by Mike
Farrell, for the Meadowlands
EAST
RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Wellwood family finally tasted Hambletonian
glory as Marion Marauder captured the $1 million trotting classic on
Saturday afternoon at the Meadowlands.
Rising star
Scott Zeron delivered a confident drive, becoming the eighth reinsman to take
the Hambo in their first try.
On a day
threatened by severe weather, it was all blue skies in the winner’s circle for
the jubilant connections as Marion Marauder followed his elimination win with a
thrilling victory by a nose over Southwind Frank, last season’s divisional
champion.
Team Wellwood,
starting with the late Hall of Famer Bill Wellwood, had chased this dream for a
long time. This was their 10th try for the trophy.
His daughter
Paula trained the colt to his sixth win in seven starts this season. With the victory
in the world’s most famous harness race, Paula Wellwood joined Linda Toscano as
the only women to train a Hambletonian champion.
The race
unfolded with Sutton firing out hard to take the early lead. Southwind Frank
came calling down the backstretch to take control, before yielding to Bar
Hopping, winner of the other elimination.
That left
Marion Marauder with a demanding a first-over trip. Zeron skillfully sent
Marion Marauder after the leader.
And his colt
was game, right to the wire.
Bar Hopping weakened
in deep stretch but there was one more challenge awaiting as Southwind Frank
came firing through an opening along the pylons.
The colts hit
the wire together, leaving Paula Wellwood in shock and speechless.
“It was so
close,” she said. “I was watching in the paddock. I knew where he was, I knew
he came first up and had taken over the lead. Everybody was saying it was too
close to call.”
And then came
the magic moment: Marion Marauder’s number was first on the tote board.
“He hung tough
to win by a nose,” Zeron said. “It was amazing. They (the Wellwoods) have
trained trotters their whole lives. Everything leads up to this point. The
pressure is all on the Hambletonian, and the horse delivered. I can’t believe
it.”
There was a
judge’s inquiry as Southwind Frank skipped off-stride past the wire. There was
no change in the order of finish.
Sutton was
third followed by Waitlifter K, Bar Hopping, Milligan’s School, Lagerfeld, Iron
Mine Bucky, The Royal Harry and Maven’s Way.
Marion
Marauder paid $7 to win as the 5-2 third choice. The winning time was 1:51.4.
Marion
Marauder, a son of 2009 Hambletonian winner Muscle Hill, earned
$500,000 in the final for the team of Marion Wellwood, Bill’s widow, and Devin
Keeling, Paula’s son.
