Meadowlands Pace Contenders and Pretenders
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DRF HARNESS HOME DIGITAL HARNESS EYE HARNESS PPS DRF BETS ENTRIES ARCHIVE THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021 Meadowlands Pace contenders and pretenders 14 horses entered the 2021 Meadowlands Pace and two eliminations will be contested on Saturday to whittle the field down to 10 finalists Inside this issue Jay Bergman: The pitfalls of uncoupled tag-team racing, Page 6 DERICK GIWNER Kimberly French: Fixed-odds wagering Perfect Sting could be firing off the gate in his Meadowlands Pace elimination. and what it means for the sport, Page 8 whether it takes the elimination money off the Beads, Ruthless Hanover eyeing $250K top of the final tally). Graduate prize at The Big M, Page 10 EDITOR’S EYE We’ve seen enough of the combatants to Venerate ready to get back on track in form a strong opinion. With the talk of fixed By Derick Giwner odds wagering in New Jersey and prop- Reynolds, Page 12 @DRFHarness betting becoming more popular through On The Backstretch: Profile of trainer sportsbooks, we present the odds to win the 2021 Meadowlands Pace along with commen- Todd Luther, Page 13 tary from some of the connections. Best Bets & Analysis, Page 15 With all due respect to the races which have already been contested this year for PERFECT STING (3-1) Record falls at Buffalo, Page 16 3-year-old pacing colts, in the 21st century we separate the equine men from the boys Three weeks ago he would be closer to Headlines: Milestones for DeLong, on a big track. With the North America Cup 8-5 due to his perfect 2-year-old record and Kerwood; Reader comments, Page 17 postponed until September, the first meeting monster performance against older foes on of all the expected sophomore giants of the June 19 where he fought back and refused to Comments? Questions? sport takes place Saturday (July 10) in a pair lose. That was followed up with a loss against Email the Editor [email protected] of $50,000 Meadowlands Pace eliminations. PA Sire Stakes foes at The Meadows which When the entry box closed there were 14 will certainly create some doubters. TO ENSURE PROPER delivery horses entered for the Pace. The first five Trainer Joe Holloway on his last effort: OF THE NEWSLETTER VIA finishers in each elimination will compete in “He came out of the race [at The Meadows] EMAIL, ADD [email protected]. a final that will be worth at least $676,800 (it fine. Anything else is just an excuse. He got could potentially be more depending on how com to your contact LIST BHSCo.-Summer Entries-2_Layout 1 7/5/2021 9:35much AM the Page track 1 decides to add to the purse and CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 DON’T BE SHUT OUT! ENTER ONLINE NOW www.bloode dhorse.com Mixed sale entries will close around JULY 19 or when full! JERRY HAWS P.O. 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[email protected] Now accepting As we expand our sales division,Harrisburg Diamond Mixed Creek Sale Entries looks forward to earning your business.Due Aug. 30 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ABUCKABETT HaNOVER (5-1) beat but he was just dehydrated. It was hot and it was a long ship. The His perfect record this year came to a halt in the Messenger, but it is furthest he had ever shipped before was four hours to Hoosier. It was hard to fault a horse for trying and getting parked (ultimately break- a little over six hours to get to The Meadows.” ing) from post eight on a sloppy track at Yonkers. The bigger track Holloway on Perfect Sting’s current condition: “He will be good. probably suits his style better. He won at The Meadowlands in 1:49 1/5 He’s ready. I think it is time to put an end to the pretenders.” in his first start of 2021. Driver Andrew McCarthy on the Messenger final: “Obviously he AMERICAN COURAGE (4-1) didn’t handle the half-mile track as we had hoped, but he had plenty of go. Around the last turn he had enough go to win the race, but he’s just not a half-mile horse right now. I’m still very confident going into the Meadowlands Pace.” McCarthy on drawing in against American Courage and Perfect Sting: “They are great horses and it will definitely be a good race. I think I have the fastest colt in the country right now as far as sheer speed. We just have to make sure we are close enough at the head of the stretch.” CHARLIE MaY (8-1) He finished just a half-length behind American Courage in the Messenger and has now finished first or second in four consecutive starts. Son of McArdle has displayed great tactical speed early in the mile and the ability to rally in the stretch. Like American Courage, Saturday will be his first start on a track larger than five-eighths. Trainer Steve Carter on Charlie May’s form: “He came out of the DERICK GIWNER The connections of American Courage hope to be in the Messenger fine and all systems are go.” Meadowlands winner’s circle on Saturday. Carter on trying the big track for the first time: “I have no concerns. He can go over anything. We put four aluminum shoes on him and I’m He’s always been this high on my list and after his Messenger going to train him tomorrow [Wednesday] to see how he goes. We are elim/final sweep others are clearly going to hop on the bandwagon. trying to get a little more speed out of him. If I don’t like what I see tomor- At 4-for-4 in the win column this year and with only one defeat in 12 row we’ll go back to his regular shoes. I’ve always wanted to put alumi- career tries, there is plenty to like. That said, he has never raced on a nums on him in the front. I’m still not sure about the back yet. I’m like a track larger than five-eighths. virgin racing at The Meadowlands. I’ve hardly ever raced there. I’m just Trainer Travis Alexander on his current form: “He came out going by what I think and what other people have told me.” of it very well. He had a good weekend and never missed a meal. He really wasn’t blowing that bad after the race and didn’t seem put out.” ROCKYROAD HaNOVER (8-1) Alexander on changes going into the Pace and racing on a mile track: “I’m going to let his hobbles out an inch-and-a-half for One of four Tony Alagna-trained horses in the group of 14, the son the Meadowlands Pace and drop his head three holes. I expect good of Captaintreacherous had been more of a fringe Pace player until things because he is a very nice horse. I think I know what I have but I he ran down perfect Sting in a PA Sire Stakes race at The Meadows don’t want to jinx myself. We train on a big track in Florida. He carted on June 26. Of course he was disqualified for interference when it my anvil hands around in a 25-second quarter at Sunshine Meadows.” appeared he ran up on the horse in front of him and made a brief ***Alexander quotes courtesy Our View podcast break. Either way, that mile along with losing by just a length to One Eight Hundred in his 1:48 win, puts him firmly in the Pace picture. ONE EIGHT HUNDRED (4-1) Driver Dexter Dunn on PASS win and disqualification: “I couldn’t be happier with the performance. He has great gate speed A 1:48 4/5 win after a pocket trip on June 19 at The Meadowlands put and can really get off the car fast. He got good position and his last 100 him squarely on the radar for Pace consideration and his 1:48 romp yards is where he did his best work. He just got up on the back of the with a 25 3/5 final quarter over the same track one week later versus seat, he didn’t hit a wheel or anything, and it kind of caught me a little older foes really opened some eyes. He’s now 6-for-8 on the year and off guard. He only went off for maybe one or two strides.” looking every bit as good as any horse on the list. Dunn on how good Rockyroad Hanover is: “I think he is right Trainer Nancy Takter there with them for sure. He’s already been good against Southwind on whether he earned Gendry and Perfect Sting.