FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2020 ©2020 HORSEMAN PUBLISHING CO., LEXINGTON, KY USA • FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION CALL (859) 276-4026 Can Burke’s Quintet Topple Bettor’s Wish In Dan Patch? PLAN TO ATTEND Friday night’s card at Harrah’s Hoosier Park is highlighted by the $225,000 Dan Patch for older pacers. While he doesn’t have the morning-line choice—that role goes to the recent Sam McKee Memorial winner Bettor’s Wish—trainer Ron Burke will send out half of the 10-horse field. This is the second time Burke has sent out a quintet in the Dan Patch since the race conditions changed in 2015 from an invita- tional event to the 10 highest lifetime earners. In 2015, one year ONE DAY! AUGUST 25, 2020 after he captured the Dan Patch Invitational with Sweet Lou, FEATURING A BLACK TYPE YEARLING SESSION Burke’s five horses finished second, third, fifth, sixth and eighth. Burke sent out one Dan Patch starter in 2016 and then in Online Bidding Will Be Available 2017 he won with Check Six, one of three entries. The last 394 Entries! two years he has sent out a pair of entries. With Burke’s fa- ther, Mickey, winning the 2005 and ’08 renewals respec- Catalog now available at tively with Maltese Artist and Won The West, the barn is www.bloodedhorse.com looking for a fifth title from this year’s fivesome. Bettor’s Wish won the $229,600 McKee in 1:47.3, pushing the 4-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight’s career earnings past the $2-million mark. Dexter Dunn will drive the Chris Ryder trainee from post 3. The Burke-trained Backstreet Shadow, who finished second, just a neck behind Bettor’s Wish in the McKee, will line up in post 6 with driver Tim Tetrick. “There’s No Substitute for Experience” While Bettor’s Wish is listed as the 2-1, Backstreet Shadow JERRY HAWS • P.O. Box 187 • Wilmore, Kentucky 40390 is second choice at 3-1. Burke’s other four starters—This Is Phone: (859) 858-4415 • Fax: (859) 858-8498 • [email protected] The Plan, Dorsoduro Hanover, De Los Cielos Deo and Fili- buster Hanover—are all listed at longshot odds of 15-1. WHAT’S INSIDE . With $243,666 in earnings this year, Backstreet Shadow is Catch The Fire aims for Milstein—pg. 2 the third-richest pacer in North America in 2020. A March 5 McCarthy reflects on Hambo win—pg. 4 win at Dover Downs in 1:48.1 is his career best, while his 1:49 score in the $164,000 Roll With Joe on June 21 at Tioga Maryland new site for Harrisburg sale—pg. 6 Downs is his biggest. Ramona Hill captures 95th Hambo—pg. 8 In the recent McKee Memorial, Dorsoduro Hanover fin- Gingras quarantines for Mohawk—pg. 10 ished sixth and This Is The Plan, who started from the trail- Virgo rallies for Fox victory—pg. 12 ing 11 post, finished eighth. “Backstreet Shadow was good, Dorsoduro was good, and $225,000 DAN PATCH OHP not being on the gate was not ideal for This Is The Plan. Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Friday, Aug. 14, Race 11, Post Time: 9:50 pm Those three I’m looking at pretty aggressively,” said Burke. Post—Horse Driver Odds Filibuster Hanover won the McKee consolation last Satur- 1—Shnitzledosomethin S. Zeron/D. Davis 20-1 day in 1:49.1 at odds of 28-1, with De Los Cielos Deo ninth, 2—Century Farroh D. Miller/I. Moore 7-2 beaten just 4 ¼ lengths. Burke points to De Los Cielos’ 1:49.1 3—Bettor’s Wish D. Dunn/C. Ryder 2-1 4—This Is The Plan Y. Gingras/R. Burke 15-1 victory last November in the $225,000 Monument Circle in 5—Workin Ona Mystery Tr. Tetrick/B. Brown 12-1 his only prior start at Hoosier Park as a promising omen. 6—Backstreet Shadow Ti. Tetrick/R. Burke 3-1 “Those other two, I hope that if it gets wild they can get 7—Dorsoduro Hanover M. Kakaley/R. Burke 15-1 there,” he said. “De Los Cielos was really good the last time he 8—De Los Cielos Deo S. Widger/R. Burke 15-1 9—Filibuster Hanover R. Macomber Jr./R. Burke 15-1 raced there and Filibuster was really good last start. He seems 10—Majordan A A. McCarthy/V. Morgan Jr. 8-1 to be rounding back into form.”—By Gordon Waterstone HarnessRacing Weekend Preview, 2 of 18 August 14, 2020 www.harnessracing.com Adios Champ Catch The Fire Aims For Milstein Memorial FREE THIS WEEKEND’S Program With a win average of 15.6 percent (229 of 1,466 starters), Pages FEATURED RACES post 1 is the most successful this year at MGM Northfield All times listed are local. Park. Favorites have won at a high rate of 48.6 percent this Friday, August 14 year over Northfield’s half-mile oval. 6:55p ScD3 OHSS 3FT div. Trackmaster PPs In Saturday night’s $250,000 Carl Milstein Memorial for 3- year-old colt pacers, Catch The Fire, starting from post 1 and 8:35p ScD8 OHSS 3FT div. Trackmaster PPs as the 2-1 morning-line selection and likely bettors’ choice, 9:17p HoP10 Haston Mem. Pace Trackmaster PPs could be a tough combination to beat. 9:50p HoP11 Dan Patch OHP Trackmaster PPs Catch The Fire comes into the Milstein off a 1:49.3 victory Click here to download all Friday PPs in the $375,000 Adios Pace over a “sloppy” track on Aug. 1 Saturday, August 15 at The Meadows. The mile for the John Ackley-trained son of Captaintreacherous equaled his career best set the week 3:05p Mea8 PASS 3FT div. Trackmaster PPs prior in an Adios elim over a “fast” track. 3:45p Mea10 PASS 3FT div. Trackmaster PPs Catch The Fire will be driven by Mike Wilder, who has 8:50p Nfld9 Charna Pres. OHP Trackmaster PPs never started in the race since the name changed in 2014 9:35p Nfld10 Milstein Mem. 3CP Trackmaster PPs to honor Milstein, who owned Northfield Park from 1984 Click here to download all Saturday PPs until his death in 1999, but he won a division of the Cleveland Classic back in 2002 with the 18-1 longshot Michael’s Western. “I’d say there will Catch The Fire is making his be a ton of them 18th career start in the Mil- springing out stein. It’s the first time he will there to try and ever start on a half-mile track, “There are tons of speed horses in there. I think Danny lobby for position.” and the first time he’s lined up Noble’s horse, the eight horse (Ocean Rock), will take a big –Mike Wilder in post 1 since his second ca- shot. I know he has the eight hole, which isn’t good on a reer start on July 6, 2019, half, but he’s not getting away last, I can tell you that. He’ll when he finished second for Wilder in a Pennsylvania Sires take a big shot.” Stakes at The Meadows. Trainer Ron Burke, who sends out reigning Ohio Sires “I say post 1 is good at that racetrack; the rail is a huge ad- Stakes champion Elver Hanover from post 3 with Chris Page vantage and a great starting spot on a half-mile track,” said driving, agrees with Wilder that Ocean Rock could be a big Wilder. “He trains on a half at the fairgrounds in Washing- factor despite the outside post. Ocean Rock’s 1:48.4 win in ton Court House, Ohio. We’ve never raced him on a half yet, an Ohio Sires Stakes on July 18 at Scioto Downs set a new but I would have to say he’ll handle it just fine.” track record, and last August he set a world record for 2- Wilder expects the early action to be fast and furious. year-old geldings on a half-mile track when he won at “My head will be forward at first trying to aim for that turn Northfield in 1:51.1. because we’re going to be hustling out of there, but I’m “To me, Ocean Rock is one-two the best colt in the country sure I’ll look right and there’ll be a lot of heads out there,” behind (Tall Dark Stranger), but he can go with him,” said he said. “I’d say there will be a ton of them springing out Burke. “But the eight hole, that’s a big thing.” there to try and lobby for position. I’ll have to make a deci- As for Elver Hanover, the son of Yankee Cruiser has won sion somewhere. once in four starts this year after a nine-for-nine season in 2019 that included a world-record 1:48.3 effort at The $225,000 CARL MILSTEIN MEM. 3CP Red Mile. Elver Hanover was first and second in his first two starts Northfield Park, Saturday, Aug. 15, Race 10, Post Time: 9:35 pm of the year in Ohio Sires Stakes at Northfield Park, and Post—Horse Driver Odds then after finishing third in the Adios elimination he was 1—Catch The Fire M. Wilder/J. Ackley 2-1 2—Odds On Osiris P. Wrenn/M. Wrenn 7-2 fifth by just a length in a blanket finish in the final behind 3—Elver Hanover C.