Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Hambo Oaks Elims Now History

July 29, 2006

Passionate Glide, the divisional champion at two, and longshot Emantee won their respective $50,000 elimination race on Saturday afternoon and advance with eight other three-year-old trotting fillies to the $750,000 Hambletonian Oaks on August 5 at the Meadowlands.

Passionate Glide, sent off as the 1-9 favorite, has won all six of her starts this year, seven straight and 11 of 17 lifetime. She has only finished worse than second once in her life.

“We just wanted to get around her as easy possible and not stretch her and win by as little as we had to,” said Ron Pierce, who pilots Passionate Glide for trainer Jimmy Takter. “I wouldn’t say she’s 100 percent. She has a couple little issues that I’m sure Jimmy will have no trouble getting straightened out. [There were] no anxious moments at all. Jimmy told me not win by more than a length so I just kind of chased her home a little bit; I didn’t really step on
the gas. I sure hope she can go seven-for-seven.”

Passionate Gilde finished a neck up on Celebrity Sweedie in the 1:56.2 mile. Velma K was third by three and a quarter. Miss Wisconsin [fourth] and Workout Doll [fifth] also earned spots in the final. Takter did raise one cautionary note about Passionate Glide, who has banked $975,447 lifetime for owner-breeder Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky.

“I’m very concerned about her hamstring muscle on her right side,” noted Takter. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do about it for next week.”

Emantee rallied for a four-length victory over Simple Task in a career best of 1:55.3 for the mile in the second Hambo Elimination. Quick Credit was third by six lengths. Also earning their way into the final were KD Girl [fourth] and Mai Tai [fifth].

“After I left the gate, she crossed over pretty good and I was able to conserve a lot of energy until the head of the lane,” said Brian Sears, the driver of Emantee. “I never had to use after that, so she fired home good. She’s a nice little filly. She’s got handy speed, with a trip like that she shows up. [To win,] Passionate Glide definitely has to be off her game next week, but if things work out, you never know.”

“She raced good,” Smedshammer said of Emantee. “She got in a good position and opened up. She has good tactical speed. I don’t know what happened to her in the Delvin Miller Final [in which she finished seventh], she drew a complete clunker. But she seems to be back in there.”

Emantee, owned by Barry Goldstein of Hewlett, New York, Steven Shapiro of Farmingdale, New York and Marc Goldberg of Woodmere, New York, now has two wins and two seconds in six starts this year. The daughter of Banker Hall has earned $78,175 lifetime.

$50,000 Hambletonian Oaks First Elimination: Race Three
The Meadowlands Saturday, July 29, 2006
PP Horse                     Driver
2 Passionate Glide          Ron Pierce
4 Celebrity Sweedie       Cat Manzi
5 Velma K                    David Miller
8 Miss Wisconsin            Mike Lachance
1 Workout Doll               John Campbell
:28.3      :58.4      1:28.1      1:56.2

$50,000 Hambletonian Oaks Second Elimination: Race Six
The Meadowlands Saturday, July 29, 2006
PP Horse                Driver
6 Emantee                 Brian Sears
9 Simple Task           Ron Pierce
3 Quick Credit           John Campbell
2 KD Girl                 Mark Gingrich
4 Mai Tai                   George Brennan
:28      :58      1:27.1      1:55.3