Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Smedshammer's Trio Qualifies for Hambletonian

August 1, 2006

Trainer Trond Smedshammer qualified all three of his colts, including Mr Pine Chip and Here Comes Herbie, who each captured a $100,000 elimination division on Saturday afternoon, and will be joined by Blue Mac Lad in the $1.5 million Hambletonian on August 5 at the Meadowlands.

Mr Pine Chip, a perfect six-for-six this year, split horses in the final 70 yards and drew off to a three-quarter-length victory in 1:53.4 in the second race, the first of the two elimination divisions for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings. Glidemaster, behind whom Mr Pine Chip had drafted, held on for second and Blue Mac Lad got up for third, a length behind.
Global Glide (fourth) and Algiers Hall [fifth] also advance to the final from elim one.

“He’s a real nice colt and he shows it by his card, all wins this year,” said winning driver Brian Sears. “He knows how to get it done. He was very comfortable. I really liked the draw. When I saw it come out, I thought I might get that trip and everything worked out. Everything looks real good right now for the final.”

Mr Pine Chip, a son of SJ’s Caviar--Miss Pine Chip, followed Glidemaster’s outside tier on the backstretch and sprinted to his 11th win in 19 career starts. He races for Joe Sbrocco of Brecksville, Ohio and Southwind Farm of Pennington, NJ, and has banked $571,905 lifetime.

“They raced nice and easy trips, second and third over following Glidemaster, the horse to beat,” said Trond Smedshammer, who trains both Mr Pine Chip and Blue Mac Lad. “I was very happy. Mr Pine Chip is a horse that doesn’t know where the wire is; he just keeps coming at the end of the mile and horses like that will just do a lot of good. Blue Mac Lad showed he had a lot of talent last year, and he’s a super horse.”

Mr Pine Chip already captured the $375,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial Final on July 15 at the Meadowlands.

In the second division Here Comes Herbie, driven by Smedshammer, held off the late charge of 4-5 Chocolatier for a length and a quarter victory in a career best of 1:52 flat. Berto Primo was third by five and a half lengths. Capetown Hall [fourth] and Race Fan [fifth] advance to the final.

Here Comes Herbie set the pace and controlled the fractions to post his third win with one third in five starts this year. The son of Credit Winner races for the Cutting Edge Stable of Port Perry, Ontario and has earnings of $180,215.

“I didn’t really like the way the race was on paper with me taking back,” said Smedshammer. “I figured I was going to end up first up with Chocolatier from the five-hole so I took a chance and tried to get everybody in the hole. The horse felt very good. I was thinking about letting RC Royalty go, but he hasn’t been that strong lately and I didn’t want to get stuck in behind. And then I saw Chocolatier get in a little traffic trouble behind him on the last turn so I figured I’d get a little jump on him.”

Passionate Glide Continues her Winning Ways
Passionate Glide, the divisional champion at two, and longshot Emantee won their respective $50,000 elimination race on Saturday afternoon and advance with eight other three-year-old trotting fillies to the $750,000 Hambletonian Oaks on August 5 at the Meadowlands.

Passionate Glide, sent off as the 1-9 favorite, has won all six of her starts this year, seven straight and 11 of 17 lifetime. She has only finished worse than second once in her life.

“We just wanted to get around her as easy possible and not stretch her and win by as little as we had to,” said Ron Pierce, who pilots Passionate Glide for trainer Jimmy Takter. “I wouldn’t say she’s 100 percent. She has a couple little issues that I’m sure Jimmy will have no trouble getting straightened out. [There were] no anxious moments at all. Jimmy told me not win by more than a length so I just kind of chased her home a little bit; I didn’t really step on
the gas. I sure hope she can go seven-for-seven.”

Passionate Gilde finished a neck up on Celebrity Sweedie in the 1:56.2 mile. Velma K was third by three and a quarter. Miss Wisconsin [fourth] and Workout Doll [fifth] also earned spots in the final. Takter did raise one cautionary note about Passionate Glide, who has banked $975,447 lifetime for owner-breeder Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky.

“I’m very concerned about her hamstring muscle on her right side,” noted Takter. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do about it for next week.”

Emantee Takes Second Oaks Elim
Emantee rallied for a four-length victory over Simple Task in a career best of 1:55.3 for the mile in the secodn Hambo Elim. Quick Credit was third by six lengths. Also earning their way into the final were KD Girl [fourth] and Mai Tai [fifth].

“After I left the gate, she crossed over pretty good and I was able to conserve a lot of energy until the head of the lane,” said Brian Sears, the driver of Emantee. “I never had to use after that, so she fired home good. She’s a nice little filly. She’s got handy speed, with a trip like that she shows up. [To win,] Passionate Glide definitely has to be off her game next week, but if things work out, you never know.”

“She raced good,” Smedshammer said of Emantee. “She got in a good position and opened up. She has good tactical speed. I don’t know what happened to her in the Delvin Miller Final [in which she finished seventh], she drew a complete clunker. But she seems to be back in there.”

Emantee, owned by Barry Goldstein of Hewlett, New York, Steven Shapiro of Farmingdale, New York and Marc Goldberg of Woodmere, New York, now has two wins and two seconds in six starts this year. The daughter of Banker Hall has earned $78,175 lifetime.