Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Notes from Around The Ovals

July 23, 2008

Coming Up
The fields for the $1.7 million Hambletonian and $850,000 Hambletonian Oaks will be announced Tuesday, July 22. The entry box closes at 9 a.m. Tuesday and elimis will be Saturday, July 26, at the Meadowlands Racetrack. The $1.5 million Hambletonian final and $750,000 Hambo Oaks final are August 2 and will be televised from 2-3 p.m. on NBC.

Also at the Meadowlands on Saturday will be the $250,000 Classic Series finals for older pacers and trotters. In addition, eliminations will be held at the Big M on Wednesday for the Peter Haughton Memorial for 2-year-old male trotters, on Thursday for the Merrie Annabelle for 2-year-old filly trotters and the Sweetheart for 2-year-old filly pacers, and on Friday for the Mistletoe Shalee for 3-year-old filly pacers and Woodrow Wilson for 2-year-old male pacers.

Hambo Watch
Undefeated Deweycheatumnhowe (13-for-13 lifetime) took off last weekend. He won the Stanley Dancer Memorial on July 11. Dennis, driven by Cat Manzi and trained by Roland Mallar, won the 3-year-old open trot on July 18 at the Meadowlands. He was timed in 1:53.4 for the mile and finished a half-length ahead of Pine After Pine. Kajan Kooker was third. On July 17, Crazed, driven by Tim Tetrick and trained by Frank Antonacci Jr., won for the third time in four starts this season. He was timed in a lifetime best 1:52.4, which is the second-fastest win time of the season for a 3-year-old trotter.

Buck I St Pat Sidelined
Older trotter Buck I St Pat, who earlier this month topped $1 million in lifetime earnings, might miss the remainder of the season because of a tendon injury. The 5-year-old mare was to be examined at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center before a final decision was made, but the preliminary prognosis was for at least four months away from the races.

“She has a slight tear in the tendon and if we go on with it, we’re going to have a bowed tendon,” trainer Mickey Burke said. “They’re saying at least two months off and two months back, which takes you to the end of the season anyhow. I’m going to say more than likely she’s done until next year. You just don’t take a chance.”

Buck I St Pat has won 10 of 14 races this year, including the Maxie Lee Memorial at Harrah’s Chester and the Mack Lobell at Pompano Park. On July 12, her most recent start, she won the Perretti Matchmaker at the Meadowlands, which pushed her career earnings past $1 million by $1,027.

She was scratched from the Classic Series on July 19. Last year, Buck I St Pat won the Classic Oaks final.

No female trotter this year has won a race in a faster time than her 1:52.2 mile in the Maxie Lee.

“This isn’t something that’s just come on; we’ve been working with it and dancing through raindrops,” Burke said. “If we went on with her, we’d probably have ruined her, but at this point, it’s not career threatening.”

Lifetime, Buck I St Pat has won 31 of 56 races. She is owned by Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold, Abraham Basen and breeder Ron Fuller. She was driven this year primarily by Tim Tetrick.

Future Talk
The Board of Directors of the Hambletonian Society is calling a special meeting entitled “Who Will Be the Harness Racing Customer in 2025?” The panel discussion will be held at The Meadowlands Sheraton, East Rutherford, New Jersey on Thursday, July 31, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The focus of the discussion will be on the perception of harness racing by younger generations and what efforts are being made to attract and involve past, present and future customers.

“Our board of directors are deeply invested in the future of harness racing,” said Hambletonian Society President and CEO Tom Charters. “We would like this to be a forum for a fresh perspective and to explore efforts that are being made now by racetracks and racinos to promote harness racing among existing fans, as well as what methods have been effective in creating new fans.”

The meeting is open, but RSVPs are mandatory. Please call Julianna Tappen at 609-371-2211 if you would like to attend.

Weekend Wrap-Up
Art Official won the $1.1 million Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-old male pacers in a world record 1:47 after a stretch duel with 1-9 favorite and previously undefeated Somebeachsomewhere. Art Official was driven by Ron Pierce for trainer Joe Seekman and owner Sawgrass Farms of Illinois. The winning time was a record for 3-year-olds and was only one-fifth of a second from the fastest race mile in history. With the victory, Art Official surpassed the $1 million-mark for career earnings. It was the first loss in 11 lifetime races for Somebeachsomewhere.

My Little Dragon won the last preliminary leg in the Classic Distaff series for pacing mares on July 19 at the Meadowlands. Driven by Brian Sears for trainer Noel Daley and the Adam Victor & Son Stable, My Little Dragon won by a head over Ideal Weather in 1:50. Darlin’s Delight was third, beaten by a neck.

Eagle Luck won the final leg in the Pacing Classic, beating Won The West by a half length in 1:48.3. Manhardt was third. Eagle Luck was driven by John Campbell for trainer Gregg McNair and owner Frank Dettore.

Before He Cheats won the Trotting Classic leg by a half length over Enough Talk in 1:52.1. Corleone Kosmos was third. Before He Cheats was driven by Tim Tetrick for trainer Dirk Simpson and owner Sam Bowie. Enough Talk was making his first start in the U.S. since a European trip that saw him finish third in the Elitlopp and second in the Copenhagen Cup.

Falls For You won the Classic Oaks leg in 1:52.2, beating Godiva Hall by three-quarters of a length. Bruschette was third. Falls For You was driven by Brian Sears for trainer Trond Smedshammer and owners Fair Winds Farm, Ted Gewertz and Willow Pond.

Happy Dreamer tied the world record for 3-year-old pacing fillies (1:49.2) when she won a division of the Tarport Hap on July 18 at the Meadowlands. Also winning Tarport Hap divisions were Thong and Teenage Paige. On July 17, Get Jazzed and Vertigo Hanover won divisions of the Niatross while on July 16 Pedigree Slob won the Countess Adios.

NYRA Looking for Hope in 2008
Even while fighting a battle to retain its franchise, the New York Racing Association enjoyed a record 2007 Saratoga season. Now, with the franchise issue behind it - save for the finalization of some documents - NYRA has a new foe to deal with entering the 140th Saratoga stand that begins Wednesday.

A downtrodden economy and gas prices lingering around $4.25 a gallon could keep some people away from the upstate cathedral known as Saratoga, which will conduct racing for 36 days through Sept. 1.

But NYRA's president and chief executive officer, Charlie Hayward, isn't as concerned about the economy as much as he is Mother Nature.

"I think we temper our expectations against the weather really more than the gas," Hayward said. "Saratoga is such a unique experience for people. Whether you live in the capital district or whether you live in suburban Chicago, I think people will find their way there. So I think our business will hold up well and I think the biggest driver will be weather and not the economy."

Saratoga ran a record 164 races on turf, a surface that usually produces higher field sizes than dirt, meaning more betting handle. Ontrack handle was a record $123 million, while all-sources handle was a near-record $583 million.

"If gas was 29 cents a gallon we'd be hard-pressed to replicate our numbers from last year," Hayward said.

Some believed that 2007 was going to be the last Saratoga meet run by NYRA. But five months ago, NYRA was granted a 25-year franchise extension by the state legislature.

The sudden resignation of Gov. Eliot Spitzer in March began a chain of events that has held up the completion of the deal. Among the holdups is a transfer of lease agreements between NYRA and the state to the land upon which Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga sit. That may not get done until the state selects an operator of the slots project at Aqueduct, Hayward said. NYRA is working under a sixth temporary extension that goes through Aug. 28, four days before the meet ends.