By Carol Hodes
MANALAPAN,
NJ – November 19, 2014 – The dreaded 10-hole has landed on In The Arsenal like
a 100 megaton bomb.
It
was the two-year-old pacing colt’s fate in last week’s Breeders Crown
eliminations, and driver Brian Sears fired him off the gate, utilizing a 26.3
opening quarter to take the lead and cut the fractions.
In
the end, the 3-5 favorite tired and finished third by a length, snapping his
winning streak at four.
“It
was a tough first quarter out of the 10-hole,” trainer Kelvin Harrison said of
the elimination race. “You get a lot of horses leaving, and it was a
tough spot. He didn’t really settle that well after that. He raced
very well, considering. He was three-deep for most of it.”
So
when the over-sized ping pong balls were pulled at Tuesday’s post position
draw, it was despair for Harrison, a long-time member of the Standardbred
Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey Board of Directors.
Fate
had stuck her finger in Harrison’s eye.
In
The Arsenal will have to overcome post 10 again in the $500,000 Breeders Crown
Colt & Gelding Pace, one of the eight divisions carded on Saturday night,
November 22, 2014 at the Meadowlands. Four of the finals will occupy
slots on the Friday night program.
“When
you draw a bad post, you have to depend on someone else’s luck,” Harrison
said. “You’ve got to rely on the trip, the luck. You don’t win the
Breeders Crown from the 10.”
Occasionally,
winners do overcome outside post positions, but everyone knew what Harrison
meant.
In
The Arsenal, a son of American Ideal – LadyOTRA, was made the 4-1 third choice
behind elim winners Go Daddy Go [5-2 from post five] and Traceur Hanover [7-2
from post two].
Bred
by White Birch Farm of Allentown, NJ, In The Arsenal was bought back out of the
Harrisburg Sale when he only drew $7,500 in the bidding. He was a
smallish yearling, according to Harrison, and the 14th foal out of
her 21-year-old dam.
Michael
Parisi’s White Birch turned the colt over to Harrison to train and, thus far,
it was fortuitous to be “stuck” with In The Arsenal as he has banked $271,318
this year.
In
The Arsenal has six wins in his 10 starts: the elims and final of the LB
Sheppard at Yonkers in July, a division of the Bluegrass and the International
Stallion Stakes at the Red Mile in the early fall, a Goshen Cup division of the
Historic Series at Harrah’s Philadelphia on October 12 and the Matron Stakes at
Dover Downs on November 7.
In
The Arsenal’s 1:49.4 mile on September 27 in Lexington has made him the only
sub 1:50 two-year-old this year.
Harrison,
64, was born in Methuen, New Zealand, but is based in Bordentown, NJ and racing
in New Jersey since the late 1970s.
He
is not new to this rodeo. He has had seven prior Breeders Crown entrants,
including Born Storyteller, who was second in the Mares Pace Final in 2006, and
Free, who was third in the Mares Pace Final in 2007. He is looking for
his first Breeders Crown champion.
Harrison
trainees have earned nearly $12 million, including $560,419 this year, his best
since 2008 when his stable exceed $900,000 in earnings for the second straight
season.
Some
of his other top performers have included Direct Flight, 1991 Interdominion
winner Dare You Too, 1989 Woodrow Wilson winner San Francisco Ben and
Frightening P.
White
Birch Farm is no stranger to the Breeders Crown winner’s circle. It bred
two of the 2013 winners, Horse of the Year Bee A Magician and two-time Pacer of
the Year Captaintreacherous.
In
The Arsenal is driven by Brian Sears, who has a record of 24 Breeders Crown
wins – 44 of 107 on-the-board -- for $9.7 million in purse money.
The
Two-Year-Old Colt Pace will be the seventh race on the 13-race card.
The
draw, with driver, trainer and morning line, prior to scratches and changes:
1-Cooperstown-Matt
Kakaley-Ron Burke- 20-1
2-Traceur
Hanover-Andy Miller-Corey Johnson-7-2
3-Lyons
Levi Lewis-Ron Pierce-Ron Burke-8-1
4-Franzo-Scott-Zeron-Jimmy
Takter-20-1
5-Go
Daddy Go–John Campbell-Robert McIntosh-5-2
6-Sicily-George
Brennan-Nikolas Drennan-20-1
7-Tomy
Terror-Corey Callahan-John Butenschoen-8-1
8-Soto-Brett
Miller-Jimmy Takter-30-1
9-Lost
For Words-David Miller-Brian Brown-9-2
10-In
The Arsenal-Brian Sears-Kelvin Harrison-7-2
