Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Sand Vic Wins $200,000 Titan Cup

Sand Vic and driver Brian Sears trotted a stakes record of
1:51.2 to win the $200,000 Titan Cup Final Saturday.

July 8, 2006

Sand Vic trotted a stakes record 1:51.2 to win the $200,000 Titan Cup Final, Saturday night at the Meadowlands. The five-year-old son of Mr Vic eclipsed the mark of 1:51.3 shared by Fool’s Goal [2002] and Mr Muscleman [2005], getting up for a three-quarter-length victory over Elegant Man, with Corleone Kosmos third by a length.

“They were mixing it up early,” said winning driver Brian Sears. “Roger [Hammer with Vivid Photo] was racing his horse pretty aggressive. I couldn’t ask for a better trip than following Elegant Man. He raced a tough trip first over, and he was able to take me to the head of the lane. With the cover trip my horse got, he was real brave. This horse has gone there [1:51.2 mile] before. He’s very talented, very good gaited. He gets over the ground real easy.”

“He got more mentally tougher [this year],” noted trainer Trond Smedshammer. “The competition, there’s no Mr Muscleman to battle against. This was a very good horse last year making $500,000 and trotting 1:52 each week. He just put it together more this year. The way the race set up, you can’t close from fourth over [Strong Yankee, Smedshammer’s other Titan Cup entrant who finished seventh]. They came home 27.4 in a 1:51.2 mile. There are no horses that can make up that ground.”

Sand Vic, racing for August Miedel of Pompano Beach, Florida, posted his fourth win with two seconds in six starts this year. He had been winless with six seconds and three thirds in 14 tries in 2005. Lifetime, the trotter has now banked $982,322.

$200,000 Titan Cup The Meadowlands: Race 6 Saturday, July 8, 2006
PP Horse                Driver
2 Sand Vic                Brian Sears
1 Elegant Man           Cat Manzi
3 Corleone Kosmos   John Campbell
8 Hez Striking           Ron Pierce
5 Vivid Photo            Roger Hammer
7 Muscles Marinara   Andy Miller
4 Strong Yankee      Yannick Gingras
6 Sir Perserverence George Brennan
9 Self Professed      Mike Lachance
27.1      :55.      1:23.3      1:51.2