Hambletonian edition THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 2021 5% REBATE ON HAMBLETONIAN DAY ONLY WITH DRF BETS BET NOW ► Breaking down the Hambletonian ► Hambletonian Analysis & PPs ► Takter on the art of winning the Hambo ► New Hambo stallions & royal pedigrees © 2021 Daily Racing Form, LLC - 10 Grand Central, 3rd Floor, NY, NY 10017 WATCH THE HAMBLETONIAN Saturday, August 7 1. CBS Sports Network 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Live coverage of the Hambletonian and the Hambletonian Oaks 2. FS2 (FOX Sports 2) Cut-in from Live at Saratoga broadcast for live coverage of the Hambletonian 3. Racetrack Television Network (www.rtn.tv) Free streaming of Meadowlands In-house show from playmeadowlands.com; also available on Meadowlands Racetrack Facebook & YouTube page. RTN is available on PCs, mobile devices, on DISH Network, Roku and Amazon Fire TV. 4. ADW accounts Full card coverage of the Meadowlands Pre-Event Coverage - Social Media Facebook Hambletonian Society - https://www.facebook.com/HambletonianSociety Meadowlands - https://www.facebook.com/meadowlandsracetrack/ U.S. Trotting Association - https://www.facebook.com/ustrotting Twitter Hambletonian - @hambletonian (https://twitter.com/Hambletonian_) Meadowlands - @TheMeadowlands (https://twitter.com/TheMeadowlands) U.S. Trotting Association - @USTrotting (https://twitter.com/USTrotting) Hambletonian Information and History Hambletonian Website - www.hambletonian.com EDITOR’S EYE By Derick Giwner @harnesseyeguy Breaking down the Hambletonian Hambletonian Day at The Meadowlands has everything a horse- player or fan of the sport could desire. There’s a full slate of 16 races (13 of which are stakes) with a number of wagering options, the best horses/drivers/trainers in harness racing, and of course the Hamble- tonian. Coming off consecutive Hambletonians where the favorite was 2-5 or less, 2021 provides us with a truly competitive field and many options depending on how YOU see the race playing out. Below we take a look at the field of 10 from a perspective of poten- tial value in relation to recent performance and potenial to improve. While the value odds-line will be opinion-based, there will be no prog- nostications in this column. The goal is simply to provide a baseline to use when heading to the windows. Use this information and all of the stories, opinions and selections in this special Hambletonian issue as a guide, or read it and toss it aside. As long as you open it and flip through the pages with some Inside this issue interest, I’m happy. Let’s dig in! ►Hambletonian Day could be “Miller” time 1-DELAYED HANOVER ML: 7-2 VALUE OddS: 5-1 ►Four first-time stallions make Hambletonian cut DRIVER: YANNICK GINGRAS ►Jimmy Takter discusses the road to the Hambo TRAINER: AKE SVANSTEDT OWNERS: MELLBY GARD INC. & AKE ►Hambletonian Day Handicapping & PPs SVANSTEDT BREEDER: HANOVER SHOE FARMS ►Royal pedigrees on display in Haughton/Doherty SIRE: SOUTHWIND FRANK DAM: DON’T WAIT UP ►Zoccali: Plenty to look forward to on Hambo card Those taking a positive view will see a horse that put together ►MGM Yonkers International Trot to return in 2022 back-to-back strong efforts and won going away in his elimina- ►On The Backstretch: Profile of Edison Hatter tion. A contrarian will say the trip worked out perfectly last ►Best Bets & Analysis ►Industry Headlines week, his driver booked off to Really Fast and post 1 could be Comments? Questions? difficult with plenty of speed to Email the Editor [email protected] his outside. As a proven 1:50 trot- ter he has a shot. CLICK HERE FOR HAMBLETONIAN DAY ENTRIES CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 Congratulations to last weekend’’s Ohio Sires Stakes Winners! OSDF Administrator Kim Rinker 614-779-0269 3 Year-Old Colt Pacer~ Leg 3 Winner www.racingohio.net 3-Year-Old Colt Pacer ~ Leg 3 Winner Heart Of Chewbacca Charlie May DRF Harness Digest | 3 | August 5, 2021 Visit us online at drf.com/harness CONGRATULATIONS to the connections of Hambletonian starter TAKE ALL COMERS, winner of the Muscle Hill division of the Bluegrass Stakes at two in 1:52 3/5, just 2/5ths off the world record. Owner/breeder: Runthetable Stables Trainer: Jim Campbell Best of luck to this son of Creatine in the 2021 Hambletonian CREATINE BY ANDOVER HALL OUT OF BERRY NICE MUSCLES 717-638-7100 | [email protected] CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 6-SONOFAMISTERY ML: 4-1 VALUE ODDS: 7-2 DRIVER: BRIAN SEARS 2-TAKE ALL COMERS ML: 12-1 VALUE ODDS: 25-1 TRAINER: MARCUS MELANDER OWNERS: S R F STABLE & HOLLY DRIVER: DAVID MILLER LANE STUD EAST LTD TRAINER: JIM CAMPBELL BREEDER: MILLSTREAM STABLE LLC OWNERS: RUNTHETABLE STABLES & ALDEBARAN PARK INC. BREEDER: RUNTHETABLE STABLES & SIRE: MUSCLE HILL CHELSEA BATELLI DAM: MISTERY WOMAN SIRE: CREATINE He dealt with plenty of traffic DAM: NANTAB in his elimination and finished The inside post is a huge plus under a hold due to lack of room late. Marcus Melander trainee is also and he finished well with a 26 4/5 the fastest horse in the field (1:50 2/5) by almost a full second. On the final quarter in his elimination from third-over. His best beaten time minus side three and four starts back he had a breaking issue. Brian of 1:51 comes up short here but that doesn’t mean he can’t improve and Sears has won this race three times. there is certainly enough early speed signed on for him to rally into with a clean trip. Trainer Jim Campbell already has a Hambletonian 7-REALLY FASt ML: 5-1 VALUE ODDS: 8-1 win on his record. DRIVER: DEXTER DUNN 3-SPY BOOth ML: 15-1 VALUE ODDS: 40-1 TRAINER: NANCY TAKTER OWNERS: BRIXTON MEDICAL INC., HATFIELD STABLES, MARVIN KATZ & DRIVER: TIM TETRICK AL LIBFELD TRAINER: NANCY TAKTER BREEDER: AL LIBFELD OWNERS: JOHN FIELDING, DAVID SIRE: MUSCLE HILL ANDERSON, ROBERT LEBLANC & DAM: STUBBORN BELLE MARVIN KATZ Muscle Hill colt had some BREEDER: ORDER BY STABLE breaking issues earlier this year but seems to be on the right road SIRE: MUSCLE HILL now. He has lacked early speed, which could be an issue with #9 and DAM: AMOUR HEIRESS #10 possibly leaving hard. From a time perspective he probably has to Driver Tim Tetrick has a win pick up a second to win. It’s possible, but he may need some pace help. and two seconds in this race, so that’s a plus, and this guy seems to be improving with a trio of 1:52 miles in a row. That said, he’s 0-for-9 8-VENERATE ML: 8-1 VALUE ODDS: 15-1 in his career and this race seems to be coming up too soon for him to DRIVER: ANDY MILLER make an impact. TRAINER: JULIE MILLER 4-CAPTAIN COREY ML: 3-1 VALUE ODDS: 3-1 OWNERS: PINSKE STABLES & ANDY MILLER STABLE INC. BREEDER: STEVE STEWART & KEMPPI STABLE DRIVER: AKE SVANSTEDT SIRE: LOVE YOU TRAINER: AKE SVANSTEDT DAM: PEACEFUL KEMP OWNERS: S R F STABLE, KNUTSSON Son of Love You can seemingly trot all day long but has lacked TROTTING, MIDNIGHT SUN PARTNERS handiness. Trainer Julie Miller confirmed she will be changing from & AKE SVANSTEDT an Open Bridle to Can’t See Back Cups. Will that help? He’s basically BREEDER: CARTER DUER been babied around the track in every start. The pure talent is there SIRE: GOOGOO GAAGAA if he can put it together. DAM: LUV U ALL He’s the deserving favorite off 9-AmBASSADOR HANOVER ML: 15-1 VALUE ODDS: 20-1 a very impressive wire-to-wire DRIVER: SCOTT ZERON victory. The positives are that TRAINER: AKE SVANSTEDT he only has four starts and could OWNERS: AKE SVANSTEDT, ORDER BY improve, he has a great post, and STABLE, HOWARD & JUDITH TAYLOR & he’s already been in the 1:50 range in terms of time. On the negative DIAMOND CREEK RACING side, Svanstedt is not a top catch-driver and when met with pressure BREEDER: HANOVER SHOE FARMS two starts back he lost. It’s worth checking out the changes to see if SIRE: CHAPTER SEVEN he’ll race without shoes on Saturday. Svanstedt said it will depend on track and weather conditions. DAM: ANGEL EYES His big early speed is an asset and getting two-time Hambletonian 5-LOCATELLI ML: 15-1 VALUE ODDS: 30-1 winner Scott Zeron in the bike has to be considered a plus. His elimi- nation effort was just ok but he did drop almost a second in time, so perhaps the arrow is pointing up. DRIVER: ANDREW MCCARTHY TRAINER: NANCY TAKTER 10-CUATRO DE JULIO ML: 10-1 VALUE ODDS: 25-1 OWNERS: BLACK HORSE RACING, JOHN FIELDING & STEVE HEIMBECKER DRIVER: LUCAS WALLIN BREEDER: HANOVER SHOE FARMS TRAINER: MARIE ORTOLAN BAR SIRE: MUSCLE HILL OWNERS: D FARM LLC DAM: GIRLIE TOUGH BREEDER: DREAM WITH ME STABLE He starts from a great post but SIRE: TRIXTON his pattern of races hardly looks DAM: CLARABELLE like that of a horse who is ready Was stretched out a touch while making a strong move to the front to throw a new lifetime best, which is what it would take to compete. in his elimination but clearly got a bit steppy in the stretch, something He was just even in his elimination and broke in the previous start. we’ve seen from him before. The pure speed is there but mental obstacles and post 10 with speed to his inside remain the big issues to overcome. DRF Harness Digest | 5 | August 5, 2021 Visit us online at drf.com/harness HANOVER SHOE FARMS Wishes the best of luck to all of the Hambletonian & Hambletonian Oaks finalists Congratulations to the Hanover-breds who advanced to the finals HAMBLETONIAN HAMBLETONIAN OAKS DELAYED HANOVER CONTESTED HANOVER AMBASSADOR HANOVER DARLENE HANOVER LOCATELLI *PIPER HANOVER *bred by Brittany Farms and Melvin Hartman; sold by Hanover Shoe Farms as a yearling ANDOVER HALL · BAR HOPPING · BETTING LINE · CANTAB HALL CAPTAINTREACHEROUS · GREENSHOE · INTERNATIONAL MONI · NUNCIO PAPI ROB HANOVER · STAY HUNGRY · TALL DARK STRANGER 717-637-8931 | hanoverpa.com | [email protected] With plenty of live drives, Hambo Day could be “Miller” time By Jay Bergman Hambletonian Day tends to bring out the best in the sport’s drivers and Hall of Famer David Miller is certainly hoping to get his share of winner’s circle appearances on the 16-race program at The Meadowlands this Saturday afternoon (August 7).