Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Notes from Around The Ovals....

May 26, 2006

Sweden's Elitlopp will be simulcast to the Meadowlands as part of a five-race program from Stockholm's Solvalla Racecourse on Sunday morning. Guests will be able to watch and wager on five races on the Swedish card [races eight through 12], starting at 10:30 am., plus Britain's races from Newmarket will be joined in progress at 10:15 am. The final of the Elitlopp is scheduled for 10:55 am. The fields for the Elitlopp elims include the winner of the 2005 edition, Steinlager, and the 2000 winner Victory Tilly, who still holds the 1:50.4 stakes record established for the Nat Ray at the Meadowlands in 2002. The Meadowlands, the sole United States outlet for the Elitlopp, will be common pool wager with Sweden.

Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich signed into law two bills designed to help protect thousands of jobs associated with the states horse racing industry, and to help Illinois racetracks remain viable and competitive on Friday, May 26. The Governor signed House Bill 1918, creating the Horse Racing Equity Trust Fund, which will provide $36 million a year for racing purses and racetrack improvements for the next two years. In addition, the Governor signed House Bill 4377, which reduces the state tax due on bets placed at Fairmount Racetrack in Collinsville from 1.5% to .25%.

HB 1918, sponsored by Rep. Robert S. Molaro (D-Chicago) and Sen. James F. Clayborne Jr. (D-Belleville) creates a new Horse Racing Equity Trust Fund to give Illinois racetracks funding for races, track improvements and promotion. It requires the four largest riverboat casinos to pay 3% of their adjusted gross receipts for two years to the Horse Racing Equity Trust Fund. The estimated $36 million in annual revenues will be distributed from the Trust Fund in the following way:

--60% of the overall funds will be distributed in the form of purse money - prize money that is paid to the winners of the races. Thoroughbred racing will receive 57% of that amount, and standardbred racing will receive the remaining 43%. Each racetrack will receive purse money equal to their percentage of total purse money for that breed in the prior year.

--The remaining 40% of the funds would go to track improvements and promotion. Fairmount Racetrack will get 11% of that amount, while the rest will be divided between the other Illinois racetracks based on the percentage of total bets placed on races at that track in 2004 and 2005.

HB 4377, sponsored by Rep. Jay C. Hoffman (D-Collinsville) and Sen. William R. Haine (D-Alton) will reduce the state tax due on bets placed at Fairmount Racetrack in Collinsville from 1.5% to .25%.

Trainer Robbie Siegelman is back to work after taking a few days off to heal some cuts and bruises from a car accident in the Meadowlands stable area. "I was aiming for Monday, but I couldn't make it and came in on Tuesday,” he said. “I'm very sore, that's it. My insurance company told me that I had not had a claim since 1975. I drive back and forth six days a week from Long Island, and then I go and hit a pole right here where I train horses. I still cannot explain exactly how it happened. But I'm just glad to be back and that there
was no further damage."

Hellava Hush, second in the Cutler, will get some time off. "He'll take a few weeks off,” said trainer Bill Gallagher. “Then he'll go in an open before the Titan Cup. He came out of the race perfect. Cat [Manzi] said it was his best race all year. I said all along that Sand Vic would be the one we'd have to worry about. If we got away cheap up front, it would have been tough to beat Roger [Hammer with Vivid Photo] and my horse. But that was not the case, and Sand Vic was the one who capitalized."

A pair of top pacing mares are in foal---Bunny Lake to Rocknroll Hanover and Frightening P to Western Hanover.

Cookerosa, recently sold by owner-breeder-trainer-driver Toby Lynch, debuts Saturday night at the Meadowlands for his new connections. "This is his first start for us,” said David Scharf, one of the owners. “He trained well this week. He hasn't raced in three weeks so it’s hard to know what to expect. He's only had six starts at two and two this year. He has big
speed but so do all the top horses so it's a matter of where it takes him. We should know more after Saturday night."

John Campbell has 75 wins this year through May 24, only 13 of those with favorites.

Driver Brad Hanners will be spending many of his weekends in New Jersey. “I’ve committed to driving at the Meadowlands regularly on Fridays and Saturdays right now,” said Hanners, who has been racing on the Delaware circuit the last several years."

Hanners is coming off his best year ever with 478 wins and $4.7 million in purse earnings, but he has had his share of challenges. “When you drive down here there’s the Tony Morgan factor,” he noted. “Obviously, he dominates, but I still win my fair share at Dover Downs and Harrington. This meet I missed a couple of weeks with some accidents. I was involved with the spill that killed Hal Belote. It left everybody here with a heavy heart. We’re reminded how dangerous it can be out there. He was a great guy, and we were pretty good friends.”

Boardwalk Hall, unbeaten in 2006, extended his winning streak to three Wednesday night at the Meadowlands. Sent off at odds of 3-5, is a Hambletonian-eligible son of Conway Hall –-B Cor Tamgo. He is driven by Mike Lachance and trained by Ron Gurfein, the same pair who teamed to win three previous Hambletonians – Victory Dream in 1994, Continentalvictory in 1996 and Self Possessed in 1999.

Boardwalk Hall trotted the mile in 1:56 for his fourth win in eight lifetime tries. He races for the Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky; Sampson Street Stables of Old Forge, Pennsylvania; Jerry Silva of Bellmore, New York and Mathias Meinzinger of Central Islip, New York. The $1.5 million Hambletonian is on August 5 at the Meadowlands.

John Campbell will be gunning for this fourth New Jersey Classic victory. He won the inaugural edition in 1980 with Bold Rush, in 1989 with Dexter Nukes and in 1994 with Cam’s Card Shark.

Trainer and co-owner George Teague Jr. will be represented in both the Classic and the Miss New Jersey this year. Western Ace is rated the 5-2 second choice from post four in the colts division while Future Destiny is the 6-5 morning line choice, also from post four, in the field of six fillies in the Miss New Jersey.

On March 17, the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey [SOBANJ] announced the name changes to the New Jersey Classic and Miss New Jersey to salute two of its longest-serving leaders.