by James Witherite, Meadowlands racing
media
East Rutherford, N.J. – While Always B
Miki’s curtain call in the $400,000 TVG Free-For-All Pace is rightfully bound
to garner great attention on Saturday (November 12) evening’s 12-race card at
The Meadowlands, the showdown between Hannelore Hanover and Bee a Magician in
the $200,000 TVG Mares Trot just two races earlier has all the makings of a
race for the ages.
In the Mares Trot, carded as race 4,
quadruple millionaire Bee a Magician looks to avenge her defeat to Hannelore
Hanover in the Breeders Crown. The 6-year-old daughter of Kadabra, who has
earned more than any other trotter on North American soil in harness racing
history, has drawn widest in the field of seven, with regular driver Brian
Sears once again at the lines for trainer Richard “Nifty” Norman. A 45-time
winner in her career, Bee a Magician has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line
second choice.
Her main adversary, Hannelore Hanover,
is the 7-5 early favorite after wins in the Breeders Crown, Centaur Trotting
Classic, Muscle Hill, and Fresh Yankee as part of a season in which she made
over a million dollars. Yannick Gingras will drive the 4-year-old Swan for All
mare for Ron Burke. Among the others to square off are Jimmy Takter trainee
Shake It Cerry (David Miller, 5-1, post one) and 2015 Breeders Crown champion
D’One (Tim Tetrick, 6-1, post six).
Always B Miki leads a field of seven in
the Free-For-All Pace, carded as the night’s sixth event. The fastest pacer of
all time—by virtue of his 1:46 mile at the Red Mile in October—has been
installed the 1-5 morning line favorite in his career finale, and David Miller
will once again drive the Takter trainee from post three. US Pacing Championship
winner Shamballa (Scott Zeron, post seven) is the 6-1 second choice.
In the $200,000 Mares Pace, the eighth
event of the evening, Lady Shadow has been installed as the 4-5 morning line
favorite from post three in the field of nine. Gingras once again drives the
5-year-old daughter of Shadow Play for trainer Ron Adams after they teamed up
for a resounding 1:49.4 win in the Breeders Crown. In fact, the race shapes up
as a reprise of the distaff Crown, with the top six finishers all returning.
Save for the Mares Trot, the most
compelling matchup of the night may well come in the $400,000 Free-For-All
Trot, carded as race 10. Three-year-old Breeders Crown champion Bar Hopping
rises to challenge older foes, to include International Trot winner Resolve and
Crawford Farms Trot winner Obrigado in the field of eight. Bar Hopping returns
to the Big M after victory in the Erskine at Hoosier last week, and Tetrick
retains the drive on the Takter trainee. The son of Muscle Hill starts from
post three as the 4-1 morning-line second choice, while Resolve has been
installed the 7-5 favorite for trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt from post 6.
From a wagering standpoint, a combined
$105,000 in guaranteed Pick 4 and Pick 5 pools are included on the menu, as
well as a pair of 20¢ Jackpot Super Hi-5 wagers. First post is slated for 7:15
p.m. Eastern.
