Random Thoughts

VFTRG contributor Joe F. offers some random thoughts in harness racing.

Leading up to the Levy final, back in the spring, Ron Burke had a dilemma: more horses eligible for the final than the rules allowed. He wound up selling Something For Doc to Mark Ford and his ownership group. At that point SFD had won seven times, including four preliminary legs of the Levy, and earned more than 160K for the year. The price was apparently substantial; built into it was the fact that a sharp horse was eligible to compete in the 450K Levy final. In a stroke of bad luck, SFD drew the eight in that race and stayed eighth throughout. He hasn’t won in his eight starts since that night, finishing third against nw18 at Yonkers the other night. Maybe eight is his unlucky number and he can now move beyond it. I spoke too soon: Something For Doc starts from the eight in Saturday’s ninth race at Yonkers.

The much improved Sevruga, who recently matched Uncle Peter’s WR over a 5/8 track at Pocono, is not staked to the upcoming Maple Leaf. Modern Family wasn’t nominated either. Goo is eligible but he’s apparently not ready yet. Sevruga, who is eligible to the Credit Winner and the Allerage Open, is the points leader in the TVG series.

Going into the Haughton, Fred And Ginger, who is not entered, still leads in the TVG series standings and he can only trail  Sweet Lou or Golden Receiver after the Haughton. None of the others are close enough to pass him. Needy is in 7^th place with 24 points, followed by Pet Rock with 21. Foiled is in 10^th place with only 13 points. Heston has a single point; ARNRD has two and Duer eight.

Hazel Park is one of the tracks lured back into the Grand Circuit this year. Their single GC event is the 100K William Connors Memorial, which takes place Friday night.  Last week they held a $12,500 elimination which featured the same six trotters entered in this week’s final. The winner of the elimination, Sir James, beat nw2 at Hoosier Park in June. Another starter, Torino Seelster, was 49/1 against nw2 at Mohawk in June. The announcer said, “This is a Grand Circuit event.” Really. What is the point of this foolishness? Talk about a waste of $100,000. How does being linked to a fiasco like this benefit the Grand Circuit?

Yonkers is another track which rejoined the Grand Circuit this year. Saturday they have two eliminations for the reincarnated Sheppard for two-year-old pacers. Most of the fifteen entered are state breds. Overall the quality is poor; two exceptions appear to be Stevensville, a SBSW colt with two wins, one of them in the PA All Stars, and the If I Can Dream colt, Forty Five Red….. No drives for Sears and Brennan at YR on Saturday. Things look better over yonder. Sears gets to drive Bee A Magician in the Miller and Royalty For Life in the Dancer, while Brennan has Sunshine Beach in the Pace.……Wheeling N Dealin, Smilin Eli and Royalty For Life are eligible to the Yonkers Trot which is a week before the Hambo. The heats and final for the latter are now on the same day, so one can do both. It’s hard to believe the WND crowd will show up at YR, though…. I’ll never forgive Goo for breaking in last year’s Yonkers Trot, leaving it to Archangel. If I hear one more M1 post race commercial for the latter I’ll lose my lunch. If anything happens to Credit Winner, the trot named for him would become the Archangel. God help us all.

Last year there were ten starters in the Maple Leaf, this year it’s eight. There were two ten horse eliminations for The Roses Are Red last year, there are two seven horse elims this time around. There was a single elimination for the Pace. The world is getting smaller.

Last year Drop The Ball set a TR in one Roses Are Red elim and POAS blew by the field in deep stretch to win the other. In the final Tetrick bolted out of the gate with Anndrovette and never looked back--:48.1, track and Canadian record. Top that. Feeling You and Cee Cee are top tier mares that are missing this year. 

Bettor Sweet made his only 2013 start on June 23 at Harrah’s. He finished third behind Abelard Hanover. He hasn’t been heard from since…..Kingcole is going backwards: he earned $20,000 per start at two, $13,600 last year, and he’s taking in $5,700 per this year, with one win….For all the very good miles Pet Rock has gone this year, he has one win to show for it. And with the nine in the Haughton it will probably stay that way…..The Wm Haughton was five weeks later last year. With two scratches it amounted to Golden Receiver rolling over a weak six horse field. Not this year.

For the first Meadowlands Pace there were two 12 horse eliminations and the top five finishers in each advanced to the same day final…..Royalty For Life is the MOMM of 2013—very fast but totally unpredictable. MOMM won the Stanley Dancer at 13/1 for Andy two years ago. He then won his Hambletonion elimination at 2/5. Then he got steppy in the final. A wild card like RFL is not the handicapper’s best friend.…..Did Sylvain simply take Wheeling N Dealin on a tour of the track the other night, or was he that flat? Exactly what is this Grand Plan for winning the Hambletonion?.....Remember Jimmy Takter blaming Mike Lachance for costing him the Hambo win with Guccio last year. Please….I have a sneaking suspicion that Riccolo is going to parachute in and win the Maple Leaf Trot. Goo wasn’t the only curiosity last year. Remember the great Riccolo; he and Market Share were both 6/5 in an open the week before the Hambletonion eliminations. Riccolo had gone 8 for 8 in the Illinois SS when Paisley unloaded him on the Norwegians for six figures. Unlike Goo, he was eligible to the Hambletonion—not the Colonial, BC, Matron or anything else, though. Bjorn Goop was going to drive Riccolo in the Hambo. When last seen he was finishing out in an ISS race in October. Maybe they brought him back to Norway.

First Look - Meadowlands Pace Card

Here is my early review of the Meadowlands Pace card, one of the best racing cards the Meadowlands has offered, short of Hambletonian Day.  In addition to the Meadowlands Pace, you have the four NJSS championships for 2yos; the William R. Haughton Memorial Pace, featuring one of the deepest FFA ranks in many years; the Mistletoe Shalee for 3yo fillies; the Del Miller and Stanley Dancer memorials for 3yo trotting fillies and colts.  If you make it to the  track only one night this year, this is the night to attend.

The Meadowlands has a website dedicated to the Meadowlands Pace and it may be accessed here.

Since this is my early review, my selections have been made without knowledge of the morning line and any driver changes which will be made.  You could argue this is my starting line for each race; adjusting afterwards for driver changes and odds.  In some ways, this is my 'who should win list' off their past performance lines but successful wagering looks not only at those who should win but offer value.

And no, for those you who have looked ahead, I have not picked Captaintreacherous to win.  In reality, he most likely will win the race, but remember Somebeachsomewhere was a lock in the Pace as well.  If lightning strikes and my selection wins, while I would like to claim great handicapping, odds are it will turn out to be dumb luck (hey, you can always use some of that in this game).

To review the guaranteed pools for Meadowlands Pace night, the $.50 Pick 5 (Races 1-5) has a $20,000 guaranteed pool; Early Pick 4 (Races 3-6) has a $30,000 guaranteed pool; Late Pick 4 (Races 7-10) features a  $100,000 guaranteed pool.

Anyway, I hope these selections assist you in your handicapping.

1st Pace - $30,000; A-1/FFA Handicap Horses and Geldings
2 - Dynamic Youth (POE)
4 - Hurrikane Kingcole
3 - Our Lucky Chip

2nd Trot - $150,000; NJSS 2yo Fillies
7 - Dancin For Money
2 - Pacific Winds K
1 - My Inspiration

3td Trot - $150,000; NJSS 2yo Colts and Geldings
2 -  Hill I Am
6 - Quickwit
7 - Southwind Spirit

4th Pace - $150,000; NJSS 2yo Colts and Geldings
2 - Western Vintag
1 - Beat The Drum
8 - Sweet Rock
6 - In The Clear

5th Trot - $265,500; Del Miller Memorial 3yo Fillies
1 - Bee A Magician
3 - Ma Chere Hall
9 - Cupcake
2 - Time To Kill

6th Pace - $150,000; NJSS 2yo Fillies
1 - Ideal Hellen
3 - My LadyDay

9  Fiyonce
6 - Cut A Deal 

7th Pace - $16,000; B-2/B-1 Handicap Horses and Geldings
2 - Breakin The Law
7 - Emeritus Maximus
4 - All Speed Hanover
1 - Dremzzzz R For U

8th Trot - $294,000; Stanley Dancer Memorial (3yo Open)
 9 - Royalty For Life
 1 - Spider Blue Chip
10 - Corky
 4-  Fico

9th  Pace - $471,800; William R Haughton Memorial (FFA)
2 - Warrawee Needy
5 - Golden Receiver
6 - Foiled Again
3 - Sweet Lou

10th Pace - $635,750; Meadowlands Pace (3yo Open)
1 - Odds On Equuleus
2 - Sunshine Beach
4 - Twilight Bonfire
9 - Wake Up Peter

11th Pace - $184,250; Mistletoe Shalee (3yo Fillies)
1 - Novascotia Hanover
2 - I Luv The Nitelife
3 - Shebestingin
4 - Jerseylicious

12th Pace - $10,000; C-1 Horses and Geldings
4 - Mighty Young Joe
7 - Redneck Outlaw
3 - Long Live Rock
2 - Prestissimo

13th Pace - $17,500; 3 and 4yos N/W 3 Ext PM Races or $32,500 Lifetime
9 - Only The Lonely
8 - Sir Richard Z Tam
6 - Lets Rock Together
4 - Troon

14th Pace - $12,500; 3 and 4 yos N/W 2 Ext PM Races or $22,000 Lifetime
9 - Shark Treasure
6 - Someplace Special
8 - Talking Blues
7 - World Cup Cullen

A Look at First Crop Stallions

VFTRG contributor Joe F. takes a look at the first crop stallions thus far.

Two sons of first crop stallion Mister Big made a splash—literally—winning 52K ONSS Gold Series events at water logged Mohawk Raceway Monday night. The Grinfromeartoear stallion, a millionaire four times over, stands in Ontario for $7,500.  That fee looked heavy in light of his less than successful run at the sales in the fall. His 14 yearlings at Harrisburg averaged a modest $9,100, with 85% of them selling for 15K or less. Overall, the Mister Bigs averaged about $9,400 with a top price of $37,000. One of Monday night’s winners, the impressive Falcon Justice, sold for $7,500 and has already banked more than 50K on two wins. Last night’s other winner, Crafty Master, has won both starts and has earned about 34K. 

Shadow Play, another first crop Ontario stallion, fared better at the sales than Mister Big did, but the enthusiasm for him was still somewhat tempered by the tenuous situation up North. As opposed to Mister Big, who sold 40 yearlings, 73 Shadow Plays went through the sales. Half of them brought 15K or less. They averaged more than 16K and the top colt brought 135K. That one, Arthur Blue Chip, is showing early promise. The Shadow Plays have been lighting it up in the ONSS, especially the fillies. The hard luck filly, Book Babe, got everyone’s attention with a :52.4 win at Mohawk, but she injured herself in that race and is out for the year. Alibi Seelster, winner of a 70K ONSS Gold event last week, is another promising Shadow Play filly. Twin B Spy, a 50K Harrisburg purchase, won his 52K split of the ONSS Gold Series last night.

The Western Hanover stallion, If I Can Dream, sent 66 through the ring for a disappointing average of 12K, but his progeny have been showing very well in the NYSS. His top priced colt, Forty Five Red, a half brother to thirty Two Red, was a handy winner in a 46K NYSS race at Saratoga. Big Boy Dreams and Mean Pauline are a couple of other  impressive Dream offspring. He now has the unenviable task of replacing Rocknroll Hanover as the Western Hanover line stallion in New Jersey thanks to a change of venue. If the Jersey politicians ever get their act together he could be positioned for success.

Art Official is another first crop stallion already on the move. He was standing for 7K in PA but has been relocated to Ohio, where he carries a reduced 5K stud fee. The 52 Art Official yearlings averaged 16K and carried a median price of 10K. Between SBSW and Dragon Again, and with Well Said looming on the horizon, the PASS, as lucrative as the program may be, is getting very competitive. And off what his freshman crop has shown to this point, Art Official will be a nice fit in Ohio. Sister Stroll, a half sister to Dancinwiththestarz has already shown her class in the PA All Stars. And Let’s Drink On It and Official Command are a pair of tough, fast colts.  

Well Said was by far the most favorably received pacing stallion in this year’s rookie class. 79 of them averaged 54K with a median price of 45K and a top of 380K. Expectations were high for the Hanover stallion and thus far he isn’t disappointing. While the aforementioned pacing stallions are expected to earn their keep in restricted company, Well Said is a 15K stud and as such expected to do well in open as well as state bred races, just like SBSW. Tuesday afternoon his son, Kingofthejungle, took a 54K split of the Albatross at The Meadows in :53.1, while another Well Said colt, Tellitlikeitis, a half to Rockin Amadeus, Rockin Image and Time To Roll, won his split in :52.2. Well Said’s 24 fillies sold at Harrisburg averaged 54% less than his 29 colts. Yet fillies like Boots N Saddle, Talkative, Legal Process and Southwind Silence are already showing promise.

The star of this year’s first crop sires is undoubtedly Muscle Hill. His daddy is eighteen and in search of an extender; Dewey certainly gives no indication that he’s up to the task. Muscle Hill may well be that extender. The 53 Muscle Hill’s brought an average of more than 80K, with a median of 65K and a top of 360K. 60% of the Muscle Hills auctioned off at Harrisburg brought more than 50K. That’s very impressive for a stallion based in New Jersey. Southwind Spirit, a 105K Lexington buy, and Hill I Am, a brother to Prayer I Am, will both get your attention. So will Trixton, a half to Impressive Kemp. The NJSS finals are coming up over the weekend. After that we’ll see the Muscle Hill’s move into open competition.

Explosive Matter, who stands at Hanover for 7,500, sold 77 for an average of almost 18K and a median price of 13K. Only three went for 50K or more. Contrast that with Muscle Hill who moved 30 at that level. Despite the lack of enthusiasm on the part of buyers, Amped Up Hanover, Kapow Hanover, Struck By Lindy and Vanity Matters have all won splits of the PASS All Star races. Value wise it’s hard to top Explosive Matter’s daddy, Catab Hall, at a 10K stud fee. Maybe Explosive Matter will carry on that tradition.

Tuesday Morning Briefs

California racing has been somewhat humorous lately.  Not the dysfunctional groups involved in racing, but this time the stewards get into the act.  A state steward ordered Jockey Kalya Stra to decide whether she wanted to be a jockey or a mother.  What was Stra's offense?  She breast-fed her baby.

Fortunately, CHRB Chairman David Israel, issued a directive which lambasted the stewards at Hollywood Park and instructed them to leave Stra alone and indicated a jockey can be a mother and jockey at the same time. It is also California law that women are allowed to breast feed in public.  The worst thing about this whole story?  The steward which started this whole incident is a woman.


A lawsuit involving the AQHA could have impact on thoroughbred and standardbred breeding.  A couple of horsemen are suing the AQHA on anti-trust grounds for refusing to register cloned quarter horses.  Should this lawsuit be decided in favor of the plaintiffs, expect to see cloned horses coming to a racetrack near you.


In an installment of what have you done for me lately?  Stephane Bouchard has decided to make his move from Yonkers to Saratoga Raceway permanent as he has moved his family to the Saratoga Springs area.  Bouchard, who has had success at Yonkers has been crowded out not only by George Brennan and Brian Sears but Ontario refugees and Meadowlands drivers who decide to head over the bridge on days the Meadowlands is dark.  Trainers and owners will abandon a driver the moment a new hot driver shows up and it happened here.  Yes, Bouchard may not have been as productive as he did before, but when the quality of the horseflesh drops off, it is hard to keep producing the way you did when you got the pick of the field.


Speaking of drivers, someone was puzzled how the Meadowlands can be doing so well handle-wise with the driver colony they have.  First of all, while there have been a couple of high profile defections, a drivers colony which includes in no specific order the Millers, Callahan, Tetrick, Pierce, Campbell, Gingras, Allard, Macdonald, and others is not exactly chopped liver.  You still need to be a good driver to make it at the Meadowlands.  Secondly, despite what some people may say, the defection of a couple of drivers is good for bettors as the wins are spread out further.  If you eliminate Yannick Gingras from the equation, you have twelve drivers with a win percentage of 16%-12%; that makes for competitive racing.

I must make a confession, I like the type of racing the Meadowlands has this year.  Yes, many of the races are for C-1 and C-2 level horses and lower level claimers and conditioned races but that is the way I like it.  No class inflation where horses are moved up due to the absence of horses better than them.  Oh, I like seeing great horses races as much as anyone but I detested the old conditioned system they used.

Usually, by this time of year, I have been fatigued by the Meadowlands meet.  This year, I am sorry to realize there are only eight days of racing left

Fair Time

PTP today has a column about racing for the sake of racing.  I can relate to his friend Norm, because I am one of those people who can watch racing for the sake of racing.  Sure, if there is wagering I will wager, but I am just as content, if not happier, being somewhere where there is no wagering.

When I went to college in New Brunswick, New Jersey I was fortunate enough to be in a dorm on one bank of the Raritan River where I had a clear view of Johnson Park on the other side of the river in Piscataway.  Johnson Park is a county park with a little old half mile oval (if you look in the annual Trotting and Pacing guide, you will see Johnson Park listed as "Pisc").  One weekend every year during the Middlesex County Fair which seemed to occur somewhere else, there was harness racing, featuring initially the Garden State Stakes before they developed the NJFS series.  There, drivers from Freehold and the Meadowlands started their younger not ready for prime time horses to learn the racing game.  As for seating, you got to sit on the hill overlooking the track.

Other than that one weekend a year, the track was used for training purposes with people shipping in daily to just jog around the track.  When the pressure of school got to me, I would sit outside on the balcony and just watch the horses jog around on the empty track (it got a little cold during the winter when it snowed to watch) because for me it was pure relaxation.

Unfortunately, the powers to be decided to end the NJ fair circuit so Johnson Park no longer hosts races (I understand people still use the track for training).  I feel sorry for those who never had the opportunity I had to experience harness racing in its purest form for without experiencing fair racing, racing is nothing but gambling.

Heading for the wire first time (Photo Courtesy of Allan Schott)

Which is why these days I look forward to the 4th of July weekend at Goshen.  These days, I depend on someone to drive and help push the wheelchair when I run out of gas but I am in heaven when I get to attend.  This year I was there for the NYCF stakes, the bottom of the barrel for NY sired horses; many races going for $1,900 or so but still a fun day.  I got to visit a trainer that I am friends with who is stabled at Historic Track and it was like old home week. 

Even though it was the cheapest day of races of the four days, the 2,000 seat grandstand was filled up enough to make many a track manager envious of the crowd.



Post parade for the third race (Photo courtesy of Allan Schott)

Admittedly, most of the horses and trainers you wouldn't see regularly downstate as the NYCF races are primarily held in the northern portions of the state.  It was nice to see trainers I used to see racing in Saratoga years ago still in the business, perhaps training more than driving these days.

How much do I look forward to Goshen?  This year marked thirty-three years since I attended my first meet at this national landmark.  How can someone make a point of traveling an hour to go to a track without wagering?  It is easy, it reinvigorates you being amongst those who appreciate racing for a sport, not a gambling product.

I was talking to someone earlier today who laments the loss of fair racing in New Jersey.  I concur, it was a loss.  But I guess that is what happens when a state looks at racing as purely big business and with the Meadowlands having opened up, there was no time for the sport; it became a business so the expense it cost to host a weekend of racing at training centers got to be too much.  In some ways, racing got to big for its britches in the Garden State, no place for the little guy; the one who while hoping to make money with their horses primarily raced for the fun of it. 

The loss of the fairs in New Jersey was emblematic of the carpet bagging ways of horsemen who abandoned New Jersey the moment purses were significantly cut.  No time or expense available for fair racing not only meant the end of fair racing, but also helped horsemen forget why they got into the business in the first place.  Be it an industry insider or a racing fan, it should be mandatory for everyone to visit the fairs at least once a year to remember what racing is really about.