The Meadowlands - The
Meadowlands Saturday night card is loaded with fast horses racing for big
money.
The track's signature race, the
Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace, drew thirteen declarations resulting in a
single ten horse $50,000 elimination race. The top seven finishers
from that race will join Downbytheseaside, Classic Pro and
Miso Fast who were granted a bye into the $738,550 final on July
15.
Although Huntsville
was offered a bye based on 2017 earnings, trainer Ray Schnittker chose to
race his prize colt in the Pace elimination aiming to have him as sharp as
possible for the final. Another perk is a clause in the conditions
that rewards the elimination winner with drawing from post positions 1-6 for
the final. He'll leave from post position one for driver Tim Tetrick on
Saturday.
Huntsville was named last year's
top freshman after a season that saw him win the PASS and Breeders Crown finals
as well as the International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile in a world record
1:49 flat. He has returned in fine form at three, a winner in three of
five seasonal starts, was a close second in the North America Cup final
and comes in to the Pace fresh having bypassed Pocono's Hempt stakes.
Huntsville is owned by the
trainer along with partners Ted Gewertz, Steve Arnold and the late Charlie
Iannazzo.
The really big money this week
comes in the form of twin $240,000 Graduate Series finals. These finals close
out the series conceived to play a transitional role for
four-year-old horses as they "Graduate" from three-year-old competition
into the Free For All ranks.
Trotters are up first in race nine
where Marion Marauder returns to the scene of his greatest victory the $1
million Hambletonian, the first jewel in his magical Triple Crown season
of a year ago.
He's been brought
back purposefully by trainer Paula Wellwood with his first race of this
season a win in the Tioga leg of the Graduate in mid-June followed by a closing
third last week at Mohawk. He's drawn the far outside post nine for the final,
challenging driver Scott Zeron to map out a winning trip. Marion Wellwood and
Devin Keeling own the career winner of nearly $2 million.
The competition is led by Trolley,
Broadway Donna and Dayson, all of whom won preliminary legs and have had a
bit of a freshening leading into the final.
The Graduate Pacing final (race 11)
is going to be fun to watch. It's a very even field of ten awfully good horses,
many of them with an affinity for racing on or near the front. Something has
got to give.
Dr J Hanover (PP#4 Doug
McNair) won twice in three series starts including his epic
1:46.4 win in the Mohawk leg which is the fastest mile in the long and
distinguished history of Canadian harness racing.
Trainer Tony Alagna used a
qualifier to prep him with a bit of time between races and Dr J had to fight
right to the wire with a 26 flat last quarter to eek out a win, but he did it
and that had to sharpen his edge.
Owners Brad Grant, Robert LeBlanc,
Steve Wienick and Irv Samelman gave $280,000 for Dr J Hanover at the
Tattersalls sale in January.
It is not going to be easy for Dr J
what with fellow leg winners Sintra and Check Six lying in wait, Boston Red
Rocks poised to break from his bridesmaid role and speed merchants
Lyons Snyder and Western Fame posted inside and out.
The $41,880 Mary Reynolds Memorial
3YO filly trot opens the evening with six debutantes preparing for next
week's Del Miller Memorial and later, nine fleet pacing mares square off
in a $20,000 Preferred (race 7) led by Lady Shadow prepping for the Golden
Girls stake on Pace night.
As if that wasn't enough, we will
also get to see the enigmatic Walner make his first pari-mutuel appearance of
his sophomore season in the second race conditioned trot. The winter book
Hambletonian favorite has been vicious in morning trials and seems to have overcome those
pesky obstacles on his Hambo trail. Owner Ken Jacobs and trainer Linda
Toscano is likely as anxious anyone to see him race.
It all happens on Fan Appreciation night with fireworks after the
live races.
Early post time for this and next
Saturday is 6:30 p.m.