Meadowlands Maturity Preview

With the holiday weekend and my annual pilgrimage to Goshen's Historic Track, I have handicapped the Meadowlands Maturity a day earlier than normal.  The Maturity is for 4yo trotters who were eligible to both the Hambletonian Oaks and Hambletonian last year.  What makes this race unique is it is a 1 1/8 mile tilt featuring 14 horses, meaning 4 start from the second tier.  All owners whose horse finishes 6th or worse will earn 1% of the purse with second-fifth place having their percentages lowered enough to cover the extra payoffs.  Just in case anyone is curious, the conditions indicated that up to 16 horses would start with no eliminations; the highest money earners would get in if the race is over subscribed.

The race provides the potential for some good payoffs for those who solve the puzzle.  First of all, none of these horses are showing any current lines with a race over the mile distance.  In addition with two of the best horses scoring from the second tier the question is will they be able to work a good trip?  At a mile, it would be extremely difficult to get involved but with the addition 1/8th of a mile, there is a better chance of the two getting involved.  As for the morning line favorite, Royalty For Life (last year's Hambo winner), he makes his first official start of the year.  Of course, if the USTA offered mile rates, if a horse previously raced at Saturday night's distance, handicappers would have that information available to them; now for most people, it is a guess.

As a reminder, not only is the Maturity being contested, but eliminations for the Meadowlands Pace and Mistletoe Shalee are being contested.  First post on Saturday has a special 6:30 start.  Those attending on track will be treated to a fireworks show after the races.

With the Maturity being the only race in the HANA Harness handicapping contest you can find the handicapper's plays by clicking here.

Without further ado, here are my selections for the Hambletonian Maturity.   Have a great 4th of July.


10th Trot Meadowlands - 1 1/8 Miles; $484,850; Hambletonian Maturity - 4yos; Est. Post 9:30
  1 - Your So Vain (Svanstedt, 8-1) - Winner of elimination of Kentucky Futurity last year making first start of the year.  Trainer has had the horse during off season; who better to drive and train for the added distance.  Definite threat first time out.
   2 - Sweet Justice (Callahan, 15-1) - B-2 trotter has tough spot.  Will need to come from off the trot.  There are better to invest in this race.
  3 - Bambino Glide (M. Miller, 15-1) - Looked good at Phl5/8.  Needs to catch trip and come on late.  May pick up pieces.
  4 - FICO (Smith, 30-1) - Winner in last but making huge jump this race.  One day he will show his potential but don't see it here.
  5 - Wheeling N Dealin (Jamieson, 6-1) - Been racing credibly in the WEG Preferreds and does show ability to improve in the stretch.  Look for him to compete for good early position.
  6 - Royalty For Life (D. Miller, 3-1) -  Hambo winner returns off three race qualifying efforts.  Last qualifier was good and shows he is worthy of consideration.  Don't leave off your ticket.
  7 - Flanagan Memory (B. Miller, 10-1) - Another shipper from WEG.  Is the type to make his own trip.  May be there if top choice falters.
  8 - Spider Blue Chip (Pierce, 8-1) - Jumped off in WEG; toss it.  Must stay up close in the hunt to factor.
  9 - High Bridge (Gringas, 30-1) - Shown little this year.  Will get poor spot at start.  Pass.
10 - Master Of Law (Zeron, 30-1) - Post would typically eliminate but this one appears able to factor.  Lands minor spoils.
11 -  Major Athens (Campbell, 30-1) - Starts the quartet of second tier horses.  Any chance depends on catching trip.  Expect to see him behind a wall of horses.
12 - Possessed Fashion (Tetrick, 30-1) - Front runner draws the second tier.  Can't be a good sign.  Pass.
13 - Bee A Magician (Sears, 4-1) - Mare has no Perfect Alliance to deal with here.  Field is relatively softer but must find a way to position herself in he tilt.  Would pass at anything less than 9-2.
14 - Creatine (LaChance, 6-1) - Draws the death seat.  Not sure he can get involved.
Selections: 1-5-7-6


Governor Christie is now on board with moving up moves to allow a casino in Northern New Jersey a full year earlier, according to North Jersey.com.  While the Meadowlands is the likely site, there are other locations making their pitch.

A Thaw in NJ Slots?

Hell must have frozen over as it has been revealed that NJ State Senate President Sweeney has held private conversations with individuals regarding a North Jersey casino, presumably at the Meadowlands, with eyes looking forward to a referendum in November 2015, a full year before Governor Christie originally indicated.  Now, Senator Sweeney did indicate one condition would be the casino would have to provide, dare I say it, a subsidy to Atlantic City to help with its redevelopment.

Senator Sweeney is the key person supporting the Atlantic City logjam with his refusal to advance any casino legislation for votes in the State Senate.  True, Governor Christie has said Atlantic City should get five years without competition which means 2016, but the truth is the Governor can and likely would change his tune if Senator Sweeney voiced his approval being he cites the Senate President's blockade as a reason not to talk about an expansion of gaming; it would be a moot point.


The lunacy of the fight between Gulfstream Park and Calder Race Course has come to an end with the Stonarch Group's Gulfstream Park coming out victorious.  Of course the cynic may say Churchill Down's Calder Race Course has won.  The two tracks which are a mere eight miles apart were racing this year head-to-head and an agreement has been reached for Gulfstream Park to take all the racing dates in South Florida.  In return, Calder will lease 40 of the Gulfstream dates in order to race the minimum number of days required in order to maintain their slot license.

Of course it was lunacy to have two tracks that close to each other in the first place but that's the way it was.  With Gulfstream controlling all the race dates in South Florida for thoroughbred racing, my guess is it will put a damper on any idea to add thoroughbred dates at Hialeah Park which currently races quarter horses.  Once before, Hialeah took on Gulfstream Park which resulted in Hialeah to close up and bring it to the brink of extinction.  Back then, Calder was in the mix as well but now with Gulfstream holding all the 'thoroughbred' cards, a trainer and jockey would be foolish to risk racing at Hialeah as they may find themselves on the outside.  Of course, if Florida develops a proper racing commission which could assign dates, then Hialeah may be able to secure thoroughbred dates.

Where is the standarbred connection?  With a behemoth like Gulfstream in the neighborhood, is it possible they may be able to exert their muscles on Pompano Park?  Time will tell.

High Profile Performers Give New Ohio Pacing Stallions A Boost

Due to numerous factors, including the growth of sire stakes opportunities in Ohio and the countervailing contraction in Ontario and New Jersey, an inordinate number of stallions have changed addresses over the last couple of years. It’s difficult enough for a premium sire like Bettor’s Delight, who has been bounced from New York to Ontario to Pennsylvania, to pull off, but it’s particularly difficult for a marginal stallion. In many cases a reduced stud fee reflects their lack of success in the previous location, or their fee may simply be cut to a level commensurate with the more limited opportunities available in their destination state. This in turn lessens the perceived value of the stallion for breeders and buyers alike.

McArdle, the 15-year-old son of Falcon Seelster who serves as the last top line link to the great Bret Hanover, began his stallion career in New Jersey but followed the slots dollars to Pennsylvania in 2006, where he stood for $6,000. After meeting with very mixed results in the Keystone State for eight years and having his stud fee dip to a low of $3,500 in 2013, he followed the casino dollar trail once more, this time to Ohio, where he currently stands for $4,000.

McArdle’s premier son is Meadowlands Pace winner One More Laugh, from his third crop. OML was a world record holder at two and three and has earned more than $2.6 million, but he fell off the earth as a four-year-old and is at this point a distant memory for breeders.  And Big McDeal, now retired, is his best mare. She wasn’t a prolific stakes winner, but she did possess world class speed and an abundance of toughness.

In a show of perfect timing McArdle has raised his profile in Ohio with a pair of pacers that may prove to be his best ever. McWicked, who was taken back for $210,000 at a sale in November and was apparently subsequently moved in a private transaction, won the Hempt in a world record 1:47.3 the other night, making him the fastest son of his sire. This in tandem with impressive wins in his NA Cup and Hempt eliminations and a solid freshman campaign in the PASS, where he made the board nine times in ten stars and earned $180,000, will certainly translate into increased bookings in his new locale.

The same applies to McArdle’s daughter Tyra, who won the Lismore in late May and set a new lifetime mark of 1:50.1 while winning the Lynch consolation at Pocono the other night. And beyond that, last night in a PA All Stars split a McArdle freshman filly named Macarena Mama won easy as can be in 1:54.2 at 1/5 for Mark MacDonald and Blake MacIntosh.

The Artiscape stallion Yankee Cruiser, at fourteen a year younger than his fellow Pennsylvania expatriate McArdle, has also set up shop in slots rich Ohio after fighting a losing battle against the heavy hitters in the PASS program for several years. He stood at Hanover for $6,000 in 2013 and is now getting $4,500 in the Buckeye State. His sons Sweet Lou and Dancin Yankee have both stepped up their game to give him the same sort of boost McArdle is getting. Lou won his division at two but disappointed more often than not since, despite a prodigious appetite for purse money. Now he has a chance to become the first pacer ever to win his division at ages two and five. And the 6-year-old journeyman Dancin Yankee has seemingly been imparted the elixir of the Gods by trainer Josh Green—he scorched the Pocono drag strip in 1:47.3 on Saturday night for current trainer Amber Buter.

Allamerican Native, the 14-year-old Presidential Ball stallion who was relocated from Ontario to Ohio for the 2014 season, stands for a modest $2,500. He’s thrown some good fillies like A And G’s Confusion, but he’s been an absolutely gynocentric stallion, destitute when it comes to accomplished sons. However, just in time for his introduction to Ohio breeders and buyers, National Debt, the flashy winner of the Gilmour series at the Meadowlands and a starter in Saturday’s Meadowlands Pace elimination round, showed up. And another son, Mattamerican, a Robert Key homebred out of a Matt’s Scooter mare, has been turning heads of late in Pennsylvania. He cut the mile in the Hempt consolation the other night, only to be picked up by NJSS final winner Doo Wop Hanover. And Allamerican Native is still turning out those top fillies, with example A being the speedy 3-year-old frontrunner Weeper, who has won 9 of 14 lifetime starts, good for about $180,000.

Nine-year-old Art Official is another who found out how quickly judgment is rendered in the Keystone State. His $7,000 fee was cut 30% in 2012, with his first crop still a year away from the track, and he’s now down to $3,500 in Ohio. The thee-year-old filly, Cinamony, a bargain yearling purchase who got a lot of press coverage after a striking win in her Lynch elimination, is helping to raise Art Official’s profile in the Buckeye State.

McArdle, Yankee Cruiser, Allamerican Native and Art Official all carry the stain of having been relocated from richer programs to Ohio, and they will have to compete with high profile newcomers like Pet Rock and Big Bad John, but nothing sells a stallion like dominant performers in the here and now.  Tyra’s crush job in the Lismore moves the meter, as does the fact that Sweet Lou stands with Sebastian as the dominant performers of their respective gaits. McWicked isn’t staked to the Meadowlands Pace, but he’ll be at The Meadows July 19 for the Adios elimination round, and folks in Ohio with mares to breed will take notice.

Joe FitzGerald

Farewell to the Iron Horse

Matt's Scooter was euthanized on Monday at the age of 29, presumably the result of infirmities of old age.  With his passing, one of the last iron horses has left us.  Career-wise, Matt's Scooter made 61 starts (and won 23 of them), only making 9 starts as a two year old.  A lot of the stakes-caliber horses don't make those many starts anymore.

Yes, part of this is due to standardbred breeding changing the emphasis from stamina to speed, making horses less rugged than in the past.  Like it or not, that's the way it is; commercial breeder need to give the market what they want otherwise they will be out of  business..  Another reason for the reduction in starts may be attributed to the change in attitude among those who own these great horses.  Whereas in Matt's Scooter's day his owners went everywhere with him taking on all comers, today's owners (often syndicates) are more concerned with managing their careers, skipping races and avoiding the half mile oval for fear of drawing a bad post.  Alas, as owners it is their right to race their horses as they see fit.

For those of you who were to young to have seen the era of the iron horses, you missed out on an incredible era.

So long Matt, you will be missed.


While the impact is immediate on quarter horse and thoroughbred racing, it must be disturbing to all involved in the Florida horse racing industry how the regulators there seem to be loose cannons as they ignore court rulings against them for sanctioning so-called horse races conducted for the sole purpose of opening poker rooms.  Once again, the regulators have sanctioned racing where the racing will involve two-horse events.  Legitimate race tracks do not plan on contesting two-horse races.  The regulators should have sent that application back, rejected instead of approving it.  The Florida legislature must pass legislation not only to define what a horse race is, but to put reigns on the regulators.


It will be a treat for fans and gamblers on Saturday night when the Hambletonian Maturity goes postward with a full field of 14 in a 1 1/8 mile tilt.  The field of 4yos which were eligible for the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks includes Bee A Magician and Creatine drawing posts 13 and 14, respectively as well as last year's Hambletonian winner Royalty for Life who drew post position 6.  Will Royalty For Life be ready to score in his first race back this year?  Will Bee A Magician and Creatine be able to get involved from the second tier?   Those questions and others will be answered Saturday night.  In addition to the Maturity, eliminations for the Meadowlands Pace and Mistletoe Shalee will be contested.

The Meaningless of Records

Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs was an exciting night with the running of the Sun Stakes, the Downs version of Meadowlands Pace night.  The action was hot with three world records set, highlighted by Sebastian K's 1:49 trotting mile.

And there lies the problem.  When a track has three world/track records set on one race card, one has to wonder if these records are meaningless.  It used to be records were something special, something which  happened rarely, thus truly significant.  Even with harness racing's breeding emphasis transitioned to speed over stamina, record breaking should be an infrequent occurrence.  Five track records in one night surely indicates a track which has been ginned up to produce records.

It used to be a foregone conclusion on 'important' days such as the Hambletonian tracks would be made lightning fast, something done partially to appease stallion owners looking to put a fast mark on their breeding prospects but it has gotten to the point where almost every day you see stories of a horse which has set a track and/or world record.  Sometimes they are high class horses, other days they are horses of a more pedestrian class.

Would the industry be better served if horses were assigned a speed index which can be used when selling horses or for the promotion of breeding prospects?  Indexes could be established for mile, five-eighths, and half mile ovals based on a horse's individual performance in races over a fast track, adjusted for the time of year to give an allowance during the colder months.  How the index would be calculated I would leave to those more qualified.


This is not to be said that world and track records shouldn't be kept, but the number of records need to be condensed.   There is no need to have records by age or sex.  There should be track records based on distance and gait alone.  World records should be kept only by distance, gait, and size of track  The way records are being kept now, they lose any real value.  Setting an overall track record or world record are the only ones worthy of noting.


Dean Eckley speaks out.  Controversial trainer Dean Eckley gets to tell his story in an interview with Harnesslink's Brian McEvoy.  It is an interesting read and I suggest people taking a look at it.  Not being familiar on any intimate level of the particular's of Mr. Eckley's problems, I make no comment with regards to the case other than saying that while I support private track's exclusionary powers, where does someone go to race if everyone says go elsewhere first?