Attrition
took a toll on the TVG Trotting Series at the Meadowlands last year. Only six
trotters started in the last leg, the week prior to the final, and only seven
went in the final. Five of those are retired, racing in Europe or simply out of
sight. Only the winner, Market Share, and that venerable warhorse Arch Madness
are back for more. Thirty trotters were nominated to the series this year,
including the brilliant mares, Maven and Bee A Magician. Twelve of the thirty
are not viable participants for one reason or another. Some like Ice Machine
and Mister Herbie have entered the witness protection program, while others,
like Pine Credit and Sixteen Mikes, don’t appear to be up to the challenge. Some
like Upfront Billy and Quick Deal tried their luck at the Cutler, but aren’t
staked to the TVG series.
Between his
half-share of points for winning a Cutler elimination and the 35 points earned
for winning the final, Sebastian is on top with 53 points. He’s followed by
Modern Family, Arch Madness, Sevruga, Market Share, Undercover Strike,
Archangel, Intimidate, Possessed Fashion and DW’s NY Yank. Possessed Fashion,
who was fifth in his Cutler elimination and seventh in the final, is the only
four-year-old in the top ten at this point—despite the fact forty-three percent
of the nominees are four-year-olds. Most of the better ones haven’t kicked off
their aged campaigns. Creatine just qualified; Royalty For Life appears to be
aiming for the Hambletonion Maturity—exclusively for four-year-olds—on July 5;
Flanagan Memory makes his first start tonight; the status of Spider Blue Chip,
Smilin Eli and Your So Vain is unknown; Corky is racing in Europe.
There are
two TVG legs scheduled between now and the Hambletonion Maturity. Not having
the premium four-year-olds entered would be unfortunate. Also, a horse must
race in at least half the legs to qualify for the final. This would put those trotters
that don’t join the fray until after the July 5 Maturity in a position where
they must compete in all five of the remaining legs. If the Maple Leaf requires
an elimination round it will only be four, as the July 12 race would be
cancelled. (There has been no elimination round for the Maple Leaf during the
last three years.)
The mares
will have a conflict with the Armbro Flight, which is the day after leg three
of the TVG series. And the following leg conflicts with a leg of the Miss
Versatility. And the next one with the Ima Lula. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting
for Bee and Maven to come aboard.
The Maturity
fell a month earlier on the schedule last year so it wasn’t an issue. The
pacing Maturity, in which Captaintreacherous is expected to make his debut, is
two weeks from Friday, on June 13. That will have a negligible effect on the
series. Timing is everything.
The TVG
trotting final lacked the drama created by the face-off between sophomore champ
Captaintreacherous and his elders on the pacing side. Tetrick blew to the top
with 6/5 favorite Market Share and, despite a noble effort by race caller Sam
McKee, drama was lacking. There was no three-year-old trotter entered as Chuck
Sylvester declined the invitation to have Breeders Crown winner Spider Blue
Chip start. Let’s hope that Royalty For Life, Creatine and the rest get in the
ring with Sebastian, Market Share, Father Patrick, Bee and Maven in a TVG final
that trumps the one the pacers gave us last year.
Joe
FitzGerald
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