The
son of Yankee Glide has drawn into the first race, the first of five opening
leg divisions of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotters.
The colts and geldings occupy the first, second and fifth races while the
fillies are carded as the third and sixth. The purses range from $17,000
to $20,500.
Vic
Smith is also making his debut racing for owner Margareta Carlberg’s Mea Trav
Inc. of East Windsor, NJ, which acquired the colt on March 28 from the
partnership of the Andy Miller Stable and Baron Racing Stable.
Julie
Miller continues to train the colt, and Andy Miller is back in the sulky of Vic
Smith who earned $213,275 last season with six wins, two seconds and one third
from 11 starts.
The
Hambletonian hopeful took his 1:56 mark at Vernon Downs, winning an elimination
of the Kindergarten Series a week before finishing second in the $200,500 final
on October 28.
His
richest victory came in the $175,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final on July 16 at
the Meadowlands, where he posted a 1:56.1 mile in his four and three-quarter
length tally over Big Chocolate.
“Larry
[Baron[ and I decided if someone came up with a great offer, and it was worth
our while, we would sell him,” Miller told Harness Racing Communications on the
day of the sale. “Ole Bach had some Swedish interests that were looking
for a nice three-year-old trotting colt, and that’s how it all developed.
It still was a tough decision because even though it’s a business, when you’re
with the horses day-to-day, you become attached to them, especially when a
horse you’ve picked out at a yearling sale [for $30,000] has a great
two-year-old year, and you are expecting a phenomenal three-year-old year.”
Vic
Smith will leave from post four and is rated 5-2 in the morning line. The
3-2 early favorite is another son of Yankee Glide, Gym Tan Laundry, who
defeated Vic Smith in the Kindergarten Final. Market Share, who had his
unbeaten streak snapped at six when he broke stride in the Dexter Cup on May 5
at Freehold, drew into the fifth race division and will leave from post eight in
his Meadowlands debut.
Three-year-old
pacers – colts and fillies – will be spotlighted in New Jersey Sire Stakes
action on Saturday, May 19 at the Meadowlands.
