Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

News & Notes from Around the Ovals...

September 6, 2005

The $918,500 Maple Leaf Trot, set for Saturday, September 17 at Mohawk will not require eliminations this year. However, some of the 12 finalists entered in the Trot will compete in the first race at Mohawk this coming Saturday night, in the $50,000 Open Trot. Finalists Liberty Balance, Hez Striking, Nelson November, Elegant Man, Muscles Marinara, Abbey Road C and J M Vangogh have drawn post positions one through six respectively in Saturday night’s first race, which has 10 starters. The field for the $918,500 Maple Leaf Trot is: Abbey Road C, Elegant Man, Hellava Hush, Hez Striking, J M Vangogh, Liberty Balance, Mr Muscleman, Muscles Marinara, Mystical Sunshine, Nelson November, Peaceful Way, and Sand Vic.

Hambletonian winner Vivid Photo returned to the winner’s circle by winning the $525,000 World Trotting Derby on September 3 at DuQuoin in straight heats. Vivid Photo, driven by trainer and co-owner Roger Hammer, broke his own world record for three-year-old trotting geldings of 1:52.3 by taking the first heat in 1:51.3, and then broke that record again an hour later in the second heat with a win in 1:51.2. He expects to start next in the Kentucky Futurity at the Red Mile in Lexington on October 1. Co-owners Hammer and Todd Schadel will have to supplement the gelding for a total of $40,000.

Driver Brett Miller won five of the eight $100,000 Ohio Sire Stakes finals contested September 3 at Northfield Park. He also won a Scarlet and Gray during a six-victory night. Miller, who ranks fifth in North America with 418 wins this year, donated 20 percent of his earnings, nearly $3,000, to the American Red Cross to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims. An Ohio Super Night record $1.9 million was wagered on the 15-race card.

Maltese Artist, trained by Mickey Burke and driven by Bruce Ranger, set the all-age track record at Plainridge Racecourse on September 5 by winning the Bert Beckwith Memorial Pace in 1:49.2. The previous record was 1:49.3, set by Space Shuttle in 200 and equaled by Chewy Gross in 2004.

The ageless Admiral's Express added another accomplishment to his lofty record when he equaled the Mohawk Racetrack track mark for older pacers on September 3. The nine-year-old son of Admirals Galley won the $40,000 preferred pace for driver Paul MacDonell in 1:49. Admiral's Express joins Western Ideal, Whosurboy and Smithsonian as co-holders of the mark.