Sunday, In Praise of January 19, 2013 See Page 3

Meadowlands Sale Expected to be Strong Antonacci, Appomattox was second behind Market Share By Bill Finley in the American National last fall at Balmoral and has The sales business had a strong fall with both the made $407,858 in his career. Big McDeal comes out of the Lexington and Harrisburg sales experiencing major gains, Remmen barn and has made $818,544. Among other and expectations are that Monday's January Select Mixed accomplishments, she won the Champlain, the Sale at the Meadowlands will also post good numbers. International Stallion and was third in 2012 behind The Meadowlands sale, the first major sale of any kind American Jewel in the Breeders Crown. since Harrisburg, will offer a handful of yearlings, some “We have some headliners, Emeritus Maximus, broodmare prospects and stallion shares, but the main focus Appomattox, Wake Up Peter," Reid said. "Then there's Big will be the race horse market. The sale is filled with horses McDeal, who is a double world champion and should that are currently racing and winning, many of them at top definitely be attractive to the buyers. We have something level tracks like the Meadowlands, Yonkers and Woodbine. for everybody, something for every jurisdiction. I definitely think it will be a good sale." Eighthunrdolarbill ($355,570), Alexie Mattosie ($919,935), Mystic Desire ($750,149) and Sparky Mark ($755,248) are others in the sale who have made a lot of money over the years. and remain in good form. Then there's 2011 Metro winner Simply Business, who has made $857,297 in his career but just $12,757 last year. Someone might see him as a reclamation project. Someone willing to take a real flyer might want to look at the unraced 3-year-old colt Continental Divide. He is by a Hambletonian winner (Muscle Hill) out of a Hambletonian (continued on next page)

Big McDeal figures to contend for the title of sale topper Monday at the Meadowlands

"Generally speaking, the average at this sale has been between $20,000 and $23,000,” said sales manager Dave Reid, who also runs Preferred Equine, the consignor for the vast majority of the top horses in the sale. "I expect things will hold in that area. Last year, I believe we sold six horses for 100,000 or more and I expect about the same this year. The sales topper last year was Idyllic at $140,000 and we'll probably go higher than that this year." The sale lost one of its stars when Frau Blucher, who has made over $900,000, was withdrawn Saturday, but there are plenty of high quality horses left. Clearing out some space in his barn to make way for the influx of quality yearlings he and his owners bought last fall, trainer Tony Alagna will sell 16 horses, including a couple that could top the sale. From the Alagna barn, Emeritus Maximus and Wake Up Peter knocked heads with the very best in the 3-year-old male pacing division last year and both figure to make their new owners a lot of money in 2014. Preferred Equine is the consignor of both. Preferred will also sell two other big names in the sale in Appomattox and Big McDeal. Campaigned by Frank HarnessRacingUpdate.com • 1/19/14 PAGE 2 of 7 winner (Continentalvictory). The sale, held in the Meadowlands back paddock, Anyone buying J Cs Jake could return immediate begins at 11 am. It will begin with the sale of 15 yearlings, dividends as he’s in Wednesday’s $46,000 Super Bowl Final followed by broodmares and stallion shares. at the Meadowlands. Reid said it is hard to compare the health of the yearling The Latest on the Mixed Sale Horses sales to the health of the mixed sales because the latter remained strong during the economic meltdown that began Several big name horses in Monday’s mixed sale at in 2008 while the yearling sales did not. the Meadowlands competed last night. Here’s a look at "The race how some of them did. horse market held Horse Track (Race) Finish pretty stable Bullet Speed Yonkers (2) 8th of 8 st through the Mortal Zin Yonkers (7) 1 of 8 rd downturn," he said. "A big part of why the yearling sales Cobalt Man Meadowlands (6) 3 of 9 st suffered was, beside the general economy, that overnight Alexie Mattosie Meadowlands (6) 1 of 9 st horses were being retained longer by the owners and the Allstar Legend Meadowlands (7) 1 of 10 st ones that were being sold went at a premium. That's Emeritus Maximus Meadowlands (9) 1 of 8 st because the purse structure remained very good around the Tarpon Hanover Meadowlands (10) 1 of 10 Wake Up Peter Meadowlands (11) 1st of 10 country. th "The one correlation I see between the yearling sales and Cruijff Meadowlands (11) 6 of 10 Mindset Meadowlands (12) 2nd of 9 race horse sales is the Canadian market. Unfortunately, some uncertainty still exists in Canada and that's a worry for us. The number of horses in Ontario has definitely gone done and I think that will affect the sale. You used to have Want to Subscribe for FREE? people buy some of the green and inexperienced horses Visit www.harnessracingupdate.com/websignup.cfm and take them up there because they had a nice program for and fill out the free subscription form. young horses."

HarnessRacingUpdate.com • 1/19/14 PAGE 3 of 7

Praise For The People's Horse, Cam Fella By Perry Lefko More than 30 years since his final career race, the immortal Cam Fella could be honored once again. Cam Fella had his name submitted on January 15 by Canada for induction into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Only two horses are in the Hall - the great thoroughbred Northern Dancer and More Dreadful Numbers Out of Atlantic City the champion It was the week from hell for the Atlantic City casinos as equestrian Big Ben - one casino closed and figures released showed that annual so the idea of revenues were at a 22-year low and that on-line Internet inducting another gambling has gotten off to an awful start. four-legged superstar The week began with the closing of the Atlantic Club, isn't far fetched. where 1,600 workers lost their jobs. Purchased in 2005 for Whether the $500 million, it was bought and closed by two rival casinos Canadian Sports Hall looking to consolidate the marketplace. The two, Tropicana of Fame voters agree is another story. and Caesar's, paid $23.4 million for the now shuttered Frankly, it's about casino. The great Cam Fella belongs in the time - which happens On Tuesday, the state Division of Gaming Enforcement Canadian Sports Hall of Fame to be the hashtag for showed the Atlantic City casino's won a combined $2.86 discussion about inducting Cam Fella into the hallowed billion in 2013. It was the first time in 22 years that annual Canadian hall. He is already in the Canadian Horse Racing revenue had dropped below the $3 million mark. It was also Hall of Fame and the United States Hall of the seventh straight year that casino revenue had dropped Fame. He spent his final years following his splendid stud after it hit $5.2 billion in 2006. That year marked the opening career in the company of various other equine stars at the of the Pennsylvania casinos, which have decimated Atlantic Kentucky Horse Park. City's business. Why it has taken this long for someone to promote Cam Governor Chris Christie had touted on-line gambling as the Fella for the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame is shocking. latest savior for the struggling town, but that, too, has proven Without the push of an equine organization, it surely to be a major disappointment. The on-line casino wagering wouldn't have even come to this point. Somehow the sites have won $8.4 million in the five weeks since they achievements of a horse are not valued in the same way launched. If they continue at that pace they will earn about humans are appreciated when it comes to analyzing the $87 million per year. The state had forecast that on-line merits of what they have done. It's probably because they gambling would bring in $1.2 billion a year, a projection that don't do it alone. They are part of a team with either a rider is on target to fall short by 93 percent. or a driver, and sometimes the person doing the steering is The biggest problem facing the on-line wagering sites has valued more. But any horseman will tell you that they can been payment processing as many credit card companies only do so much without a good horse. The best drivers will not allow gambling transactions. will often say they are merely passengers; it is the horse Meanwhile, Gov. Christite continues to stand in the way of that does all the work. Cam Fella's regular trainer/driver, putting a casino at the Meadowlands, a decision that Pat Crowe, never sat behind another horse remotely close becomes harder to fathom by the day. to Cam Fella. He will surely say to this day he was blessed to be behind such a brilliant athlete. In this era of world-records for speed and purse earnings, it is easy to forget that at one time Cam Fella © Copyright Harness Racing Update. was the greatest superstar in the sport of standardbred This newspaper may not be reproduced in any form or by racing. He was the Somebeachsomewhere of his any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior written generation. Fans flocked to see him race and were permission of the copyright owner, MB Publishing Inc. encouraged to join him in the winner's circle. In his Information as to the races, race results and earnings was three-year career, he won 61 races, including 28 in a row, obtained from results charts published by the United States out of 80 career starts, and earned in excess of $2 million - Trotting Association and utilized here with the permission of at the time a record. Lightly-raced as a two-year-old and the copyright owner. (continued on next page) HarnessRacingUpdate.com • 1/19/14 PAGE 4 of 7 with a scant $17,588 in earnings, who could have predicted likes of a horse that rises above his or her breeding or what was to come? Owners Norm Clements and Norm imperfections in conformation. Faulkner, along with trainer/driver Pat Crowe, saw something In standardbred racing, unlike the thoroughbred variety, in the horse that convinced them to pay $140,000 to buy him it doesn't require hundreds of thousands of dollars to breed from previous owner, Doug Arthur, who bought the horse for to blue-blooded stallions to produce a yearling capable of a mere $19,000. The fact Cam Fella happened to be a doing great things. Moreover, it doesn't cost millions, ridgling had something to either, to buy a yearling capable of doing something do with the price, along spectacular. It's the reason standardbred racing is with the fact he stood a affordable to the common man as opposed to millionaires, shade over 15 hands, billionaires and sheiks. Nominal investments and luck which is to stay he had the can produce the next-best horse. The sport is filled with height of a pint-sized point stories of the ones that weren't supposed to be good and guard. became great. In Cam Fella's next two Similar to Northern Dancer, Cam Fella became a horse years, he raced 64 times, that outproduced himself as a stallion, instilling in his Precious Bunny is one of many sometimes more than once offspring the genetic seed to succeed. He sired 1,002 foals stars sired by Cam Fella in a week, winning 58, and that collectively won more than $107 million. Moreover, 16 only finishing out of the of his winners earned at least $1 million and 270 earned money three times. He won a godly 28 races in a row. His $100,000 or more. Again, that has to be marked with an owners, Norm Clements and Norm Faulkner, did not shy asterisk given this era of bloated purses, but his average away from races, regardless of the size of the oval or the earnings per starter is an amazing $127,807. time in between starts. They were as game as their horse. His last foal, Eternal Camnation, a recent induction into He was voted horse of the year in Canada and the U.S. in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, earned more 1982 and '83. In 1982, he was voted champion than $4.1 million and won 47 of her 101 starts over six three-year-old pacer and Pacing Horse of the Year. He held racing seasons. As a five-year-old, she paced a mile in records at seven North American tracks and had more 1:49 2/5. Another of his progeny, Armbro Positive, paced a consecutive two-minute miles than any standardbred in mile in 1:48 at age six. Many of his offspring became history. champions and world-record holders. Some of his other He retired with a speed mark of 1:53 1/5, which by today's noteworthy progeny include Camtastic, Goalie Jeff, standards of miles paced in under 1:50 does not do him Precious Bunny, Presidential Ball, Cams Card Shark, justice. Again, think of this era's great harness racing horses, Village Connection, Cambest, Village Jiffy, Pacific Fella strutting their stuff on one-mile tracks or seven-eighths of a and and Elllamony. Four of his sons won the Little Brown mile and try to imagine how fast Cam Fella could have gone Jug - the ultimate prize in pacing, maybe in all of harness on more expansive ovals. He had to race on tracks that racing, with no disrespect to the Hambletonian. Cam Fella required multiple turns and agility. If some computer wizard didn't race in the Little Brown Jug because he wasn't could ever put together a program to theoretically match eligible and the rules didn't allow for supplemental fees. Cam Fella against a field of other legendary pacers it would Standardbred Canada established The Cam Fella Award answer who is the fastest and the best of them all. Surely, to recognize extreme effort and dedication to Canadian Cam Fella would pace a mile in 1:46 and change and be in harness racing by an individual or group. Cam Fella front at the wire or in a tight photo finish. became the first winner of the award in 1997. Why Cam Fella became so great is best left for the people Cam Fella was the People's Horse. He brought people to who analyze bloodlines. Maybe it was genetic alchemy, the the racetrack because he was like one of them. They could perfect blend in the pedigree that merged together. Maybe appreciate him because of everything that he embodied he was simply a freak of nature. In many ways, he was the and represented. equivalent of Northern Dancer, who was small in stature but Whether he's deemed to be worthy of a spot in the had a giant desire to try. Canadian Sports Hall of Fame will be decided by the The one thing that horsemen with seasoned eyes can people who have the ability to say yea or nay. Either way, never truly see when they judge a young horse is its heart he will never be forgotten, nor will his achievements and the willingness to win. That only becomes evident on the racetrack. It is what makes horse racing so pure. It is not always breeding the best to the best and hoping for the best; sometimes it is something magical that comes together. Understanding horse genetics is not an exact science. If it was so easy to master, the best horses would be known from the time they were bred and, surely, that would remove the element that every owner has that his or her yearling will Follow Harness Racing Update on Twitter at develop into a champion. Horse racing is all about dreams, www.harnessracingupdate.com/twitter but few owners have the chance to really experience the HarnessRacingUpdate.com • 1/19/14 PAGE 5 of 7

gimmick that has $100,000 carryover? “ Do this weekly or twice a month. Advertise…“Come out for the mandatory Triple Exacta every 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month for big payoffs!” Bottom line, horse racing may not steal every lotto or slot player, but come up with something that lures those Time for your short list! looking for a better gamble. Manny Guagliardo Get your short list in order for the January Mixed Sale by visiting preferredequine.com today for updated Dean Towers Gets It Right, This Time racelines & supplement horses. See you Monday! A few months ago, Dean Towers was supporting P.O. Box 2200 • Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510 • www.preferredequine.com charging a higher admission price to keep customers from leaving the facility. It appears that the Dean’s lightbulb has More Thoughts On Making Racing a Better Bet now gone on. Someone does need to explain to me why I’d like to take Dean Tower’s’ article, “What Fixes Racing's less money is returned because of the bias he described, Customer Problem? Making Betting a Better Gamble” a step since the percentage returned remains steady. But when further. you cut through all the BS--marketing, czars, drugs, track I agree 100% that customers are the foundation to building measurements, etc. etc. --parimutuel wagering as any business. Who makes 1,000,000 widgets if you only sell conducted currently is simply a terrible betting option. 10? In horse racing gambling is your widget. Create the D Haaker best gamble and you’ll have gamblers (customers) walking The Freehold Fiasco in your door. It would be nice to know what happened last week at What are the best gambles? I believe there are two types Freehold when the starting gate started spinning like a top of thought which attracts two types of gamblers. and took out a bunch of drivers. Was it negligence? Bad One, for the more educated gamblers, when the return luck? Just one of those things? We don’t know because outweighs the risk. In your roulette example, what if for the Freehold hunkered down and wouldn’t let the press ask payoff for Red and Black was 5/1? You’d have close down any questions. At first, I thought that Freehold did nothing the casino to overcrowding. Who wouldn’t take 500% return wrong, but now I’m not so sure. I hope Cat Manzi sues the 44.74% chance of winning? This, of course, is not realistic pants off of them. because the casino would close its doors to bankruptcy. Dean Stevens The second is what attracts your “non-true-gambler” or average player? Pie in the sky? The big return.? Every time Kicking Has No Place in the Game the Lotto goes to 9 figures I see the same people who cry Thank you so much for publishing this editorial. I couldn't when they have to pull $10 to buy a round of drinks, happily agree more with Mr. Finley's assessment of the situation: pull out that same $10 to win big on incredible odds. " The solution couldn't be more simple. If you want to Putting these two together is tricky. Let’s look at the eliminate kicking make the penalty hurt. "Extreme? Very. rainbow pools, or pools that only payoff with one winner. But it would solve the problem. Continue to do what they're Sure they have large payoff, but are they the best offering? doing know and the Eric Ledfords of the world will never I have not looked at raw numbers to support this, but I can stop." tell you from what I hear from other gamblers is, that you can I saw a driver at Maywood kick his horse during the last only throw so much at these pool. To chase day after day weeks of this past season. The best drivers are going to be hoping to be the “one”, will eventually bleed you dry. copied by the overnight catch drivers. Mr. Sears and Mr. Though you can attract players occasionally, it is not an Tetrick are therefore demonstrating to their peers that the everyday or every other day gamble. We need to get rules don't really matter. Their actions should have been players in the door more often. viewed as a public statement opposing the guidelines set It is not a coincidence that mandatory payoffs with medium forth by the USTA. to large carryovers get the most interest. You get that We have a great opportunity to present harness racing overlay which closes the house favor. But to wait until the as the exception to the public's perception that horse meet ends for the mandatory payout doesn't make sense as racing is animal abuse controlled by petty criminals who it doesn't get the player in often enough. win any way they can. Leo Burns is the model I would like Why not come up with a weekly payoff? Maybe a pick 7, drivers to emulate, not the aforementioned pretenders. 8, or 9. A triple exacta (a winning exacta in three Greg Thrower consecutive races). Or a triple Trifecta. Start with a guarantee pool that has a potential to grow to a sizeable Handicappers Need to Know Equipment Changes amount, it doesn't have to be millions, just something that I am an avid harness fan, bettor, ex owner for 42 years. I would make someone think, “Hey I have $100 to play. wager on harness races on a daily basis and have an inner Should I put it into a slot machine and maybe win $5,000, circle of racing bettors and enthusiasts. I do extensive which may only last minutes or should I play the new (continued on next page) IF THEY RACE LIKE THEY LOOKED AND SOLD...

LUCKY CHUCKY SHOULD BE THE NEXT GREAT TROTTING SIRE

LUCKY CHUCKY Windsong’s Legacy-Aerobics by Muscles Yankee Fee $7,500 and The Hambletonian Sire MUSCLES YANKEE Valley Victory-Maiden Yankee by Speedy Crown Fee $10,000

Will both stand at WINBAK FARM Hip 57 MR LUCKY LUKE by LUCKY CHUCKY of NEW YORK $450,000 at Lexington Selected in 2014

PERRETTI FARMS P.O. Box 410, Cream Ridge, NJ 08514 • (609) 259-7555 • Fax (609) 259-3649 • E-mail to [email protected] HarnessRacingUpdate.com • 1/19/14 PAGE 6 of 7 travel and have frequented tracks and O.T.B"s in at least 10 states past 10 years. I always try to get management to add harness tracks to the betting menu, and you will be surprised how often I am successful. I also alert them if there are scheduling changes to make sure they carry the tracks,(e.g. this past December as well as prior Decembers Northfield races a few Sundays where it did not appear on the simulcasting menu of certain locations, I made sure they take them). One major aspect of my handicapping, as well as others, I am sure is taking in consideration equipment changes. Back in the day ,with no simulcasts ,and attending Meadowlands, Yonkers, Roosevelt, Monticello, Liberty Bell, the first thing I did is go to the equipment change board to note the changes. They were quite numerous back then. Now it seems that with all the additional equipment available, various bridles, shoes, very little gets listed. Woodbine/Mohawk does the best job as they list hopples changes, shoe changes, among others. Hopples length is important, aluminum shoes are important, yet I never see those changes ever listed on any track’s video feeds. The Meadowlands takes great pride to alert us to type of sulkys in use, but does do not provide that info. Every catch driver at the Big M, Yonkers, Pocono, Chester uses top bikes such as the Spyder, or UFO and at the smaller tracks most cannot afford them, so that info is valuable. Last year I contacted Chester by phone to let them know that I have never seen one equipment change listed on the bottom of the video for years. The next day, and ever since, equipment changes were listed. When at least 80% of the handle comes from simulcasting, wouldn't it make sense to provide the info on the video feed? I contacted Northfield this week and spoke to a lady in the racing office, explaining to her the need to list equipment changes, and was told that's at the discretion of management. So if they choose not to list it, so be it. I tried explaining to her that Northfield may simulcast their races to more venues than any harness track, and it would be in their best interest to provide the info. her reaction was to hang up the phone on me. That's why I took the time to write this and to alert everyone. Northfield wants to become a major player now that they opened their casino ,adding a $500,000 race, increasing purses, trying to attract better horses, trainers, drivers. But the management is still stuck in the past. The other horse breed that outhandles us by about 30 to 1, lists all equipment changes, shoes, mud caulks, bends, as well as nasal strips. . Hopefully, someone else besides me might take this seriously and contact Northfield to rectify this. And maybe Jeff Gural ,who cares so much for the integrity of the game, and has hired Mr. Cote as investigator, can get involved to make sure all equipment changes are listed at all his tracks. They also need to improve the camera work after post parades, where every horse in the race gets some camera time, not just three horses, as is the custom at Tioga and Vernon, showing the top three picks of the handicapper. Thanks for your attention, and for your patience reading this extremely long e-mail. Dan Burke.(no relation to trainer of the century) HarnessRacingUpdate.com • 1/19/14 PAGE 7 of 7

9, YR, $20,000, P, NON-WINNERS OF $25,000 IN LAST 6 STARTS, 7, 27.3, 57.4, 1:26.1, 2:01.3, FT 1-Nob Hill High (h, 8, McArdle--Anniecrombie, by Abercrombie) O-Robert A Mondillo & Donald E Robinson. B-Robert A Mondillo & Donald E Robinson. T-Bruce 2, M, $30,000, P, A-2/FFA Handicap Post Positions Drawn Saunders. D-Eric Carlson, $10,000, Lifetime Record: According to Class, 26.3, 54.2, 1:22.3, 1:50.0, FT 193-34-31-38, $1,000,943 1-Bettor's Edge (g, 5, Bettor's Delight--Spring Wind, by To watch the replay click here Life Sign) O-Burke Racing Stable LLC & Weaver Bruscemi LLC & M1 Stable LLC. B-Brittany Farms & Val D'Or Farms. 12, YR, $20,000, P, NON-WINNERS OF $25,000 IN LAST T-Ron Burke. D-Yannick Gingras, $15,000, Lifetime Record: 6 STARTS, 7, 27.0, 57.0, 1:25.2, 2:00.0, FT 60-15-11-11, $795,466 1-Life Up Front (h, 8, Life Sign--Liamatters, by Matt's 2-Hypnotic Blue Chip (h, 8, Art Major--A Traceofmagic, by Scooter), $9,500 2007 NJ-CL O-Durazzano Stable LLC. Magical Mike), $75,000 2007 SHS-HBG O-Francis H Azur. B-Raymond L Martin. T-Agostino Abbatiello. D-Jordan B-Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc. T-Kevin Mc Dermott. D-John Stratton, $10,000, Lifetime Record: 140-30-14-19, Campbell, $7,500 $473,329 3-Road Untraveled (g, 6, Grinfromeartoear--Ivory Tower, by To watch the replay click here Jate Lobell), $35,000 2009 FOREST O-Michael H Simons & Christopher Giaccio. B-Perfect World Enterprises. T-Gail Wrubel. D-Corey Callahan, $3,600 HRU Race Criteria Calls: 1H, 1H, 1Q, 1H, 2T -Finish Order: Dovuto Hanover, The race results contained in Harness Racing Update: and over Flem N Em N, Arockin Hanover North American races with a purse value of $20,000 an d and American-bred and sired winners of significant races To watch the replay click here abroad. Stakes races with a purse value of $60,000 and over are previewed in HRU.

6, YR, $33,000, P, OPEN HANDICAP POST POSITIONS 1-3 ASSIGNED POST POSITIONS 4-8 DRAWN, 27.3, 57.0, 1:25.1, 1:52.4, FT 1-Lumberjack Willie (g, 7, Lumber Hanover--Le Mora, by Cambest), $4,000 2008 BHS O-Thomas Ceraso Jr. B-Ernie C Young & Jerry Andrews. T-Jack Franklin. D-Jordan Stratton, $16,500, Lifetime Record: 84-16-10-17, $150,661 2-Escape The News (g, 5, Artiscape--Ideal News, by Western Ideal) O-Burke Racing Stable LLC & Weaver Bruscemi LLC & Jjk Stables LLC & Howard A Taylor. B-Brittany Farms & Val D'Or Farms. T-Ron Burke. D-George Brennan, $8,250 3-P H Supercam (g, 7, Million Dollar Cam--Callwood Ivy, by Run The Table) O-Bamond Racing LLC. B-Dr R James Shive, CA. T-Pj Fraley. D-Jason Bartlett, $3,960 Calls: 1H, 1T, 1H, 1H, 1 - Finish Order: Sapphire City, Dinner Guest, Safe Harbor, Dream Out Loud N, Dallenbach Hanover To watch the replay click here

8, YR, $22,000, P, NON-WINNERS OF $32,000 IN LAST 6 STARTS, 27.2, 56.4, 1:24.2, 1:52.3, FT 1-Money Twitch A (g, 9, Life Sign--Adayspay, by Bright As Day) O-William E Emmons. B-I K Davies, WL. T-Heidi Rohr. D-Jason Bartlett, $11,000, Lifetime Record: 183-36-26-25, $466,770 To watch the replay click here