Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Hambletonian Eliminations & Oaks Contested Today at the Big M
July 31, 2004

TOM RIDGE & EILEAN DONON CAPTURE HAMBLETONIAN ELIMS

Tom Ridge and Eilean Donon won their respective $100,000 elimination race on Saturday and move on to the $1 million Hambletonian Final on August 7 at the Meadowlands.

In the third race, the first of two Hambletonian elims, Tom Ridge [$8.40, $3.80, $2.10] cruised to a length and a quarter victory over Cash Hall [$2.80, $2.10].

"He was good and straight and had plenty of trot," said winning driver Ron Pierce after the third race elim. "A quarter crack was bugging him the last couple months, and it finally cracked open and Jimmy [trainer Jimmy Takter] went to work on it and got it dried up enough to where he could patch it, and it wasn't bothering him too much at all today. Today he was just awesome; he was unbelievable. He had a lot left in his tank, and I'm looking forward to next week very much. Just because he was on that line running out a little bit and wasn't trotting like himself [earlier in the summer], I think everyone was getting down on the horse. But Jimmy had him straight today."

Tom Ridge trotted the mile in 1:52.3, the fastest ever Hambletonian elimination. The son of Muscles Yankee, named for the Secretary of Homeland Security, posted his second win with two seconds from four starts this year and is now the winner of eight of 12 career starts. He races for Christina Takter of East Windsor, New Jersey; Kenneth Ross of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; R. Peter Heffering of Port Perry, Ontario and the Banjo Farms of Toronto, Ontario.

"I'm very pleased," said trainer Jimmy Takter. "He had to race like he was the best horse. But he's not at his best yet; he's still a week away. There have been some colds going around in the barn, he had a low-grade cough and was a little congested this week. After this mile I don't plan to train him this week. The win is like a big stone off of my chest."

Joining Tom Ridge and Cash Hall in the Hambletonian Final will be Windsong's Legacy [$2.10], Justice Hall and American Mike.

"I'm very pleased with him," trainer Bob McIntosh said of Cash Hall. "He went a big mile and he was parked most of the way. He picked up cover late and never saw the rail. He finished a strong second. The horse on the lead [Tom Ridge] got away with soft fractions. We couldn't
catch him. He backed it down pretty good."

"I got the toughest trip," said Trond Smedshammer, the driver and trainer of Windsong's Legacy, the Stanley Dancer winner. "Cash Hall was on my back, and I was forced to move early. Coming first over wasn't something I wanted to do. I don't know what Ron Pierce would have done if I drove right at him. I didn't want to get in that duel. We're in the final and that's all we wanted."

Eilean Donon [$4.40, $3.20, $2.60] got up in the final strides to win the sixth race, the second Hambletonian elim, by a neck over Lantern's Law [$15.80, $5.20] in 1:54.2. It was a half-length to Cantab Hall [$2.60], the 2003 Trotter of the Year, in third. Also qualifying from the second elimination heat were Coventry and Castle of Fortune.

Owned by Kentuckians Steve Stewart, Ben Taylor and the Estate of Joe Taylor, Eilean Donon has now won two straight since undergoing surgery for a scrotal hernia. John Campbell guided the son of Angus Hall to his third win in four starts this year.

"I was very impressed with him last week," said Campbell. "I thought that was a big effort for coming off the surgery. He came back with a big effort today. I think he's going in as good a shape as he possibly can for next week. My horse still felt strong. I thought I could get Lantern's Law, but it took the whole stretch to do it. I still thought I had a chance at the head of the stretch."

Named for a castle in Scotland, Eilean Donon races for a Catholic boys club called ConQuest. A third of his earnings, currently totaling $337,188, were donated by the late Joe Taylor.

"It was about three weeks ago, he got colicky one morning after jogging and we thought he just had a stomach ache," said trainer Bob Stewart, reflecting back on the colt's health problems. "But [Dr.] Stephen Dey diagnosed him with a scrotal hernia, and [Dr.] Patty Hogan did a very good job at her clinic and everything went very smoothly after that, which it would have had to have done, and we're just blessed to be here. I told my brother [co-owner Steve Stewart] that we were 50-50 and everything just had to go perfect. He came back to eating very well very quickly, and we're just lucky to be here. This is what you work for, to be right here. We've been blessed to be here for a while with a few horses and it's especially nice he's by Angus Hall. Angus Hall is very good horse and has transcribed into a very good
sire."

"Glad to have this one under my belt, it was do or die," said Ron Gurfein, the trainer of Cantab Hall. "Under normal circumstances I think he's the best horse. I'm thrilled with the effort, he could have easily finished 10th considering the troubles he's had. He's definitely seems over it [problems controlling his sweat glands]. The last time it was a cool night, and he was blowing like a freight train. It's hot today and he was blowing but nothing like that. A week ago I didn't
think he would be racing tonight. There's no reason he shouldn't be fine for next week's final."

PEACEFUL WAY & MYSTICAL SUNSHINE SCORE IN THE HAMBLETONIAN OAKS ELIMS
Peaceful Way and Mystical Sunshine each won a $25,000 elimination race on Saturday and earned spots in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks on August 7 at the Meadowlands. Peaceful Way had to work for it but she posted her third win in four starts this year with a head victory over Ivy Swinger in the second race, the first of two elims for the three-year-old trotting fillies.

Peaceful Way [$2.60, $2.20, $2.20] was first over, challenging the pacesetting Three Little Words down the backstretch. She took the lead in the final eighth but was tested by both Ivy Swinger [$31.80, $5.80] on the inside and Housethatruthbuilt [$2.20] on the outside in the final 70 yards. The daughter of Angus Hall, driven by John Campbell and trained by David Tingley, trotted the mile in 1:54.2.

"The post position made for a tough trip," said Campbell. "I'm just hoping for a better draw next week. I didn't have any chance of getting back to the front before the last turn so I just came and rode easy with her and just made sure she trotted around the last turn. She
had to grind it out and grit it out down by the wire. The economics are a lot different than it used to be. The Hambletonian Oaks used to go for $120,000-$150,000. Now it goes for $500,000. It's a big difference. I think Dave [Tingley] made the right choice [to skip the Hambletonian in favor of the Oaks]. We'll see next week."

"I was just hoping that she had some fight left and she did," said Tingley, who co-owns the filly with the Goin My Way Stable of Holland, Pennsylvania and Angie Stiller of Arva, Ontario. "John said she wasn't herself this week, but we'll have her checked out tomorrow and hopefully things are okay. I don't know if it was the heat or if she caught a bug. There is one going around so that's a concern."

In addition to Peaceful Way, Ivy Swinger and Housethatruthbuilt, the fillies advancing to the Hambletonian Oaks from the first division were Silver Springs and Ladylind. Mystical Sunshine [$9.60, $3.20, $2.40] was hand driven to a half-length victory by Mike Lachance, holding off Have You Ever [$2.20, $2.10]. Tag A Victory [$3.60] was third by six lengths. Mystical Sunshine, owned by Alvin Jacobson of Compound, New York and Sidney Korn of Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, trotted the mile in 1:53.2.

"We bought her at the sale in Harrisburg last year in November," said trainer Chris Ryder. "She's a filly that matured well over the winter. She doesn't have any problems. She's just been a treat. She won the Elegant Image well. She seems to get a little better when she has a break, then two or three races week to week. That's exactly the situation she's in now. I've been messing with her shoes a little bit. I think I may have finally got it right. I was a little disappointed with her last week. She sat the two-hole and lost ground in the stretch to Peaceful Way, which is no shame, but I think she's back like I expected her to be today."

In addition to Mystical Sunshine, Have You Ever and Tag A Victory, the fillies advancing to the Oaks from the second elim were Self Indulgent and Funny Malentine.

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