by James Witherite, Vernon
Downs racing media
Vernon, N.Y. -- Bar Hopping
and Trolley, the respective runners-up in the Stanley Dancer and Earl Beal
Memorial events, are set to square off in the $300,000 main event of Sunday
(July 24) evening's Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial at Vernon Downs.
Bar Hopping, one of three
Jimmy Takter trainees to make the ninth-race main event, arrives at the Miracle
Mile after chasing Marion Marauder to take second in a $153,250 Dancer Memorial
split at the Meadowlands on the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace undercard.
While just a 2-time winner in 16 career tries, the son of Muscle Hill has
amassed nearly a quarter million dollars in career earnings and top-four
placings in the Beal and Goodtimes stakes as well. Tim Tetrick is nominated to
drive Bar Hopping once again for the partnership of Christina Takter, the
Hatfield Stables, Marvin Katz, and Al Libfeld.
Among the eight 3-year-old
colts and geldings Bar Hopping will square off against is the lightly raced but
mighty impressive Trolley, a son of Donato Hanover from the Erv Miller stable.
Prior to a respectable effort to make belated gains from last behind divisional
standout Southwind Frank in his Dancer split, he sustained pursuit of that same
rival in the $500,000 Earl Beal Memorial at Pocono on July 2. In just six
starts, Trolley has amassed over $173,000 in career earnings. Marcus Miller
once again drives Trolley for Paymaq Racing, Mathias, Gillis, and Willinger.
Pennsylvania Sire Stakes
standouts Hititoutofthepark (Corey Callahan nominated) and Love Matters (Brett
Miller), Ontario invader Blenheim (Chris Christoforou), and New York Sire
Stakes contender Smalltownthrowdown (Dan Daley) are other notable entrants.
Trotting fillies contest a
$140,000 main event in race seven, with six of the nine entered mainly
campaigning on the New York Sire Stakes circuit thus far this season--including
Empire Breeders Classic runner-up Swinging Royalty. The marquee filly of the
group is 7-time winner Womans Will (Andy Miller nominated), a dead-heat winner
in the $95,250 Delvin Miller Memorial at the Meadowlands last week, sharing
victory in 1:54.2 after making all the pace. Julie Miller trains the Donato
Hanover filly for Al Libfeld and Marvin Katz.
In addition to the Zweig
events, 14 New York-sired 3-year-old pacing fillies will vie for a combined
$120,400 in twin Sire Stakes events. Multiple stakes winners American Ivy (Andy
Miller) and Soft Idea (Jason Bartlett) square off in race 5, while Time On My
Hands (Bartlett) headlines the seventh race.
Post time for the 14-race
Zweig card on Sunday evening is 6:45 p.m. Eastern.
