The Meadowlands - As the 2017 Championship Meet at The Meadowlands
draws to it's August 5 conclusion, the stakes action increases to a fever
pitch.
Friday night brings with it elimination races for the track's top
freshman trotting races, the Peter Haughton and Jim Doherty Memorials.
The Peter Haughton drew fourteen declarations, necessitating a
pair of seven colt elims, the first of which comes in race six while the
Doherty fillies number 16 and race in the ninth and tenth.
Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Takter has entered six of his freshmen
trotters in the Haughton and sends out the top three morning line choices in
the first division, led by the $350,000 Muscle Hill yearling purchase You Know
You Do. The colt breezed through his Meadowlands morning trials and a PA All
Stars division before tasting defeat in a PASS at Harrah's in his latest start.
You Know You Do races for the partnership of Howard Taylor, Order
By Stable, Bud Hatfield, Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld and leaves form the rail
for driver Yannick Gingras.
The second division (race eight) contains a really talented bunch
of trotting colts that include NJSS champ You Need Stones from the Ronnie Burke
barn and PASS winner Met's Hall, the slight ML choice for the Millers.
You Need Stones had his way with three other Jersey-breds
throughout the sparsely attended sires stakes but he did that in very
impressive fashion. He trotted to a fast 1:55.2 in each of his last two
starts with 27 and change last quarters in both, compelling his connections
to take a crack against open company. You Need Stones gets introduced to a new
driver in Tim Tetrick on Friday and starts from post six for owner / breeders
Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and Larry Karr.
Met's Hall has also won all of his races, including two stakes in
Pennsylvania the most recent in track record time of 1:55.1 at Harrahs. The
sharp looking Cantab Hall colt is owned by Stroy Inc and the Andy Miller
Stable, trained by Julie and driven by Andy Miller.
Trainer George Ducharme has enjoyed remarkable success with
trotters including a Hambletonian win in 2013 with Royalty For Life. This year
George brings his filly Hey Livvy to The Meadowlands as the favorite in
the first Doherty division (race nine). She's a speedy Donato Hanover lass the
Ducharme and long-time owner (and a partner on Royalty For Life) Paul Fontaine
paid the bargain price of $35,000 for at the Lexington sales last fall. Brian
Sears drives Hey Livvy from post six.
Takter and Gingras team up again in the second Doherty split with
the unbeaten Muscle Hill filly Manchego (PP #2). In a field of fast,
talented fillies Manchego is the fastest thus far with a 1:54.4 win a PA Sires
action at Pocono. She's been perfect through all five of her public appearances
for owners Black Horse Racing, John Fielding and Herb Liverman but faces her
toughest test to date on Friday.
The top five official finishers from all eliminations will move on
to next week's rich finals on Hambletonian Day.
The undercard has several interesting contests led by a powerful
field of Open trotters in race two that includes the return of 2015
Hambletonian winner Pinkman, 2016 Breeders Crown champ Flanagan Memory and
speedy import Tuonoblu Rex as they prepare for the upcoming Cashman Memorial.
Open pacing mares are also on the card in anticipation of the Lady
Liberty stake. Golden Girls winner Nike Franco N leads seven others in the
$20,000 seventh race.
Just when it seemed things just couldn't get any better they did
with Friday's Christmas In
July promotion where gift cards will be awarded to lucky sweepstakes
winners.
For the horseplayer Friday is a "Must Pay" night on the
fifth race Jackpot
Super Hi 5 carryover of $35,864. For the uninitiated that translates to a
$35,864 head-start in that pool which will grow quickly with new money.
Post time is 7:15 p.m.
