Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Harness Happenings
July 1, 2004

All American Theory is set to make his first appearance at the Meadowlands since his Meadowlands Pace win last year. He became the first horse to ever win the Pace WITHOUT racing at age two. He will go in the Haughton elims this weekend (July 3). Here's a look at how Meadowland’s Pace winners have fared in the Haughton:
1989-Matts Scooter, a Haughton winner in 1:50.1 En route to a Horse of the Year title a year after capturing the Pace.
1998-Hot Lead was last in the Haughton two years after winning the Meadowland’s Pace, but the 1997 Meadowland’s Pace winner Dream Away was second. Dream Away had a productive money-earning season at four, but could not get to the winner’s circle and later retired to stud.
2000-1998 Meadowland’s Pace winner Day In A Life was fourth in the Haughton at 65-1
2002-For the ONLY time in Haughton history, TWO Pace winners hit the board together. Real Desire was second to Four Starzzz Shark, and Gallo Blue Chip was third at 6-1. Four Starzzz Shark, this years overwhelming choice, beat TWO Horses Of The Year in the very same event there.
2003-Gallo Blue Chip, three years removed from his Horse of the Year season, was 8th at 17-1 in the Haughton final. Gallo is now resting and aiming for a November comeback for the Ford-Scharf team.

Oldies But Goodies
There may be some graying in the Meadowlands driver colony, but in this case it seems to mean they are also getting better. Consider:
Ron Pierce, at age 48, is en route to another strong year and his first ever Big M driving title, and his best seven money-winning years are his last seven, from ages 41-47.
Cat Manzi, at age 54 is en route to his biggest season ever, both at the Meadowlands and nationally. He is having his first 100-win (at the Big M) year since 1997, and just won his first million dollar test.
Mike Lachance, at age 53 is on the verge of becoming the only driver ever to surpass $30 million after turning 50. He’s likely to do this with a win with Four Starzzz Shark around July 10 in the $625,000 Haughton. (NOTE: $128 million before 50)
John Campbell's (at age 49) two biggest years of his career came at 46 and 47:
at age 46-$14,182,238 (2001) and at age 47-$11,967,597 (2002).

Down Under Boys-In The Meadowland’s Pace
Chris Ryder figures prominently with Metropolitan. Mark Harder has Holborn Hanover, fresh off his best mile ever—a 1:49.3 clocking in the New Jersey Sire Stake Final, where he finished fourth. Darren McCall sends out Camelot Hall, and the former Ross Crogahn understudy already has won a biggie with that son of Triple Crown winner Blissful Hall in the 2003 Metro. Brett Pelling has Timesareachinging revved up. These four down under boys will try and add to the down under take ($$$)-in the Meadowlands Pace-that has been significant so far in the biggest of the tests for the sophomore class. Consider:
Ross Croghan 4th, 5th 10th Total: $170,000
Kelvin Harrison-3rd (1992-Direct Flight-favored over Western Hanover) $120,000
Paul Jessop-3rd-1996 Gee Gee Digger $120,000
Chris Ryder-2nd, (McArdle-2002), 7th and 10th. $250,000
Brett Pelling-the only trainer with 8 on board, is the winningest money trainer in the history of the Meadowland’s Pace and has won it three times.

ODD But True
When Western Ideal won the 2000 Haughton final by a head over arch-rival Dragon Again in 1:48.3, he would use that win towards end of the year honors as the best of the older pacing set. But of the five horses who got money in that race, he had the LEAST lifetime earnings when all was said and done:
Western Ideal $1,455,422
Dragon Again $2,343,428-2nd
Big Tom $1,539,630-3rd
Day In A Life $1,797,525-4th
Noble Ability $1,748,890-5th

The Grand Circuit week will feature the first crop offerings of Western Ideal & Credit Winner. Four Starzzz Shark is now the only horse in Meadowlands history to TWICE come home on the lead in a race in under 26 seconds. 1:23.3, 1:49.2 this past week, with a 25.4 final quarter. He did the same 25.4 finale in his 2004 debut.

Albatross's stud career began the same year the Meadowlands opened. Now, five years after the passing of the "Big Bird," he is still winning races. His Ditchems Brother upset in the opener Saturday night (June 26), making it an Albatross winner each and every year at the Meadowlands since its inception. NO OTHER sire can make this claim. Speedy Crown was second with a 26-year run, from 1976-2002.

Anyone notice the Jimmy Takter PACER in the Debutante? It was on Tuesday in the 2nd Race, #4, a filly named Bay Side? A daughter of Life Sign, she debuts in the $47,000 event. But Jimmy and wife Christina have competed with pacers before, though not in over a decade here. Jimmy also drove some for Jan Nordin in 1984 when he had the outstanding mare Amneris, a Breeders Crown winner at Maywood Park that same season.

Here’s a strange fact: ever wonder who was the winningest horse in the sport’s history money-wise, prior to winning a race? It was Cue Light, who had right around $430,000 lifetime before he wound up winning a race.

Bakers Dozen, Sweet Sixteen On Menu For Rainbow Blue?
Saturday night in the Laydship, Rainbow Blue goes for her 13th straight win, a bakers dozen. Before the meet ends, the sophomore daughter of Artiscape may have her own Sweet Sixteen party here-she's scheduled to go in the Mistletoe Shalee elimination and final, and the Tarport Hap. If she continued to run the table, that would be 16 straight for the George Teague, Jr.-trained filly.

For this week, she's drawn post five in the $85,171 Ladyship stakes. It is coming up on the anniversary of her ONLY defeat-July 9, 2003. Ironically, in that event, Ron Pierce, now her regular driver, won it with Whig Party. Luc Ouellette drove Rainbow Blue, who was sent off the slight favorite at 3.20-1, to a third place finish but only a neck off the winner. Her trainer, George Teague, Jr., remembers it well, "She was parked a good way. She just missed. She showed me plenty even when she was beat."

But that hasn't happened since. She's 8-8 good for $217,380 this year for K & R Racing LLC and Teague Inc., Delaware. George, "She's doing fine this week. Feels good. She maintains herself well. Takes good care of herself. She doesn't require a lot of work. When I train her, I train her by herself. She seems to like it better that way. She's quite a versatile filly, and could race from off the pace very easily. I just hope she can maintain her form and keep it going here."

Note-The only horse who did defeat her is also in the Ladyship-Whig Party-will start from post 11. Gina Spur, the runnerup in that $150,000 NJSS final from a year ago, is not in here.
George Teague, Jr. ranked his top five horses that he has trained of all time:
1) Rainbow Blue
2) Starter Hanover
3) Mattuity
4) Lucky N
5) Roller Baron

Camelot Hall-"It's Time"
That quote belongs to George Brennan, the driver of Camelot Hall (3 0-1-0 $6,388). "It's time for him to do it. No more excuses. Time to step it up a bit."

Camelot Hall is set to make his 4th start of the year in the $85,000 Jersey Cup, and will start from post 7 for David Scharf, Steve Arnold, Jerry Silva and the Sampson Street Stables of New York and Pennsylvania. The Metro-winning son from the first crop of Triple Crown winner Blissfull Hall, he comes off a troubled trip in the $million North America Cup. "He had post 10, and never got into it," explained Brennan, "I think I shut off his air a couple of times. Throw that race out and move on-that's what I'm doing."

Brennan continued, "From age 2-3, he didn't change a lot-maybe just a bit taller. He wears the same size hobble he did at 2. I remember once last year he came a quarter in 27 flat-it was the easiest 27 I've ever had with any horse. It was so easy for him. He was very much like All American Native in that regard. Raw speed, pure power. I hope I get to see it again-I think I will."

Noel Daley On Mr Muscleman
"He flipped his palate again in the elims. The same thing he did last year in the Hambletonian eliminations. He has a tendency to do it from time to time. I tinker with his equipment and basically now am just hoping he doesn't do it again for a while. He still did well to get second in the elimination for the Titan Cup. But he clearly wasn't himself," explained Noel Daley on the defending 3 Year Old Trotter of the year from 2003.
Mr Muscleman has drawn post 1 in Fridays $200,000 final of the Titan Cup.

Chris Ryder On His Best Three
That would be Metropolitan, Economic Clout and Western Prince.
Ladies first. Economic Clout, a strong second to Rainbow Blue in the $150,000 NJSS final a week ago. "She likes it better from off the pace for sure. This is a particularly good crop of 3 Year Old pacing fillies I think. The year I had Cathedra Dot Com, there were only a few top ones. Economic Clout belongs with these-though Rainbow Blue is just better-on a different level right now. "

Economic Clout is at $276,156 lifetime but is still searching for that first win. She's 0-18 lifetime. She's drawn post 7, two spots outside of Rainbow Blue, in Saturdays $85,171 Ladyship.

Metropolitan will qualify Friday morning. Chris, "He's got something left in the tank. He's rested up a bit and I wanted to get a good mile in him before the Pace eliminations."
Western Prince is headed to Jersey Cup action Saturday night and will start from post 6 for Norman & Gerald Smiley, FL & PQ. The unraced freshman has hit the board in 9 of 11 tries this year.

Chris, "I'm happy with him. He's got a good upside. He's a horse who is much better off the pace. He's also been locked in a few times, but that's part of the risk of closing. I haven't had any luck with Western Hanover in the past-he's my best one. Yes-he will be going in the Pace elims, too."

Mike Lachance recorded his 5,000th win at the Meadowlands on June 23, 1989 with Instrument Landing, a horse often piloted by Ron Pierce. As of Thursday, July 1, Pierce was only three wins away from victory number 5,000.

Del Miller would have been 91 this Sunday--how fitting that the Hall Of Fame dinner at Goshen falls on his birthday.

Yannick Gingras will retain the drive on Timesareachanging in the Meadowlands Pace. It'll be 18 days short of his 25th birthday if he makes the final (July 17, August 4). Bruce Riegle was just 23 in 1978 when he finished 4th with Brittany Road, the YOUNGEST pilot ever in the Meadowlands Pace to get any money in the final.

The top two pacers of 2003 among the two-year-olds--I Am A Fool and Modern Art--both started out 2004 in the same New Jersey Sires Stakes race and now the trotters are doing the same thing. Cantab Hall and Tom Ridge will be two posts away, 3 & 5, in the action at the Meadowlands Friday in the $52,686 Dickerson Cup. Tom Ridge has the three post and Cantab the five

"0-fers" on Saturday night Big M Card: Life Is A Cabaret is 0-30 at the Meadowlands life, Hollywood Sam is 0-19 this year as he tries in the Haughton elims and Economic Clout is 0-18 lifetime, but has $276,00 in career earnings.

In four different years, the top pacing sophomore colt in the land was seventh in the Meadowlands Pace, but then never again missed the board and went on to win the year end honors as the top Three-Year-Old in the land. 1987-Jate Lobell, 1989-Goalie Jeff, 1992-Western Hanover and 1999-Blissful Hall.

Three "Marks" in seven figures? It's about to happen at the Meadowlands among the training set. Mark Harder leads the way at $1.7 million, Mark Ford's enjoying another million dollar year and Mark Silva is a couple weeks away from joining them..

Del Miller-1913 and George Steinbrenner-1930: both were born on July 4. Each raced one horse in the Meadowlands Pace, Del was third in the 1980 first ever million dollar race with Tyler B, and George owned Rods Deal, eighth in the 1997 edition.

Two Triple Crown Races--the Messenger and the Yonkers Trot--have never gone for $500,000 or better. The other four have. But these two events came close: in 1998 the Messenger was won by Fit For Life for a $484,224 pot, and the 1983 Joie De Vie (Buddy Gilmour) Yonkers Trot went for $486,150.

Bob Stewart is best known for all the oustanding "Hall" horses he has trained. What most do NOT remember is that he won a $669,000 race at the Meadowlands in the 1980s, with a PACER, the 1989 Sweetheart with Before Hours and driver Bill Fahy.

Joe Holloway and Modern Art look to get money in the 2004 Meadowlands Pace. Joe's had a tough run prior in the Pace with a 6-7-9 slate in three tries. Joe is among the top three money-winning trainers in Big M history.

Linda Toscano was first and second in the colt-NJSS $150,000 final, and on her birthday no less--June 26 (GIRL POWER!!!)

Mike Lachance is the driver for Four Starzzz Shark, the overwhelming choice in the $700,000 Haughton July 10. Mike is the ONLY driver ever to have THREE 1:48 flat miles. He won with two of them--Color Me Best in 1999 and Western Ideal in 2000, then was second to Space Shuttles' 1:47.4 blastoff in the 2000 U.S. Pacing Championship.

Speaking of 1:47.4--Ultimate Falcon was the other horse to do this at Colonial Downs in1998. Ross Croghan drove him, and remembers, "He had no gate speed. But he did have a wicked kick. He wound up going down under to be a stud, and his first two-year-olds are on the track this year. He passed away though. I had a good run with him considering that I spent $25,000 on him."

Dragon Again, Western Ideal, Yankee Paco and Credit Winner all have their freshmen out there for the first time this year.

Pronger is heading back later this year. Trainer Ben Wallace says, "He made $100,000 in January, but has some trouble with a knee. I didn't want him as a four-year-old going a lot of tough miles against horses like Four Starzzz Shark. I'll bring him back later in the fall."

The latest a Horse Of The Year has debuted in his/her award winning season was June 28 in 1987 when Mack Lobell came back to post a convincing Yonkers Trot win in 1:57.4.

All American Theory returns to the Meadowlands for the July 3 William Haughton eliminations. He sports a fancy two for two mark at the Big M, and will try to become just the second Pace winner since Matts Scooter to parlay that into a Haughton win the next year.

In this years Haughton, Mike Lachance (Four Starzzz Shark) was trying to add to a sparkling history in this race. He won it in 1989 (Matts Scooter), 1990 (T Ks Skipper), 1997 (Armbro Operative), 2000 (Western Ideal) and last year with McArdle. The irony of driving Four Starzzz Shark is that this was the horse Mike went first up against last year in the final and just did hold off Art Major by a nose.

In both the 6th and 7th race on June 26, Patrick Lachance and Yannick Gingras completed the exactas, each on top once. You have to go back a LOT of Saturdays to find the last time that two drivers at the sports #1 track were 1-2, 2-1, BOTH guys not yet 25 and 30, and BOTH miles in under 1:50. (Maltese Artist-1:49.2-Rob Roy Mattgregor-1:49.3). As a matter of fact, Patrick is four years younger than the NJSS-(which debuted in 1971) itself, and his 1:49.2 effort with Maltese Artist is the fastest ever NJSS mile in its history-EVER!!! And this is the state with the best program and the only state-bred $500,000 contest (NJ Classic)!

Million Dollar Babies Nights
With the stakes scenario of a busy July-August right here, anyone remember the Million Dollar Babies nights the Meadowlands had in the late 1980s? They were held from 1986-1989, and they combined many of the stakes races on the same night (all the two-year-old marquee events). Here are some highlights from then:
Total Purse Money distributed:
1986 $5,093,750 (All-Time Record)
1987 $2,640,250 (Biggest race-$796,750)
1988 $3,957,500 (Biggest event-Kassa Branca winning $1,041,000 Wilson)
1989 $3,260,250 (Biggest event-$907,000 Wilson-Sam Francisco Ben winning for Kelvin Harrison and Ron Pierce.)
Leading money-winning drivers from those Million Dollar Babies Nights
1986-Buddy Gilmour $855,750
1987-John Campbell $434,625
1988-John Campbell $856,590
1989-John Campbell $674,735
In total for the four years, John Campbell drove in 37 of the 45 races contested and bankrolled $2,733,239.

Double Million Dollar Race Winning Horses
Camelot Hall won the million dollar Metro in 2003, and Mantacular won this year’s North America Cup at over seven figures. They each will try-in this year’s Meadowlands Pace-to become the 9th horse to win two million dollar races. These are the other eight:
Nihilator
Gallo Blue Chip
Cams Card Shark
Precious Bunny
Presidential Ball
Davids Pass
Mach Three
The Panderosa
No horse has won both two million dollar events and sired the same. As a matter of fact, only Cams Card Shark, the 1994 winner of both the North America Cup and the Meadowlands Pace, has sired any million dollar race winner. He had the 2001 North America Cup winner Bettors Delight.

Bob "Hollywood" Heyden Remembers…
Only At The Racetrack...."It was the late 1980s, the fall, and I'm in the press box at the Meadowlands. We're watching simulcast races, and I had handicapped the daily double at Freehold. I asked my friend Pete-who worked for the Daily Racing Form-if he wanted to go in on me for a few daily doubles. I liked #5 in the first, with three horses in the second. I was betting something like $18 into it. A $6 part wheel double, which could be a good payoff since #5 was 8-1 in the program in the opening race.

"Pete looks at the program, then declines. "Nahhh", he said. "Are you sure, why not just go in for $6 and you'll have 1/3rd of my action?" I asked. He looks again-"No-not today" OK, it’s fifteen minutes to post or so. I go put in my bets, and spend the $18. I'm rooting for #5 to get me live into the second race, which I figure is wide open.

"I'm pulling for #5, and he gets up to win on the outside in the last three to four steps. Good start, $18.40 was the price, so I'm sitting pretty going into the second race. Five to six to seven minutes go by, and I see Pete reaching into his pocket. "OK-I'm in" as he puts down $6 to become part of my now live ticket."

Only at the racetrack.......(P.S. The double didn't come in anyway)

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