As one of the two elimination
winners, Sweet Lou earned the right for his connections to pick their starting
post in the final. They chose post four,
while the team behind Heston Blue Chip, the other elimination winner, opted for
post three.
Sweet Lou, driven by Dave Palone,
who last week surpassed Herve Filion for the most victories in North American harness
racing history, won his Meadowlands Pace elimination race last Saturday by
beating A Rocknroll Dance by a neck in 1:49.1.
The son of Yankee Cruiser has won four of five races this year, and
finished fourth in the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup in his start prior
to the Pace elimination. He was named
the Dan Patch Award winner as 2-year-old colt pacer of the year in 2011 after
winning 10 of 12 races and posting a world-record 1:49 in the Breeders Crown. Trainer Ron Burke shares ownership of the
colt with Larry Karr and Phil Collura, both NJ residents, and Mark Weaver and
Mike Bruscemi, from western Pennsylvania.
All are bidding for their first Pace win.
Heston Blue Chip, who will be
driven by Tim Tetrick, is rated as the 7-2 second choice. Last weekend, Heston Blue Chip won his
Meadowlands Pace elimination by a half-length over North America Cup champions
Thinking Out Loud in 1:49. He has won
all five of his starts this season and 16 of 18 in his career for trainer Linda
Toscano and owner Ken Jacobs. Toscano and Jacobs mapped out
Heston Blue Chip’s schedule this season with the Meadowlands Pace as their
goal.
“Right from the beginning
that was the race we were trying to point him to and get him as sharp as we could for,” Toscano said.
“We elected not to do the Rooney or the North America Cup and to keep our eye on the ball and just
try to have a fresh horse coming into this race. Hopefully, it will work out.”
Toscano is seeking to
become the first woman to train a Meadowlands Pace winner. She is the all-time
leading female trainer at the Meadowlands.
Toscano has had two previous Pace starters, Kenneth J (fourth in 2007),
also owned by Ken Jacobs, and Share The Delight (third in 2008).
The Meadowlands Pace is the
eleventh race on the card, with an estimated 10:15 p.m. post time. The Pace is part of a $100,000 guaranteed
Pick Four pool that spans races 10-13.
2012 Meadowlands Pace - Saturday, July 14 - Race
11
Probable Post: 10:15 p.m.
1 A Rocknroll Dance Yannick
Gingras Jim Mulinix 4-1
2 Pet Rock Brian
Sears Virgil Morgan Jr. 12-1
3 Heston Blue Chip Tim
Tetrick Linda Toscano 7-2
4 Sweet Lou Dave
Palone Ron Burke 5-2
5 Bolt The Duer Mark
MacDonald Peter Foley 6-1
6 Simply Business Ron
Pierce Jimmy Takter 15-1
7 Thinking Out Loud Randy
Waples Robert McIntosh 5-1
8 State Treasurer David
Miller Ian Moore 20-1
9 Time To Roll Andy
Miller Jimmy Takter 12-1
10 Allstar Legend Jim
Morrill Jr. George Teague Jr. 20-1
MEADOWLANDS PACE NIGHT AT A GLANCE
Gates open: 4:00 p.m. / First
race: 6:35 p.m.
¨
$600,000
Meadowlands Pace: probable post time: 10:15 p.m. - Race 11
¨
Two guaranteed Pick 4 pools – Races 6-9 ($50,000), Races 10-13 ($100,000)
¨
$20,000 guaranteed Pick 5 pool – Races 1-5
¨
$20,000 guaranteed Super High-Five pool – Race 13
Entertainment
¨
T-shirt Giveaway: to paid admissions, while supplies last
¨ JETS
Flight Crew Cheerleaders – 6:30 – 8:30 pm
¨ Live
music by The B Street Band (Bruce Springsteen tribute)
¨ Boardwalk-style
rides, games and food
¨ Fortune
tellers
¨ Vodka tasting – 6 samples for $10 at the
Don Q Wedge Bar
¨ Horse Play Car Giveaway (after race 9) -
$1 donation to charity gives fans a rubber horse to throw and a shot at winning
$100 and the chance to come back and win a car on August 17
¨ $5 martinis 6:30 – 8:30 pm in Pegasus
Restaurant
¨
$2 general admission; $5 Pegasus (admission includes live program and
t-shirt)
¨
Kings Super Markets Food Drive (through August 4) – receive free
admission and a Hambletonian poster with a donation of a non-perishable food
item
