CHIN CHIN HALL GETS UP IN TIME IN MEADOWLANDS FEATURE

By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – During a span of four starts beginning in early September, Chin Chin Hall was a force to be reckoned with, winning three out of four starts.

Since then, the Nifty Norman trainee has hit a rough patch, losing four straight, but you could cut him some slack, as in those races the winners were Warrawee Roo, Ecurie D DK, When Dovescry, and in the TVG Open, Forbidden Trade, when he finished second missing a head.

But Saturday night at The Meadowlands, ‘Chin Chin’, a 5-year-old gelded son of Cash Hall-Canland Hall, got back into the win column, storming home to beat a talented field in the $42,000 featured Preferred for trotters.

It wasn’t easy, as 2-5 favorite Back Of The Neck was sent to the lead and cut out fractions of :27.1, :56.1 and 1:24.4, but when he faltered in mid-stretch, Chin Chin Hall, who swung three wide at the head of the lane after going a third-over trip, got rolling late and gunned down Gotwuteverittakes nearing the wire in a thrilling finish to win by three-quarters-of-a-length in 1:52.3. Dunbar Hall finished third.

“Tonight he was really good,” said winning driver Todd McCarthy. “And the trip just worked out perfect. He has a little back class.”

To get the victory, Todd had to get past brother Andy in deep stretch. “It’s a little difficult getting by him sometimes,” said Todd. “But it felt good to get there.”

As the 7-2 second choice, Chin Chin Hall paid $9.00 to win. He now has nine victories from 23 starts this year. Lifetime, he’s 14-for-49, good for earnings of $795,795 for owners Oldford Racing and David McDuffee.

THE CLAIM GAME: Owners Matt Morrison and Brian Gordon wrote some big checks to take home a pair of high-priced claimers.

They took Komodo Beach out of race six, Leg One of a $75,000-$100,000 claiming series, for $142,500. The 3-year-old gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere-Imagine Dragon will now race out of Noel Daley’s barn after finishing third in a three-way photo.

Three races later, in another division of the same series, they took Save Me A Dance for $125,000. The 4-year-old son of Heston Blue Chip-Dance Hall Girl will now race for the Travis Alexander stable after a second-place finish.

THREE FOR TEAM BONGIORNO: The sister-brother team of trainer Jenn and driver Joe Bongiorno scored three times on the night, all with horses who have some serious talent.

Prince Edward Island shipper Dustylanegoliath exploded home off cover to win a low-end conditioned pace in a lifetime-best 1:51.4 in scoring for 14^th time from just 28 starts.

J M Mandamin overcame post 10 in taking a $75,000-$100,000 claimer for pacers in a lifetime-best 1:48.4 before Vettel N made it four wins in his last five Meadowlands starts, hitting the finish in 1:49.1 in a $150,000 claiming pace.

A LITTLE MORE: Mark MacDonald and Tim Tetrick recorded driving doubles on the program while Edwin Quevedo and Ron Burke each trained a pair to victory lane. … For a second straight night, one winning ticket was sold in the 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 wager, with that shrewd player cashing in for $9,348. … All-source handle totaled $2,121,525. … Racing resumes Thursday at 6:20 p.m.

Life Isa Shortwalk heads Vallandingham Pace

 

By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness

 

Life Isa Shortwalk, a sharp 6-1 upsetter last week, figures to get a lot more respect at the windows in Sunday night’s $15,000 Bill Vallandingham Pace for fillies and mares.

 

The Vallandingham headlines a nine-race Watch and Wager LLC card that is set to get underway at 5 p.m.

 

Life Isa Shortwalk is an 8-year-old daughter of Keystone Rodeo who carries the banner of Set The Pace Racing LLC and is reined and trained by Nick Roland. She comes into this assignment just shy of the $200,000 earnings mark with a 1:52 4/5 standard that was set at Plainridge Racecourse.

 

Leaving from the No. 2 post last week, she was unhurried early and then came second-over down the backside. Roland made a sweeping move with his mare off the final turn to grab command and she went on to a two and a quarter-length decision while stopping the timer n 1:55 3/5.

 

Casa Mia put in a solid late bid to complete the exacta in that affair for owner Gretchen Smith, trainer Nathalie Tremblay and pilot James Kennedy and will be looking to turn the tables on Sunday.

 

The 9-year-old Driven To Win mare has clicked in six of her 30 trips to the post this season, with the most recent snapshot coming in mid-September over the Hawthorne course. Her 1:53 2/5 lifetime mark came three years ago over a sloppy track at the Meadowlands.

 

Taking them on in the Vallandingham are Wizzel Stix, Brooklyn Moonshine, Helen’s Girl, Machet Time and Shes A Live Wire.

 

Races honor memory of Arnstine, Vallandingham

 

This week’s feature races are named for Bill Vallandingham and Donald Arnstine, who both had a major impact on harness racing in California.

 

Bill Vallandingham passed away earlier this year at age 74 due to complications from a lung transplant performed in 2014, while Donald Arnstine passed away in September of last year at the age of 85.

 

“Billy V”, as Vallandingham was affectionately known, was the starter here at Cal Expo for 20 years before health issues forced him to leave the job seven years ago, but he did return to limited duties in 2018.

 

He wore many hats around the racetrack, including groom, paddock judge, horse identifier and horse tattooer before assuming his stint as the starter in 1994. Bill Vallandingham was a veteran of the Army who served in Vietnam.

 

Donald Arnstine was a longtime owner and industry activist who along with his wife Barbara campaigned harness horses in California for five decades. They claimed their first horse, Big Time, in 1973 with the Desomer Stable and over the years they had many stars with that barn, including Quaker Byrd.

 

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Arnstine was active in the Western Standardbred Association, now known as the California Harness Horsemen’s Association.

 

He served as president of the organization in 1978, overseeing the legislation that created the state’s sire stakes program and he also helped negotiate horsemen’s agreements with Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Bay Meadows and Cal Expo.

 

While Donald Arnstine had a full and successful life in academia, including a long and accomplished university teaching career and author, his passion was always his wife of 56 years, his children, his grandchildren and harness racing.

PRICELESS PAYS OFF IN BIG M FEATURE

By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Just one week ago, Priceless scored on the front end as the even-money choice in a high-end TrackMaster rating event for female pacers in 1:51.3, so it must have come as a surprise to her fans when she was in no hurry at the start of the featured $32,500 TrackMaster dash Friday night as the 1-5 favorite at The Meadowlands.

But winning driver Andy Miller knew what he had.

“She races really well either way,” said Miller. “I don’t like to be too hard on her every week.”

What the 4-year-old daughter of Rockin Image-Btwnyurheartnmine proved is that she can be just as effective from off the pace as she is on it.

Rose Run Victory was away from the gate well from the rail and took the field past the quarter in :27.1. She’s Nun Bettor N then cleared to the top at the half (:55) as Priceless sat fifth in the six-horse field, which no doubt gave the chalk players cause for concern.

After the half, Major Occasion A vacated the three hole, Annabelle Hanover followed that one with Priceless now in a third-over flow heading to three-quarters, which was reached in 1:23.4.

Off the far turn, Miller swung Priceless to the far outside and she took care of the rest, charging home in :26.3 to go on to an easy 1¼-length win in 1:51.2 and return $2.60 to her backers. Annabelle Hanover was second with Mystical Carrie third.

“She loves to pass horses,” said Miller. “When we turned for home, she kicked into another gear.”

Trained by Julie Miller and owned by Bert Hochsprung, Priceless upped her lifetime numbers to 14 wins from 41 starts, good for earnings of $620,544.

A LITTLE MORE: Miller was the star of the night, following up his Thursday driving double with three more victories on the Friday card. … One shrewd player was smiling at the conclusion of the 20-cent Survivor Pick-7, as he or she cashed in for $6,993. Only one horse in the sequence went off at odds greater than 3-1. … Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic was at the races. He jogged some horses Friday morning at Gaitway Farm under the watchful eye of Tim Tetrick. … All-source handle totaled $1,844,883. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m.