of Fame PRIOR to winning his first Hambletonian.

A SEARING Season Indeed!!!---Brian Sears is about to put an exclamation point on a brilliant season at the Meadowlands Here are some Brian Sears numbers to consider in what is the single most impressive driving performance ever seen in East Rutherford-and he's coming OFF A RECORD YEAR-$15 Million!!

1) He's likely to hit 300 wins (Xtra days August 11-12), and become just the third driver in Meadowlands history to do so. (Campbell 6 times, Moiseyev once)
2) He won 767g and had a win and seven seconds last Hambo Day-this year on Crown night, he had seven WINS and one second and 757g!!
3) NO Driver has won 300 races in a Meadowlands meet since 1992-Jack Moiseyev 304
4) He is the 5th driver in Meadowlands history to win consecutive driving titles.
5) The three fastest drives of his career have all come in the past 6 weeks-all with the SAME HORSE-Lis Mara! 1:47.3, 1:48 flat, 1:48.1
6) He is the first driver in 11 years to win 500 races-COMBINED-in back to back Big M meets.
7) He won his 11 Breeders Crowns in just 33 drives, by far the quickest of any driver.
8) He set the new Meadowlands record this year for a win on consecutive nights at 48 straight. 9) ALL SIX of Trond Smedshammers' Breeders Crown victories have come with Sears.
10) He is the driver who has recorded the fastest ever Breeders Crown drive in their history (254 races) 1:47.3 Lis Mara.
11) He is the ONLY driver to win THREE million dollar races with the same horse-Rocknroll Hanover, and the only driver to top $15 million in a season, in 2005.

The TEN RICHEST RACES EVER:
1) $2,161,000 1984 Wilson Meadowlands Nihilator 1:52.4 Billy O'Donnell-Billy Haughton
2) $2,011,000 1980 Wilson Meadowlands Land Grant 1:56.3 Del Insko
3) $1,957,500 1982 Wilson Meadowlands Fortune Teller 1:55.3 Eldon Harner
4) $1,760,000 1981 Wilson Meadowlands McKinzie Almahurst 1:56.1 Billy Haughton
5) $1,700,000 1983 Wilson Meadowlands Carls Bird 1:55.3 Carl Allen
6) $1,561,000 1986 Wilson Meadowlands Cullin Hanover 1:54.4 Buddy Gilmour
7) $1,513,500 1986 Governors Cup Garden State Park Redskin 1:55 Billy O'Donnell
8) $1,500,000 2005 Hambletonian Meadowlands Vivid Photo 1:52.3 Roger Hammer
9) $1,500,000 2006 Hambletonian Meadowlands ???????????????????????????
10) $1,422,500 1987 Wilson Meadowlands Even Odds 1:54.1 Benny Webster/Steve Elliott