Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Vivid Photo Wins Titan Cup

June 30, 2007

After sweating out a judge's inquiry, Vivid Photo was crowned the winner of the $240,000 Titan Cup on Saturday night at the Meadowlands. Driver Roger Hammer let Vivid Photo relax behind the pacesetter Sand Vic as he led the field through fractions of 27, 56 and 1:24.1. They darted through an opening in the stretch and, in a duel to the finish, bested John Campbell and Corleone Kosmos by a neck in 1:52.1.

A judge's inquiry was launched after Vivid Photo appeared to bear out in the stretch drive, interfering with Corleone Kosmos, but no fault was found. Hammer's strategy entering the race changed when Titan Cup prep winner Mr Muscleman was scratched lame just prior to the race.

"I had my whole day planned, my strategy, but then he got scratched," Hammer said. "I threw it up in the air then. Last week I stayed up on Muscleman's back. They knew I had a strong horse and they had me trapped in, so this week I stayed off and played dead. We were just racing I guess my horse came out a little bit and John's came in a little bit. We never actually touched each other.

"He had a coffin bone infection [earlier this spring]," Hammer added. "He raced about 80 percent. He goes to Monticello in nine days, if I take him. If not, I'll just wait for the Nat Ray [August 4 at the Meadowlands]."

One of racing's great underdogs, Vivid Photo was a little-known gelding who took Hammer and co-owner Todd Schadel on a miraculous journey from the Pennsylvania fair circuit to the winner's circle of the $1.5 million Hambletonian in 2005 at the Meadowlands. Now five, Vivid Photo has won 30 of his 57 career starts and earned nearly $2.3 million.

The early favorite heading into Saturday night's Titan Cup, Mr Muscleman was scratched just an hour before the race.

"He wasn't good tonight warming up," trainer Noel Daley said of Mr Muscleman. "He's never perfect warming up, but he just wasn't himself, so we decided to scratch him and just get him ready for the Nat Ray. He was turning his head and he was worse than usual. He just wasn't himself tonight."

Vivid Photo (above) captured the $240,000 Titan
Cup Saturday Night at The Meadowlands in 1:52.1

$240,000 Titan Cup The Meadowlands Saturday, June 30, 2007
PP Horse                          Driver
3 Vivid Photo                     Roger Hammer
6 Corleone Kosmos              John Campbell
1 Ripped                              Andy Miller
4 Sand Vic                           Brian Sears
8 Man About Town                Tim Tetrick
5 Hez Striking                      George Brennan
9 Swan Image                      David Miller
2 Bacardi Lindy                     Cat Manzi
:27      :56      1:24.1      1:52.1
Scratched: Mr Muscleman