This
Saturday afternoon, August 4, 2012, Toscano will be back in the Hambletonian
with Market Share, who won the fastest of the three elimination races last week
and is rated 4-1 in the morning line, leaving from post two. First race
post time is 12 noon.
“This
is unbelievable,” said Toscano, 57, who attended the post position draw in the
Pegasus at the Meadowlands. “I never dreamed I would get another chance
at it after last year. To have this colt come as far as he has, and he
seems to be prepping really well going into this race, it’s a dream come true.”
Toscano,
who is bidding to be the first female trainer to win the Hambletonian, has
placed her hopes in a son of Revenue who cost a modest $16,000 at the Lexington
Selected Sale.
Like
Chapter Seven, he is owned by Richard Gutnick of Blue Bell, PA, and is one of
three New Jersey-sired colts in this year’s $1.5 million Hambletonian – the
other two are sons of Yankee Glide, Guccio and Gym Tan Laundry.
At
two, Market Share proved himself over the half-mile track at Freehold, winning
all five of his starts, including a sweep of three prelims and the $25,000
final of the New Jersey Sire Stakes Green Acres Series and the $25,000 New
Jersey Futurity.
“He
was just a nice little horse,” Toscano recalled. “He started this year in
the Dexter [winning the elim and breaking stride in the final], and I was
hoping for a New Jersey Sire Stakes horse. Then he nearly beat Big
Chocolate.”
That
race was May 18 in the first leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes and Market Share
lost by a head after cutting the mile.
The
following week, in the second leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes, the trotter
drew off to a nine-length victory in 1:53.1. He was third in the final on
June 2, but it justified a trip to Mohawk for the Goodtimes. He won his
elim and finished fifth, only a length back, in the $343,980 final.
Market
Share picked up the biggest check of his career with a third in the $445,594
Yonkers Trot, the first leg of the trotting Triple Crown.
“Two
weeks ago, he made an uncharacteristic miscue [in a three-year-old open] and
Jeff [driver Jeff Gregory got him back [on stride] and didn’t push him, but let
him trot strongly at the end,” Toscano noted.
In
his Hambletonian Elimination, now teamed with driver Tim Tetrick, Market Share
drew off to a two and a quarter length victory over Archangel in 1:52.2.
Toscano’s
colt is not the morning line favorite – Uncle Peter is 5-2 – but there is no
dominant entrant this year.
“It’s
a nice group of colts,” she said. “Everybody is beatable and everybody
can win.”
Just
getting into the race is dream come true.
“It’s
like we got a ‘do-over,’” she mused.
As
for Chapter Seven, he is having another brilliant season and will also be on
the Hambletonian Day card, leaving from post four in the $250,000 Nat Ray
Invitational, carded as the tenth race.
Chapter
Seven won the $201,700 Titan Cup in June at the Meadowlands and was second to
Mister Herbie in the $742,500 Maple Leaf Trot on July 21 at Mohawk.
Lifetime,
the four-year-old son of Windsong’s Legacy has 14 wins, three seconds and one
third from 21 starts, banking $1,238,416.
But
the one accomplishment that eluded Chapter Seven could very well be Market
Share’s claim to fame.
“I’ve
already had an awesome ride; I can’t believe it’s been this good,” Toscano said.
“You always dream of winning the Hambletonian. Maybe this is my
year. I certainly hope so.”
12th
Race -- $1.5 million Hambletonian [post, driver, trainer and morning line odds]
1-Uncle
Peter-Ron Pierce-Jimmy Takter-5-22-Market Share-Tim Tetrick-Linda Toscano-4-1
3-Knows Nothing-Jody Jamieson-Jeff Gillis-7-2
4-Archangel-Jim Morrill Jr.-Peter Arrigenna-9-2
5-My MVP-Mike Lachance-Tony Alagna-15-1
6-Prestidigitator-Sylvain Filion-R. Dustin Jones-12-1
7-Guccio-Jimmy Takter-Takter-8-1
8-Stormin Normand-Dave Palone-Jim Campbell-15-1
9-Money On My Mind-Andy Miller-Julie Miller-15-1
10-Gym Tan Laundry-George Brennan-Noel Daley-30-1
--Submitted
by Carol Hodes for SBOANJ
