Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Hall Of Famer Looks for Big Win Saturday

July 7, 2005

Ron Pierce started this week by being inducted into harness racing’s Hall of Fame. He hopes to end the week by visiting the winner’s circle with Timesareachanging following Saturday night’s $700,000 William R. Haughton Memorial at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey.

Timesareachanging, who was the Dan Patch Award winner as the sport’s best three-year-old male pacer in 2004, drew post five for the Haughton and was made the 9-2 third-choice in the morning line. Canadian Pacing Derby and Molson Canadian Pace champ Ponder, who got the rail, was set as the 3-1 favorite while Dr No, who won his elimination race in 1:49, was 7-2.

Owned by Perfect World Enterprises and trained by Brett Pelling, Timesareachanging has started three times this year, with his best finish coming in his Haughton elim, when he was edged by Ponder for second place, about three-quarters of a length behind Dr No. Last season, Timesareachanging won 10 of 22 races and earned $1.1 million. His victories included the Adios, Cane Pace (in a dead heat with stablemate Western Terror) and Little Brown Jug. He was second in the Meadowlands Pace and Messenger.

"He’s just kind of racing into shape this year," Pierce said. "He’s had it pretty easy so far. He drew a real good spot for the [Haughton]; I’m very happy with his post. I’m very happy with the way he raced in his elim. He should be ready."

Timesareachanging has made the fewest starts this year among the Haughton finalists. Pierce said there was no reason to rush the gelding back into action after his demanding season as a three-year-old.

"He raced his guts out," Pierce said. "He raced tough. We would have won the Matron in his final start, but we just had nowhere to go and wound up finishing third. That showed me he finished up the year as strong as he started. He got a nice long break, and it was well deserved. He put on a lot of weight and grew a wee bit. Otherwise, he’s about the same. He’s as tough as he was, that’s for sure. He’s a little war horse."

The Haughton features four lifetime millionaires – Boulder Creek, Holborn Hanover, Timesareachanging and Metropolitan – plus this year’s two top money-earners, Ponder and Maltese Artist. Earlier this year, Maltese Artist won the Dan Patch Pace and Battle of Lake Erie plus the first leg of the Classic Series.

"I don’t think one horse is going to dominate this class," Pierce said. "I think they’re going to take turns. Timesareachanging is ready for the wars, even though it’s a different ballgame this year. I think he’ll get his share of the money."

On Sunday, Pierce was in Goshen, New York and inducted into the Hall of Fame. Pierce has won 5,409 races and $96.7 million in purses during his career, which began in 1975, although he didn’t start driving on a regular basis until the mid-1980s. He won the pacing Triple Crown with Blissfull Hall in 1999 and last year guided Tom Ridge to the fastest trotting mile in history, 1:50.2, in the winning the World Trotting Derby. His lone Haughton win came in 1991 with Prince Ebony.

"I was very honored, very touched," Pierce said. "I was just thrilled to death. It was kind of emotional. In my wildest dreams I never thought I would make it there as a kid growing up around horses. I really look up to everyone that’s there; I never thought I’d be in the same league. It’s a special place to be, that’s for sure. I was never so honored in my life. It’s a great feeling. I don’t get choked up too easily, but I felt close. I woke up [Monday] morning and felt very special. It was my first morning as a Hall of Famer."