Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Peaceful Way Breaks 1:52 Barrier

July 24, 2005

Prior to Saturday night at the Meadowlands, it had been 11 years since any female trotter broke the 1:52 barrier. The fact that Peaceful Way did so while not appearing "as sporty as she usually does," according to trainer Dave Tingley, might be reason for concern among those who will face her Saturday in the $250,000 Classic Oaks final.

"She just wasn’t grabbing the track," Tingley said following Peaceful Way’s victory by a head over Housethatruthbuilt as she equaled Beat The Wheel’s world record of 1:51.4 in the third leg of the Classic series. "She could have been spinning a little bit. But when Trevor (driver Trevor Ritchie) let her trot, she sure trotted."

Peaceful Way was seventh, 6½ lengths back, after three-quarters of a mile and was fifth, more than four lengths behind Housethatruthbuilt, at the top of the stretch. She trotted the final quarter mile in 27.2 seconds. Housethatruthbuilt also was timed in 1:51.4 while Windylane Hanover was third, 3¼ lengths back.

"She’s raced her last four races from off the pace, and I kind of like that for her," Tingley said. "You only have to race one quarter then. That’s fine for her because she’s got pacer kind of speed. She can throw an eighth at you pretty quick."

Ritchie took over as Peaceful Way’s driver this year and has piloted her to five wins in as many starts. She has earned $255,054 this season and $1.59 million lifetime.

"Trevor seems to get her to relax," Tingley said. "I think that’s been really beneficial because she can get pretty fiery if you let her. He obviously has a good relationship with her."

The Classic Oaks final will be contested at one mile and a sixteenth. Tingley, whose mare was coming off a three-week layoff and making her first trip to the U.S. since last July, doesn’t think the extra distance will be of concern.

"I’ve trained her at a mile and a quarter, so she should be OK with it," Tingley said. "She’ll see the stretch, and she’ll be ready. She should be a little tighter this week and hopefully we can get some live cover. Everything depends on post position. We’ll have to wait and see. You’ll have that extra sixteenth of a mile leaving the gate, so people might go for better position early. It will be fun.

"Housethatruthbuilt raced great the other night," Tingley added. "She’s a top class mare. Windylane also raced well. This is a very deep and tough division with horses like Mystical Sunshine. It will be interesting."

As for Peaceful Way, Tingley believes she can eclipse the 1:51 barrier at some point down the road. "I think she’s got a few more ticks in her," he said. "I think she can trot [1]:50.4 or [1]:50.3. Another second, anyway, if we wanted to stretch her."

Tingley hoped to get an invitation to the Nat Ray, where Peaceful Way could face the boys, particularly top male trotter Mr Muscleman. However, Tingley said the majority of the mare’s owners have determined it would be better to bypass the Nat Ray and take a shot at the opposite gender in the Maple Leaf Trot.

"I would go to the Nat Ray; why not?" said Tingley, who owns Peaceful Way with the Goin My Way Stable (Barbara and Joe Myers and Andrew and Linda Ann Worrell), Angie Stiller, Marvin Katz, Sam Goldband and Al Libfeld. "We have nothing to lose. There’s no shame in losing to Mr Muscleman, and if we win, there’s everything to gain. I don’t think she would know that it’s boys and girls racing. A great horse is a great horse."

Mr Muscleman will be featured in Saturday’s $250,000 Trotting Classic. He won his eighth consecutive race last week in the third leg of the series, beating Sand Vic by a neck in 1:51.4. He has won nine of 10 races this year, including the Titan Cup and Cutler Memorial, while earning $438,450. He has banked $2.3 million lifetime.

Dr No won his fourth straight race in claiming the third leg of the Pacing Classic by 1½ lengths over Ponder in 1:49. Dr No, however, is not eligible to the final because he didn’t compete in at least two of the preliminary legs. Burning Point won the third leg of the Classic Distaff for pacing mares, defeating Glowing Report by a neck in 1:50.3. Carolina Sunshine was third and defending Dan Patch Award winner in the division, Loyal Opposition, was fourth.