PLAN to ATTEND Gram at the Meadowlands
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2013 ©2013 HORSEMAN PUBLISHING CO., LEXINGTON, KY USA • FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION CALL (859) 276-4026 Seeds Planted For Wide-Open Hambletonian The 88th renewal of the Hambletonian for 3-year-old trot- ters is the centerpiece of Saturday afternoon’s 15-race pro- PLAN TO ATTEND gram at the Meadowlands. The Hambletonian conditions call for the eliminations to be seeded by a formula based on money earnings, taking into account separation of common ownership and trainer interests. If the 23 starters in the three Hambletonian eliminations were ranked in similar fashion as the AUGUST 26 & 27, 2013 NCAA basketball tournament, Roy- Yearlings will sell August 26. alty For Life, with morning-line odds of 8-5 in the first heat, would Equipment sells before and be regarded as the top overall after the sale each day. seed. He would be followed closely For more information visit by Wheeling N Dealin and Corky, www.bloodedhorse.com “The post is OK. both listed as the 2-1 favorites in I wanted to their respective elims. draw in the Royalty For Life will start from the middle, but at outside post 8 in his elim. While a least it’s not a disadvantage, the George 10-horse field.” Ducharme trainee has already shown this year that the outside “There’s No Substitute for Experience” – George Ducharme starting spot is no deterrent to win- on Royalty For Life’s JERRY HAWS CHARLES MORGAN ning. P.O. Box 187 • Wilmore, Kentucky 40390 (937) 947-1218 post 8 start position Phone: (859) 858-4415 • Fax: (859) 858-8498 Starting from post 8 in the DEAN BEACHY & ASSOCIATES [email protected] Auctioneers $294,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial on July 13 at the Mead- owlands, Royalty For Life avoided the tight racing space that led to him making breaks in his first three starts this season. Driver Brian Sears was able to keep Royalty For Life wide in the first turn before finding easy sailing to the lead and a subsequent 1:52 victory, the fastest mile turned in by a 3-year-old male trotter in a race thus far in 2013—he also Saturday, August 3 • 3:30-5:00 p.m. (EDT) has a season-best 1:51.3 clocking in a qualifier. “The post is OK,” said Ducharme. “I wanted to draw in the middle, but at least it’s not a 10-horse field.” WHAT’S INSIDE . Instead of racing Royalty For Life in one of two Open New rules in place for Hambletonian—pg. 3 events last Saturday night at the Big M—which attracted 17 Hambletonian eligibles—Ducharme opted to start him in a Takter has triple chance at third Hambo—pg. 4 five-horse Preferred contest at Vernon Downs. Royalty For Schnittker likes the draw change—pg. 6 Life made short work of his competition as he won under Jones playing it safe?—pg. 7 wraps in 1:53 for driver Chris Lems. Zuanetti takes fourth shot at Hambo —pg. 8 “He’s coming into the race fine. He’s feeling good,” said Ducharme. “I trained him lightly, just in 2:15.” Comments on the contenders—pg. 10 Ducharme, along with Chip Campbell, who co-owns Eye on the Meadowlands—pg. 11 Royalty For Life with Alfred Ross and Paul Fontaine, at- Who do you like?—pg. 12 tended the Hambletonian press conference on Tuesday af- ternoon at Il Villaggio restaurant near the racetrack. The Can anyone beat Bee A Magician?—pg. 14 Continues on page 2 ›››› Nat Ray now Cashman Memorial—pg. 15 HarnessRacing Weekend Preview, 2 of 24 August 2, 2013 www.harnessracing.com WEEKEND FEATURED RACES Friday, August 2 All times listed are local. Michael Lisa/Lisa Photo Michael 7:35p Mea3 PASS 3CP Trackmaster PPs 7:55p Mea4 PASS 3CP Trackmaster PPs 8:51p M6 Townsend Ackerman 3CT Trackmaster PPs 9:30p M8 Townsend Ackerman 3CT Trackmaster PPs 9:35p Mea9 PASS 3CP Trackmaster PPs Click here to download all Friday PPs Saturday, August 3 11:50a M1 Miss New Jersey 3FP Trackmaster PPs Royalty For Life 12:10p M2 Merrie Annabelle 2FT Trackmaster PPs 12:38p M3 Ima Lula 4MT Trackmaster PPs Vernon Downs-based trainer plans on a large gathering 1:00p M4 Lady Liberty OMP Trackmaster PPs of friends and family at the Meadowlands on Hambo Day, 1:26p M5 P. Haughton Mem. 2CT Trackmaster PPs including his parents. 1:53p M6 Vincennes Inv.Trot Trackmaster PPs “My father is really excited, after all the years of dragging 2:20p M7 Hambletonian 3CT elim Trackmaster PPs me to the track with him,” said Ducharme about his first- 2:47p M8 Hambletonian 3CT elim Trackmaster PPs ever Hambletonian experience. 3:14p M9 Hambletonian 3CT elim Trackmaster PPs Drawing in against Royalty For Life in post two is New Jer- 3:41p M10 Cashman Mem. FFA Trot Trackmaster PPs sey Sires Stakes champion Smilin Eli, who had been on the 4:14p M11 Hamb. Oaks 3FT final Trackmaster PPs number-one line for the seedings until hitting a bump in the 4:41p M12 Hambletonian final Trackmaster PPs road. After coming up sick following a fifth-place finish in 5:14p M13 New Jersey Classic 3CP Trackmaster PPs the $500,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial at Pocono Downs and 5:37p M14 U.S. Pacing Champ. FFA Trackmaster PPs then bouncing through backstretch controversy that re- 5:59p M15 FFA Pace Trackmaster PPs sulted in the horse being transferred to trainer David Smith, Click here to download all Saturday PPs Smilin Eli showed some life with a third-place finish in one of the Opens last Saturday Visit www.trackmaster.com “In terms of equipment, night at the Big M. we’ve added a mini and subscribe to download “I thought he raced very bit. It will mostly help full cards from your favorite tracks! well since hadn’t raced in a keep him calm in the month or really had any post parade.” HarnessRacing Weekend Preview work,” said driver Tim Tet- – Tim Tetrick rick, who gave up the drive Kathy Parker Heather Kemper [email protected] [email protected] on Royalty For Life earlier this year when Smilin Eli Editor/ General Manager Assistant Production Manager emerged as a top contender. “He’s got to be better than that Lynne Myers Suzy Hall this week, since he raced.” [email protected] [email protected] Tetrick said Smith is making an equipment change for the Advertising Manager Production & Design Hambo elims. Gordon Waterstone Stephanie Condron-Hall [email protected] [email protected] “In terms of equipment, we’ve added a mini bit,” said Tetrick, Associate Editor Editorial Art Director who won last year’s Hambletonian with Market Share and is Suzanne Starbuck Sherry Lane looking to become the first driver since John Campbell in [email protected] [email protected] 1987-88 to post back-to-back victories. “It will mostly help Production Manager Accounting & Circulation keep him calm in the post parade. He can win from anywhere, For mail sent via U.S. Postal Service, either P.O. Box 8480, Lexington, KY 40533, he doesn’t need any special trip, but since he’s a horse that’s or 1910 Harrodsburg Rd., Suite 200, Lexington, KY 40503. (859) 276-4026 only raced six times in his life, you can’t be too cute with him. He doesn’t have the seasoning most of the others have.” © Copyright Horseman Publishing Company. A product of Horseman Publishing Company, publishers of the website Having knowledge of Royalty For Life’s abilities, including www.harnessracing.com and The Horseman And Fair World magazine. directing the colt to his runner-up finish in last year’s Breed- This newspaper may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, ers Crown, Tetrick knows what he’s up against. electronic or mechanical, without prior written permission. “I think he’s the potential Hambo winner. He’s a very, very good horse and he can go very fast,” Tetrick said of To sign up for the Weekend Preview please visit Royalty For Life.—By Gordon Waterstone www.harnessracing.com/members_sign_up.php HarnessRacing Weekend Preview, 3 of 24 August 2, 2013 www.harnessracing.com New Rules In Place For Hambletonian The 88th Hambletonian at the Meadowlands on Saturday, Aug. 3, will mark for the first time in 17 years the trotting Leading Drivers at Meadowlands classic for 3-year-old male trotters will be raced in heats. Driver Starts-1st-2nd-3rd UDR Earnings The filly Continentalvictory’s 1. Yannick Gingras 556-116-99-62 .345 $2,203,206 $1 Million double-heat score in 1996 was 2. Corey Callahan 579-95-75-71 .277 1,475,916 Hambletonian Final Andy Miller 694-95-98-90 .259 1,626,795 Purse Breakdown the last time a trotter was re- quired to win twice in a day to 4. David Miller 634-88-95-83 .266 1,725,412 Finish % of Purse Earnings take home the coveted trophy. 5. Tim Tetrick 575-80-68-75 .248 1,827,568 1st 50 $500,000 Unlike prior conditions for the 6. John Campbell 556-54-70-59 .202 1,092,301 2nd 22.5 225,000 race being contested in heats, 7. Ron Pierce 487-52-50-58 .204 995,113 3rd 10.8 108,000 the winner of the second heat of 8. Simon Allard 462-50-42-42 .189 710,501 4th 7.2 72,000 this year’s Hambletonian will be 9. Mike Lachance 179-19-18-21 .201 321,548 5th 4.5 45,000 declared the champion.