Outdoor seating available Hambletonian Day

A limited number of outdoor tables located on the promenade deck are available for Hambletonian Day, Saturday, August 4.

The tables are $300 and include admission, program and seating for 4. 

Those interested in purchasing a table should call Max Segal at 201-460-4050 or email NMR_Exec@playmeadowlands.com 

This Saturday gates open 10 am with first race at 12 noon.

For all things Hambletonian, visit www.playmeadowlands.com and www.hambletonian.org. 

Ken Warkentin's Final Road to the Hambletonian 2018

Rank	Horse	Driver, Trainer, Owner	Ken Warkentin’s Comments
1	Six Pack	Ake Svanstedt, Ake Svanstedt Inc, Little E, Stall Kalmar FF, Lars Berg	Star on the NYSS circuit fresh off a dazzling world record of 1:50 in a Dancer division, a close second in the Beal his only loss in six starts this season, Ake Svanstedt going for back-to-back Hambos
2	Wolfgang	Yannick Gingras, Jimmy Takter, Brixton Medical, Goran Falk, Hatfield Stables, Fair Island Farm, Inc.	Dominated his Dancer division in a career best of 1:51.2 after missing three weeks, three-for-three this season, Goodtimes winner leads the Takter battalion & could give Takter his fifth Hambo
3	Atlanta	Scott Zeron, Rick Zeron, Crawford Farms, Holland Racing Stable, Howard Taylor, Brad Grant	Fifth filly since 2000 to try the boys & would be the first to beat them since Continentalvictory in 1996, five-for-five this season, sporting a Vernon Downs track record of 1:50.3 in the EBC
4	Crystal Fashion	Tim Tetrick, Jim Campbell, Fashion Farms LLC	Consistent gelding for Jim Campbell with an 8 – 4-3-0 record this season, upset the Earl Beal, Jr. Memorial in a career best 1:51.4, tuned up with a 1:52.4 win in the Reynolds Memorial on July 28
5	You Know You Do	Yannick Gingras, Jimmy Takter, Howard Taylor, Order By Stable, Bud Hatfield, Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld, Sam Goldband	2017 Peter Haughton Memorial, a solid second to Six Pack [1:50.2] in the Dancer, second [1:50.2] in a Big M overnight against older horses before that, Takter back up plan peaking just right
6	Tactical Landing	Jimmy Takter, The Tactical Landing Stable	$800,000 brother to Hambo runner up Mission Brief could be Takter’s best reclamation project ever, scored his second straight win on July 20 in 1:52.3, looks ready for his test for class
7	Alarm Detector	Trevor Henry, Benoit Baillargeon, Thomas & Elizabeth Rankin, Claude Hamel & Santo Vena	Prepped with an easy 1:54 Mohawk qualifier on July 27, O’Brien Award winner came up sick & third [1:53.2] in the Goodtimes, set a fast pace & finished third [1:50.4] to Six Pack in the Dancer
8	Classichap	Trond Smedshammer, Purple Haze Stables	Has quickly blossomed for Trond Smedshammer, rallied for second [1:51.4] behind Wolfgang in the Dancer, held off Tactical Landing in 1:51.1 on July 6 @ The Big M for his only career win
9	Evaluate	Corey Callahan, Marcus Melander, Stall TZ Inc	Has the talent to bounce back from his first break (sloppy track) in the Tompkins Memorial @ Big M on July 21, PASS winner in 1:51.4, a strong fourth [1:52.2] in the Beal Final
10	Fourth Dimension	Brian Sears, Marcus Melander, Courant, Inc	2017 Dan Patch Award winner broke in two of only three starts this season, bounced back with a wire-to-wire 1:52.4 Big M qualifier on July 21 & has the credentials to iron things out in time

Eighteen Enter Hambletonian, Filly Atlanta Seeks To Make History

Seventeen colts and a lone filly entered the 93rd Hambletonian, to be raced as two $100,000 elimination heats for the $1 million final on Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.

Atlanta, a sophomore daughter of Chapter Seven-Hemi Blue Chip, trained and driven by the father-son team of Rick Zeron and Scott Zeron, will attempt to become just the 14th filly to win the Hambletonian title in its 93 years. The last filly to do so was the world champion Continentalvictory in 1996.

Post positions for the Hambletonian heats and the $500,000 final of the Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old female trotters will be drawn and morning lines assigned on a Facebook live post-position draw at 2 p.m. (EDT) on the Meadowlands Facebook page and also streamed live on the Meadowlands YouTube channel.

The top-five finishers in each Hambletonian elimination heat will advance to the same-day final later Saturday afternoon. Elimination winners draw for inside posts 1-5 and all other finalists will then be placed in an open draw. There is no Lasix or any race day medication permitted in the eliminations or finals of the Hambletonian Oaks or Hambletonian Open.

The $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks and $1 million Hambletonian will be featured on a live 90-minute broadcast on CBS Sports Network from 4-5:30 p.m. (EDT) on Saturday.

Below is the alpha list of entries to the Hambletonian.

First Leg of the Trotting Triple Crown; 3-Year-Old Colt Trot in 2018 - $1,000,000

ALPHA LIST

Horse	Sex	Trainer	Nominator
ALARM DETECTOR	C	Ben Baillargeon	T & E Rankin, C Hamel, S Vena
ATLANTA	F	Rick Zeron	Holland Rcg Stb, H Taylor, B Grant, Crawford
CLASSICHAP	C	Trond Smedshammer	Purple Haze Stbs LLC
CRYSTAL FASHION	G	Jim Campbell	Fashion Farms LLC
EVALUATE	C	Marcus Melander	Stall TZ Inc
FASHIONWOODCHOPPER	C	Jim Campbell	Fashion Farms LLC
FOURTH DIMENSION	C	Marcus Melander	Courant Inc
HAT TRICK HABIT	C	Scott DiDomenico	Fred Monteleone Stb LLC
LAWMAKER	C	Anthony MacDonald	The Stable Lawmaker Group
MET'S HALL	C	Julie Miller	Stroy Inc, Andy Miller Stable Inc
PATENT LEATHER	C	Jim Campbell	Fashion Farms LLC
SHOSHIE DEO	C	DeWayne Minor	Annemette Minor
SIX PACK	C	Ake Svanstedt	Svandstedt, Little E, Stall Kalmar FF, Berg
SOUTHWIND CHROME	C	Paula Wellwood	Dreamville Stable
TACTICAL LANDING	C	Jimmy Takter	The Tactical Landing Stable
WOLFGANG	C	Jimmy Takter	Brixton Medical, Hatfield Stbs, Fair Island Fm
YOU KNOW YOU DO	C	Jimmy Takter	Taylor, Order By Stb, Hatfield,Katz, Libfeld Goldband
ZEPHYR KRONOS	C	Jimmy Takter	A Libfeld, M Katz, P Soderberg, C Takter

17 Colts and 1 Filly

Hambletonian Day is closing day with a post time of 12:00 noon, and the zenith of the Championship Meet. Fans can follow the next two action-filled weekends at Hambletonian.com, meadowlandsracetrack.com and on Twitter at #Hambo18.

SPRINGSTEEN, HEAVENLY SOUND STAR IN MONDAY’S NYSS 172G BRUCE HAMILTON PACE

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

YONKERS, NY, Monday, July 29, 2018—One odds-on choice sizzled and one odds-on choice fizzled Monday night (July 30^th) during Yonkers Raceway’s $172,000 New York Sire Stakes Bruce Hamilton Pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings. 

The event once again honored the memory one of the state’s true get-it-done gentlemen, whose contributions to the industry were way too numerous to mention here.

The Monday sizzling was done by Springsteen (Dave Miller, $2.50), who sat a loose, second-over trip before closing ranks and powering away in the $85,250 first division.  

Away fourth from post position No. 2, Springsteen saw revved up polester Lyons Steel (Scott Zeron) set early fractions of :26.4 and :55.1. Topville Olympian (Brian Sears) then made his second move, prompted in and out of a 1:23.1 three quarters.

           Meanwhile, Springsteen was meandering behind Topville Olympian, taking his time to tag him before going wide in the final turn. He did take over, opening a length in and out of the final turn before widening to 2¾ lengths at the spiffy 1:51.1 wire.

Rootin’ Tootin’ (Mark MacDonald) was behind the winner and chased him home, with Topville Olympian, Twin B Tuffenuff (George Brennan) and Lyons Steel coming away with the minors.

For Springsteen, a Hempt-winning son of Rock N Roll Heaven co-owned (as Allard Racing) by (trainer) Rene Allard, Bruce Soulsby, Alan Weisenberg and Kapildeo Singh, it was his third win in seven seasonal starts. The exacta paid $10.20, the triple returned $19.80 and the superfecta paid $69.

“He’s at his best in the back end of the race,” Miller said. “I really thought they’d go (fractions of) :27 and :57, so when saw the first half, I figured we were in good shape.

“I’m just the passenger when he’s as good as he was tonight.”

Monday night’s second ($86,750) and final division, alas, didn’t charm the chalk players. Art Rooney Pace winner Trump Nation (Jason Bartlett), at 35-cent-on-the-dollar this evening, was ground into submission…as in last among the octet.

Sitting third early behind My Delight (Brent Holland) and Ghost Dance (Zeron), Trump Nation moved to the  lead between a :27.4 opening quarter-mile and :56.3 intermission.

That didn’t impress Ghost Dance, who took out of third to go after the people’s preference. Pole-sitting Heavenly Sound (Jim Marohn Jr.) was able to work from second-over. Ghost Dance draw even at the 1:24.1 three-quarters, sticking his nose out entering the lane.

Meanwhile, that duel just empowered Heavenly Sound ($14.80), who whipped a third-over Ostro Hanover (Miller) by a length in 1:52.4. My Delight crossed the line third, but was set down to fifth for lane interference. That lifted Stendahl Hanover (Marcus Miller) and Rockapelo (Sears) to third and fourth, respectively.

For third choice Heavenly Sound, a Rock N Roll Heaven colt owned by M&M Harness Racing and trained by Bruce Saunders, it was his fifth win in 15 ’18  tries. The exacta paid $92, the triple returned $970 and the superfecta paid $5,380.

“He negotiated the turns better here than his last start (Saratoga),” Saunders said. “We made a few equipment changes and the trip certainly didn’t hurt.”

Bruce Hamilton’s brothers, Scott (with daughter Faith) and Keith, joined in the winner’s circle presentations.    

New York Sire Stakes continue here Tuesday night (Aug. 7^th), with the Mike Cipriani Trot (3-year-old fillies).

YONKERS SETS SUNDAY POST TIME

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

YONKERS, NY, Monday, July 30, 2018—Yonkers Raceway’s Sunday matinee this weekend (Aug.5^th) shall again offer a first post of 12:30 PM.

Races 1 through 9 go as those overflow-field, mile-and-a-quarter ‘French’ trots, with the final post time as a TBA until the card is drawn Tuesday (July 31^st).

Post times for the ‘French’ races are as such…

1^st – 12:30 PM

2^nd – 1 PM

3^rd – 1:30 PM

4^th – 2 PM

5^th – 2:28 PM

6^th – 3:02 PM

7^th – 3:50 PM

8^th – 4:20 PM

9^th – 4:52 PM

Sunday’s ‘New York, New York Double’ races (one from Saratoga, one from Yonkers) are also TBA as of this writing. Updates provided when available.

After this weekend, the next Sunday matinee is August 12^th (post time…TBA).   

NAADA TO HOST THEIR ITALIAN COUNTERPARTS IN EARLY AUGUST

by John Manzi for NAADA

MONTICELLO, NY- For the third time this year the North American Amateur Drivers Association (NAADA) will be looking forward to hosting a contingent of European amateurs drivers. After competitions earlier this season against the Spaniards and the Hungarians the Americans are preparing to host amateur drivers from Italy in early August with competitions set for Yonkers Raceway on Sunday, August 4^th followed by a rivalry at Monticello Raceway on Tuesday, August 7^th.

NAADA will field a different team at each venue but the visiting Italians will drive at both tracks. And the Americans will have to be at the top of their game to compete with the veteran Italian drivers. Heading the visitors team is Zorzetto Otello who has 495 career wins. He'll be joined by Michelotto Piergiovanni (125 wins), Michelotto Roberto (81 wins) and Ruffato Raffaello (118 wins).

“We hosted them (the Italians) two years ago and they drove circles around us here in the States. But we got revenge when we out-drove them in Italy last season. And this year they might have to bring St Anthony of Padua with them if the want help in finding the winners circles here,” joked  Joe Faraldo, the president of NAADA.

The Italians will be arriving in the States on Thursday, August 2^nd and in the evening treated to dinner at Bruno's Ristorante in Howard Beach, NY.

However, prior to the upcoming International Challenge all local amateur clubs are assisting in securing drives for the four visiting Italians in the Hambletonian Amateur Races at the Meadowlands on Friday, August 3^nd. After the races there NAADA will entertain the visiting Italians with dinner at Guantanamera, a Cuban restaurant in New York City.

The following day (August 4) the visiting Italian contingent will watch the Hambletonian and then be NAADA's guests for dinner at the famous BBQ emporium, The Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem.

On Sunday, August 5^th the competitors will don their battle gear for a pair of races over the Hilltop oval and afterwards head to the Bronx for dinner at Zero Otto Nove.

Monday, August 6^th is reserved for shopping in the Big Apple and in the evening NAADA will take their counterparts to dinner at the River Palm Terrace Restaurant in nearby Mahwah, NJ.

The final races in the Italy v USA Challenge will be at Monticello Raceway on Tuesday, August 7^th. After the competitions there dinner will be at Yiasou Cafe in Liberty, NY.

Wednesday August 8^th is reserved a tour of Historic Track and the Harness Racing Museum in Goshen,NY and then for a shopping spree at Woodbury Common in nearby Central Valley.

Thursday the Italian contingent will return home.

Melodies Major remains unbeaten in NYSS win at Tioga Downs

John Horne for Tioga Downs.

Tioga Downs hosted three divisions of the NewYork Sire Stakes (NYSS) for freshman pacing colts and geldings on Sunday (7-29).

In the third division of the NYSS ($35,866), Melodies Major (Tyler Buter) won for the fourth time in four lifetime starts.

Melodies Major ($2.50) jumped out of the gate took the lead and never looked back (:27.2, :57.0, 1:24.3, 1:53.1).

Owned by Martin Scharf and trained by Mark Ford, he easily held off a charge from Jack Nation (Jim Morrill Jr) to win in a lifetime best mark.

Jack Nation was second best to Melodies Major for the third time in four starts.  Rockin Jimmy Brown (Marcus Miller) was third.

Melodies Major is a 2-year-old colt by Art Major-Hilarious.  All four of his wins have been in legs of the NYSS.

In the first division of the NYSS (36,566), Major Blake (Tim Tetrick) was much the best.

Major Blacke ($6.50) put in the fastest mile of the day.  Owned by Matthew Bencic, Howard Berke and trainer Sam Schillaci, he made every split a winning one

(:28.1, :57.3, 1:25.0, 1:51.4).  Hickfromfrenchlick (Ray Schnittker) followed all the way to finish second.  Reigning Deo (David Miller) was third best.

Major Blake is a 2-year-old colt by Art Major-Bet Your Life.  He put in the fastest mile of his life.  He now has two wins and one second in his career.  His second place finish came to Melodies Major.

Artie’s Ideal (Marcus Miller) was upset winner in the second division of the NYSS ($36,566).

In the most exciting race of the three, Buddy Hill (Scott Zeron) laid down all the early fractions (:28.2, :58.2, 1:26.3).

Arties Ideal ($12.00) was third at the half, went first over just before the three-quarter mark and ran down Buddy Hill in a great stretch drive to win in 1:54.1.

Buddy Hill had to settle for second money while Jet Rock (Mike Simons) finished third.

Arties Ideal is a 2year-old colt by American Ideal-Midnight Art.  Owned by Bay Pond racing Stable and trained by Erv Miller, he was a winner in his first lifetime start.

Tioga Downs returns to live racing on Friday (August 3) at 6:15 p.m.

For more information go to www.tiogadowns.com

ROSE RUN SYDNEY WINS SUNDAY 44G OPEN HANDICAP TROT

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

YONKERS, NY, Sunday, July 29, 2018—Lass Rose Run Sydney (Brian Sears, $6.10) beat the boys (and one other girl), then made ‘em cry Sunday afternoon (July 29^th), winning Yonkers Raceway’s featured $44,000 Open Handicap Trot.

The weekly trotting feature was a flat-mile event, contested a handful of races after the day’s four, mile-and-a-quarter, bigger-field ‘French’ forays.

Away fourth from assigned post position No. 5, Rose Run Sydney saw eight-baller In Secret (George Brennan) eschew a three-hole. That one made the lead around 17-10  favorite Mostinterestingman (Jordan Stratton) after a :27.2 opening quarter-mile.

It was a :56.4 intermission before ‘Sydney’ was and out and moving in the third turn. She engaged In Secret in an out of the 1:25.1 three-quarters, disposing of that one soon thereafter.

The lass opened a 2½–length lead in the lane, then whipped a pocket-extricating Mostinterestingman by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.2…a tick off her season and life-best effort.  In Secret was a stubborn third, with Madhatter Bluechip (Brent Holland) and the other lady, Weslynn Dancer (Jason Bartlett), coming away with the remainder.

It was one of Sears’ four wins during the dozen-race card.

For second choice Rose Run Sydney, a 4-year-old daughter of Triumphant Caviar co-owned by Steve Carter, Adam Friedland and RBR Racing and trained by Scott DiDomenico, it was his fourth win in 13 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $17.40, the triple returned $70 and the superfecta paid $168.

Sunday’s go-round of the ‘New York, New York Double’ featured a winning combination of 7-Glossy (Saratoga’s 3^rd race) and 4–Casa Palmera (Yonkers’ 5^th race), returning $7.60 for every correct $1 ticket. Total pool was $4,970.

The next Sunday matinee is Aug. 5^th (post time TBA).  

YONKERS HOSTS EMPIRE GLAMOUR GANG IN MONDAY’S 172G BRUCE HAMILTON PACE

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

YONKERS, NY, Sunday, July 28, 2018—Yonkers Raceway Monday night (July 30^th) hosts the $172,000 New York Sire Stakes Bruce Hamilton Pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings. 

Post time for the dozen-race card is 6:50 PM, with the sire stakes event going as races 7 (purse $85,250) and 8 (purse $86,750), respectively. The event again honors the memory of one of the true movers and shakers (not to mention a damn fine fellow) in the state’s harness program.

The opening event for the big boys offers some solid resumes, the haughtiest of which belongs to Springsteen (Dave Miller, post 2). The season has been highlighted by a win in the half-million-dollar final of Pocono’s Max Hempt Memorial (life-best 1:48.3).

He hits town, though, after faltering first-up in the his elim of the Adios. The son of Rock N Roll Heaven, co-owned (as Allard Racing)  by (trainer) Rene Allard, Bruce Soulsby, Alan Weisenberg and Kapildeo Singh. has two wins in six starts ($286,500).

Rootin’ Tootin’ (Mark MacDonald, post 6) has plied his craft versus statebreds, with sire stakes wins at Saratoga (life-best 1:52.1).  The Roll with Joe colt is co-owned by (trainer) Blake MacIntosh, Stuart McIntosh, Robert MacNeil and Fred Brayford.

Topville Olympian (Brian Sears, post 5) and Twin B Tuffenuff  (George Brennan, post 7) have both been bridesmaids in their last two statebred sojourns.   

Monday night’s second and final division finds the return of Art Rooney Pace winner Trump Nation (Jason Bartlett, post 2). The son of Betterthancheddar, who wired that $300,000 event in a life-best 1:51.3, comes back after sire stakes wins at Buffalo and Saratoga.

For the season, he’s 5-for-8 with $238,896 in the till for co-owners Evan Katz and Crawford Racing.

My Delight (Brent Holland, post 5) authored a 34-1 upset in a $23,066 division of the Reynolds here in mid-May, then won (at 14-1) a sire stakes event at Vernon (life-best 1:49.4). Ostro Hanover (Miller, post 7) tries it after a 10-1 statebred win at Saratoga.

Rockapelo (Sears, post 8) has hit the board in six of his eight ’18 tries, including a win (life-best 1:50.2)  in his $24,000 division of Tioga’s Geers.

BIT OF A LEGEND N WINS SATURDAY NIGHT 44G OPEN HANDICAP PACE

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

YONKERS, NY, Saturday, July 28, 2018—“Everywhere I drive people say to me, ‘This is my favorite horse.’ “

Such was Jordan Stratton’s post-race assessment after slight choice Bit of Legend N ($7) went last-to-first Saturday night (July 28^th), winning Yonkers Raceway’s featured $44,00 Open Handicap Pace.

Unsurprisingly away last from his eight-hole confinement, Bit of a Legend N watched the sort of scrum he needed develop.

Caviart Luca (George Brennan) made the first lead, looping Americanprimetime (Greg Merton). The latter then made the lead right at a :26.2 opening quarter-mile, then found a :55.1 intermission. Doctor Butch (Jason Bartlett) was situated third, while Barimah A (Brent Holland) moved first-up from fourth.

Givenupdreaming (Eric Goodell) chased from second-over, with Robbie Burns N (Joe Bongiorno) behind that one and Bit of a Legend N working from fourth-over. The octet tightened up in and out of a 1:23.3 three-quarters, with Robbie Burns N wide and Bit of a Legend N widest.

Americanprimetime owned a length lead into the lane, but company was coming. Robbie Burns N disposed of Americanprimetime, but Bit of a Legend N dispatched all of ‘em. He whipped ‘Robbie’ by a widening length-and-a-quarter in 1:51.4. Americanprimetime held third, with a rallying Capozzo (Mark MacDonald) and Caviart Luca settling for the minors.

For Bit of a Legend N, a 9-year-old double-millionaire Down Under son of Bettor’s Delight owned by Von Knoblauch Stable and trained by Peter Tritton, it was his fourth win (45^th career) in 13 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $53.50, the triple returned $258.50 and the superfecta paid $2,254.

Sunday afternoon’s (July 29^th) first post is 12:30 PM, with four ‘French’ trots beginning the dozen-race card.