Sixteen horses have been dropped into the box for the Inaugural Hambletonian Day Monté Trot late closing series which will be contested Friday evening. With two $10,000 (divided) preliminary legs determining the field for the $25,000 final based on points earned, the racing should be competitive.
In a reversal of the usual, Ray Schnittker, who rides Flex The Muscle, is the lone man taking on the women riders. Schnittker did win the RUS event with Flex The Muscle at Historic Track during its Grand Circuit meeting.
If interested in watching these races in person, you need to get to the track a little bit earlier than usual as the first event has a post time of 7:00pm with the second division being contested after the third race.
Non-Betting Race 1 - RUS Trot - $5,000; Hambletonian Day Monté Trot LC - 1st Leg Division 1
Approx Post Time 7:00PM
1 Master Pine Helene Gregory Julie Miller
2 Where`s Harry Caroline Green James Porter
3 Admirable Hanover Jennifer Connor Janice Connor
4 Waldorf Hall Jenny Melander Jim Raymer
5 Pointe Of Honour Tara Hynes Frank Scamporino Jr
6 A Penny Earned Heather Reese George Ducharme
7 Amoreena T Enberg Pat Lachance
8 Chinese Cuisine Tina Duer Brett Bittle
Non-Betting Race 2 - RUS Trot - $5,000; Hambletonian Day Monté Trot LC - 1st Leg Division 2
Approx Post Time 8:10PM
1 Motown Dreamgirl Jennifer Lowrey Robert Lounsbury
2 Flowing James Emma Pettersson Mark Harder
3 Flex The Muscle Ray Schnittker Ray Schnittker
4 Muscolo Michelle Crawford Paul Kelley
5 Celebrity Playboy Maria Andersson Ron Burke
6 First Tail U See Ashley Eldred John Battiato
7 Sundance Bayama Stephanie Werder Henrik Lundell
8 Armbro Doyle Ashley Eldred Dawn Anderson
In a bit of sad news, it has been learned that Driver Leo Burns has passed away at the age of 98. It was just last June that Leo Burns set the record for the oldest driver to win a race at 97 years young, clearly a record which will never be broken. Burns had over 450 career wins and in excess of $400,000 in career earnings racing primarily on the Midwest fair circuit.
2 comments:
Mercifully (and wisely), they are non-betting events. If you are of the belief that fans are "turned off" by breakers, lack of "recalls", etc., than surely you can see how these unpredictable, "unhandicappable", and generally non-competitive events would turn them off even that much more. Fun to watch, but senseless to bet on!
I think you are too harsh on what we are seeing. These are exhibition races. I and I am sure most participants of these events will be the first ones to admit the product is not worthy of wagering, now.
If states begin to legalize wagering on the sport, you will see horsemen and riders come over from Europe to find their niche hear and American trainers and riders take this a lot more serious and the product will improve dramatically. Then, I suspect the product will be greatly improved.
Watch a European monté race and see what it can be like. It is like night and day.
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