This year we are very fortunate in that our top three year olds seem to be actually racing rather than just picking their spots. First we had Well Said whose connections decided after the Meadowlands Pace to race in the Adios. True he lost the final, probably from being tired, but his connections were showing sportsmanship by being willing to race the him on a track which has been known to be a graveyard for some of the sports finest horses. Well Said races this Sunday in The Battle of the Brandywine.
On the trotting side, Muscle Hill apparently will be supplemented to the American-National at Balmoral Park on August 29 the will be racing the following week to the World Trotting Derby at DuQuoin and then to the Canadian Trotting Derby (and eliminations). While the World Trotting Derby and Canadian Trotting Derby were to be expected, when was the last time a world champion raced in the American-National? Kudos to Muscle Hill's connections for taking their horse off the beaten path and sharing him with fans who normally would not get to see him. Hopefully the Chicago harness racing fans will support Balmoral with a huge crowd that day.
It would have been great to see Muscle Hill race this weekend in the Colonial Trot at Chester but trainer Greg Peck felt that a race of this caliber so soon after the Hambletonian (8 days) would have been too much. Would it have been? Perhaps not, but after seeing Well Said falter in the Adios final, you can't fault Muscle Hill's connections for making this decision.
In other news, Freehold Raceway opens their fall meet today with a card full of Green Acres and New Jersey Sire Stakes races. While the meet kicks off with a slew of NJ sired events, it promises to be another tough meet for the famed oval with horsemen racing at any other track possible due to the decreased purse structure. Hopefully cutting one day a week of their schedule will allow for better racing the rest of the week. Freehold is certainly on the ropes but we are rooting for them to pull through. The original 'Afternoon Delight' is a treasure; harness racing would be poorer if Freehold ever closed for good.
The card for Super Sunday at Chester Downs has been drawn. There are fourteen races on the card with a special post time of 2:00pm. Super Sunday has The Battle of the Brandywine, The Colonial Trot, and The Valley Victory fields being determined by money earned this year instead of eliminations. The top eight horses in each race go in the 'final' with two consolations being seeded by money earned as well. Take note how competitive these races will be and how the conditions of these races are fairer to all the competitors (starting fees depend on which race you draw in), including those in the consolations. You will see why getting rid of elimination races would be best for all.
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