BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS,
NY, Thursday, July 21, 2016—In theory, it’s an Open Handicap. For Resolve, it’s
also an audition.
The
millionaire trotter makes a rare Yonkers Raceway appearance Saturday night
(July 23), remanded outside of his six rivals in the $45,000 Open Handicap.
The
weekly featured trot, going as the sixth of 12 races, brings arguably North
America’s best trotter to Westchester for the first time since the 2014 Yonkers
Trot (second in elim, third [to Nuncio] in half-million-dollar final).
It
was Nancy Johansson training him then, it’s Ake Svanstedt training and driving
him now. The 5-year-old son of Muscle Hill is going to be 29 days removed from
his last start, a down-the-road, 1:52.2 effort in the $200,000 Cutler Memorial
at the Meadowlands.
The
time between works nights does not concern Svanstedt.
“I'm
not worried at all about he have some weeks off,” Svanstedt answered in an
e-mail ‘questionnaire’ with himself and assistant trainer Oskar Florhed. “It
was (26 days) between his races in the Elitlopp (second in both elim and final)
and (the Cutler).
“He
has trained well at home and Ake had him go faster this week, so he should be
fine.”
While
the winner’s share of the 45-large would pay the bills for a while, Svanstedt
has his eyes gazing at a much bigger prize, as in the $1 million Yonkers
International Trot Oct. 15.
“It's
true,” he said. “In this race, I’m going to show everyone that he can handle a
half-mile track, so hopefully he can get a invite.
“Maybe
he will race in a similar (Open Handicap) race one more time before that.”
As far as any equipment changes, “Shoes this time on all four feet.
Last race,
he raced barefoot upfront, but he will be fine with that, no problem.”
The field for Saturday night’s Open Handicap Trot (all post assigned)…1-Money
Maven (Andy Miller), 2-E R Ellie (Larry Stalbaum), 3-Muscle Up the Goal (Brian
Sears), 4-Lady’s Dude (George Brennan), 5-Undercover Strike (Tyler Buter),
6-Shake it Cerry (Dan Dube), 7-Resolve (Ake Svanstedt).
