Road to the 2021 Meadowlands Pace Includes Diverse Group of Horses
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DRF HARNESS HOME DIGITAL HARNESS EYE HARNESS PPS DRF BETS ENTRIES ARCHIVE THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021 Road to the 2021 Meadowlands Pace includes diverse group of horses List of 42 eligible horses for the Meadowlands Pace includes stallions from many states, winless horses and first-time Pace-hopeful connections EDITOR’S EYE By Derick Giwner @DRFHarness What will you be doing three months from Inside this issue today? Some people are concerned with just finish- ing out their day and others might be look- Jay Bergman: Weiss series provides ing a day or a week ahead, but the trainers, fillies to watch for 2021, Page 4 owners and drivers associated with the 42 horses currently eligible for the Meadowlands Bob Marks: The babies are coming yet Pace are hoping to be in New Jersey vying for the future remains unknown, Page 6 what should be a purse in the $700,000 range. Unlike 2020 when “The Pace” led off the Hesa Kingslayer N looks to continue stakes schedule for 3-year-old pacers since Borgata perfection at Yonkers, Page 7 the North America Cup was moved to August and the Max Hempt was canceled, this year’s On The Backstretch: Profile of trainer Meadowlands Pace is supposed to be No. 3 on Edwin Quevedo, Page 9 the Grand Circuit schedule after the June 19 NA Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park and July 2 Best Bets & Analysis, Page 10 Messenger at Yonkers. Of course with Canada Charlie May hopeful for Grand Circuit back in a lockdown, who knows what travel restrictions will be in place and what the campaign in 2021, Page 11 participation will be in the NA Cup, and only Headlines: Lockdown at Mohawk 14 horses are eligible to both the Meadow- extended to training; Get Legs romps in lands Pace and Messenger. So, for some of the top 3-year-olds, the Meadowlands Pace could Brennan series at Yonkers, Page 12 be their first taste of Grand Circuit action. Comments? Questions? As society continues to change, so too does the harness racing landscape. While includ- Email the Editor [email protected] ing all of the top names you’d expect – Perfect Sting, Always A Miki, Southwind Gendry, TO ENSURE PROPER delivery etc. – the 2021 Meadowlands Pace certainly contains an eclectic group that was more than OF THE NEWSLETTER VIA COURTESY EDDIE DAVIS willing to “ante up” in order to participate. EMAIL, ADD [email protected]. Hellabalou, a 3-year-old Sweet Lou-sired colt, posted the fastest winning qualifier at com to your contact LIST CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Harrah’s Philadelphia on April 6. Thanks to everyone who nominated their youngsters to the 2021 Ohio Sires Stakes! The first Ohio Sires Stakes of 2021 are less than one month away! Miami Valley Raceway Leg One Divisions Sunday, May 2 Monday, May 3 3-Year-Old Filly Trot & Pace 3-Year-Old Colt Trot & Pace Kim Rinker, OSDF Administrator 614-779-0269 [email protected] Conditions & schedule available at www.racingohio.net © 2021 Daily Racing Form, LLC - 10 Grand Central, 3rd Floor, NY, NY 10017 ALWAYS A VIRGIN X ARTSTOPPER | $12,500 Freshman Sire SENSATION ALWAYS A MIKI Governors Cup Winner 1:50.2 $331,261 SOUTHWIND GENDRY Matron and PA Sire Stake Champion 1:50.0 $583,069 – Limited Bookings Available – PERFECT STING Undefeated Breeders Crown Champion and 2020 Dan Patch Champion 1:49.2 $534,300 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Ohio is well represented with the connec- tions of Charlie May and Heart Of Chew- bacca putting up the $7,500 supplement fee on February 15 along with the $2,000 March 15 payment to remain eligible. Indiana-sired JK Going West also paid his way in for $7,500 to join fellow Hoosier State eligible Joelsyy Hanover. The Canadian sire Shadow Play has a supplemented son in Lawless Shadow. New York gets in the picture with a few from American Ideal including the once-defeated (eight starts) supplemented American Cour- age. Pennsylvania has a plethora of Always B Miki, Betting Line, Captaintreacherous and Sweet Lou sons who’ll look to make some noise in the July 17 final. There is even a son of A Rocknroll Dance eligible. An amazing 10 horses were supplemented to the Meadowlands Pace in 2021, which if not a record, has to be the highest number in the last 20 years. Strangely one of the 10, an Indi- ana-bred named Velocity Gator, never made the March 15 payment, so we’ll have to assume that gelding suffered a setback or injury. AMANDA STEPHENS Two of the more interesting supplements The undefeated Perfect Sting, driven by David Miller for trainer Joe Holloway, remains are from a barn that has never even started the spring favorite to capture the Meadowlands Pace. a horse in the Meadowlands Pace. Eddie Dennis trainees Hellabalou and Capt Jack “I kind of screwed up with Brassy Hanover when I had him and Hanover, two horses with a combined 1-for-16 career record, both didn’t supplement him,” said Dennis, recalling his former trainee qualified on Tuesday (April 6) at Harrah’s Philadelphia and the who was second in the 2019 Max Hempt at Pocono. “If you are not 53-year-old trainer explained that there were reasons neither horse eligible, you can’t get into the race. So we talked about it during the jumped up at age 2. winter and just decided to take a shot. If it works out, great. If not, we “Hellabalou had breathing issues that were really bothering him,” lost $8,000. said Dennis. “He got to the Sire Stakes consolation at Pocono and was “Just being in some of these big races is huge. When I finished second sitting a perfect second-over trip and just backed through the field. with Brassy Hanover in the Hempt it was a big thrill. It made every- We scoped him after the race and saw he was having some ulceration thing we’ve worked for worth it. We’ve been trying to buy a little better around his palate, so we stopped with him and had it worked on. quality lately. We are taking baby steps and trying to get to the top.” “Over the winter it has really seemed like the light bulb has come on When it comes to supplements, it is also worth noting that four for him,” continued Dennis on Hellabalou. “I think he is finally real- horses – Brookview Bullet, Charlie May, Heart Of Chewbacca and izing that he can breathe properly and not be scared to do it. Even when Highlandsbeachsbest – paid $6,000 for a chance to race in the MGM he had the issue, he still tried hard, he just couldn’t get enough oxygen. Grand Messenger in 2021. There are no supplements to the North “Capt Jack Hanover was good up until the day he was sitting the America Cup or most of the other stakes for 3-year-old pacers during two-hole at The Meadows [August 29, 2020]. He was looking good to the summer. The Cane pace allows for supplements prior to the draw. make the Sire Stakes final and he bled that day. We put him on Lasix The 2021 Pace also includes a number of horses who are winless and he rebounded to come back and pace in 1:52 3/5 [2nd in Sire Stakes in their careers. Texas Miki (Sarah Andrews – Trainer), Mikimoto consolation], but he didn’t seem to be as sharp as he was prior to that. (Nancy Takter) and As Always (Per Engblom) are three eligible At the end of the season I had chips taken out of his right front ankle.” horses who have yet to even start in a race. All three have qualified in Hellabalou posted an impressive qualifying effort, setting fractions of the last 10-14 days in preparation for their debuts. While Texas Miki 29 2/5, 59 and 1:27 before sprinting home in 27 2/5 to complete a 1:54 2/5 will start in a non-winners-of-1 race on April 8 at The Meadows (race mile with Dennis in the bike. The final time was the fastest of 11 races on 3), the others are still in the “cooking” stage of their development. the card and more than a second quicker than last year’s 3-year-old Male “He’s a big, growthy colt,” said Takter about Mikimoto. “He has the Pace Breeders Crown champion Sandbetweenmytoes (1:55 3/5). ability to be in there.” Two races later the trainer/driver left for a pocket spot in a 29 2/5 “I think he has pretty high potential but is still very green,” said opening quarter and waited behind the pace-setting Crunch Hanover Engblom about As Always. “I’m hoping he will catch up with the through three-quarters in 127 2/5. In the stretch, Dennis took aim others, but it is hard to say when.” with Capt Jack Hanover and got up by a nose with a 27 3/5 final quar- Now about 90 days before the Meadowlands Pace eliminations, it ter and 1:55 2/5 final clocking. is anyone’s guess how many of these horses will enter and which one “They were both good,” said Dennis. “The track was still slow, will step up to win the coveted Pace trophy. With 10 horses already heavy and deep. It was cupping out really bad and was deepened out “into” the race for $10,000 in entry fees, you can be sure most of along the rail.” those will be in attendance.