The third edition of the modern day Hambletonian Maturity will go
post ward Saturday, July 16 at The Meadowlands with a field of 11 four-year-old
trotters competing for a purse of $471,200.
Ten eligible trotters plus a $50,000 supplement by the connections
of the latest Indiana-sired sensation, distaffer Hannelore Hanover, comprise
the field of 11.
Musical Rhythm, who won a Graduate leg at Mohawk Raceway and the
$250,000 Final at The Meadowlands in 1:51.2 last Saturday, leads the field for
trainer Ben Baillargeon. With 12 victories in 14 starts and $270,573 this year,
a win with Musical Rhythm would give driver John Campbell consecutive victories
in the Hambletonian Maturity, following his successful steer with JL Cruze,
also a racetime supplement, last year.
A son of 1998 Breeders Crown freshman champ Musical Victory and sire
Cantab Hall, Musical Rhythm was a $33,000 Standardbred Mixed Horse Sale
purchase at Harrisburg last November for owner/trainer Ben Baillargeon, Claude
Hamel and Santo and Nunzio Vena.
“He is amazing us,” said Baillargeon after Musical Rhythm’s Graduate
Final victory from post 10, setting a new lifetime mark of 1:51.2.
“I go to the sale and look for young trotters with speed – I don’t
care if they make breaks because I think I can fix them- but they have to show
some speed. This guy was maybe a little guy when he went through the ring as a
yearling but he fit what I was looking for and in my price range.
“Both times down at the Meadowlands, I don’t know what happened,
he didn’t get a good trip but he went a hell of a mile Saturday night,”
continued Baillargeon.
“Because he won in 1:52 in March I was able to stake him to the
Graduate, Crawford and Allerage, although I originally wanted him to just stay
in 4-year-old races.”
Though Baillargeon has returned to his home base in Ontario, his
daughter Sara is headquartered at Magical Acres training center in New Jersey
with Musical Rhythm.
Hannelore Hanover joins Bee A Magician (second in 2014) and Shake
It Cerry (third in 2015) as the only mares to start in the Maturity against the
males. The $50,000 supplemental decision was “kinda easy” according to trainer
Ron Burke.
“We’ve had to count on her to do everything we planned on Mission
Brief doing this year and she has really come through,” said Burke. “Her last two wins were in complete shutdown
mode without her ever being asked, and everyone who has driven her believes she
can trot in 1:49. She just won at Mohawk in 1:51, so that’s not out of the
question.
“It’s a lot of money to put up, but she’s made a lot so we are
kind of playing with our own money here. She has been just unbelievable this
year – and no other horse shows the kind of miles she’s been doing.”
Now four, the daughter of Swan For All – High Sobriety has joined Indiana stand outs like Wiggle It Jiggleit, Freaky Feet Pete, Always Be Miki and Color’s A Virgin in beating the best North America has to offer. Ironically, Hannelore Hanover’s sole loss this year came in her home state to the mare Allie Labrook. Otherwise she has picked up stake wins in the Miami Valley Distaff, Armbro Flight and Miss Versatility.
Burke will also start Crazy Wow for Our Horse Cents Stable, JT45, Silva Stables and Deo Volente Stable. A winner of $1.2 million lifetime, Crazy Wow has struggled to find his stride this year but put it together in an overnight race last Friday, scoring in 1:51.2.
Ake Svanstedt will start three trotters: Centurion ATM, Crescent
Fashion and Honor And Serve. Svanstedt won the first edition of the Maturity in
2014 with Your So Vain.
Muscle Up The Goal comes in off a second-place finish to Obrigado
in the Cleveland Trotting Classic an open race. Trained by Chris Beaver to more
than $300,000 in earnings in just 25 lifetime starts, the son of Muscle
Mass-Tag’s Goal will be making his first start at The Meadowlands.
2015 Hambletonian winner Pinkman was not entered, but Jimmy Takter
has representation in Canepa Hanover. Trainer Luc Blais who has a history of
sending out longshot winners has entered Lookslikeachpndale, a lightly-raced
son of Muscle Hill; George Ducharme could be the first trainer in modern times
to send out a Hambletonian winner [Royalty For Life in 2013] and a Maturity
winner should Wings Of Royalty step up; and Tom Fanning adds Fashion Creditor
for owner Joe Smith to round out the field.
All starters in the race will
receive money, with the winner receiving 50% of the purse. One percent of the
total purse will be paid to the owners of the finalist finishing sixth thru
eleventh. The remainder of the purse for the Maturity will be divided
50-24-16-10% for the horses finishing second through fifth.
Post positions will be drawn later this afternoon with the rest of
the sensational Meadowlands card which features the Crawford Farms Meadowlands
Pace, Mistletoe Shalee, Stanley Dancer Memorial, Delvin Miller Memorial, Golden
Girls, Miss Versatility and the WR Haughton Memorial.
The 11-horse field, in alphabetical order, is below:
Canepa Hanover
Centurion ATM
Crazy Wow
Crescent Fashion
Creditor
Hannelore Hanover (S)
Honor And Serve
Lookslikeachipndale
Muscle Up The Goal
Musical Rhythm
Wings Of Royalty
