Harness stakes action winding down this month
With the Breeders Crown finals having already been contested and many of the stakes completed across the country, there are only a few marquee events remaining on the slate for harness racing owners and fans.
This Saturday night the Meadowlands will host eight stakes worth nearly $3 million for a good blend of younger and older trotters and pacers of both genders and several divisional honors - and potentially horse of the year - could be finalized this weekend. Several events will feature three-year-olds facing off with their older rivals.
In the first of the eight stakes, Atlanta (Yannick Gingras) will look to put the finishing touches on her season when he leads the $175,000 TVG Open Mare Trot. The $400,000 Governor's Cup for two-year-old colt pacers features Papi Rob Hall, who boasts a 5-4-2 slate and $555,000 banked this season for trainer Brett Pelling. The $500,000 Valley Victory for two-year-old colt trotters is highlighted by Amigo Volo, who owns six wins and over $600,000 banked from 11 starts, while the $475,000 Goldsmith Maid for freshmen filly trotters features Sister Sledge, an eight-time winner from 11 starts with $440,000 banked.
The $350,000 TVG Open Pace features reigning harness horse of the year, McWicked, who scratched sick out of the $100,000 Potomac Pace at Rosecroft Raceway, plus the top four finishers in that event, Endeavor (Tim Tetrick), Dealt A Winner (David Miller), Breeders Crown hero American History (Joe Bongiorno), Courtly Choice and Dorsodoro Hanover, runner-up in the Breeders Crown final. But it also includes sophomore star Bettor's Wish (Dexter Dunn), who owns 13 wins and $1.5 million banked from 18 starts in which he had never been worse than second.
Then in the $410,000 Three Diamonds final for two-year-old filly pacers, Lyons Sentinel (Tetrick) will look to cap a stellar late portion of the card for trainer Jim King, Jr., One race later in the $350,000 TVG Open Trot, Manchego takes on the boys, including Six Pack and sophomore star Gimpanzee.
But in the last stakes on the card, the $175,000 TVG Open Mare Pace, Shartin N (Tetrick) will look to put the finishing touches on her harness horse of the year campaign when she goes postward from the rail with 15 wins and almost $950,000 banked from 18 starts this year. Looking to upend her are Caviart Ally, clearly the second-best mare in this division, and sophomore star Warrawee Ubeaut.
That same evening at Yonkers Raceway in New York, veteran campaigner Bit Of A Legend N (Jordan Stratton) will leave from the coveted rail in a non-winners of $20,000 last five starts class after taking a non-winners of $15,000 last five event last weekend in 1:54.3. The stallion trained by Peter Tritton has won seven of 20 starts and earned nearly $100,000 this year while never finishing second or third. He owns 53 wins and over $2.5 million banked and is competing in one of the last three or four starts in his stellar career before heading off the stud duty in Ohio.
Wednesday evening at Dover Downs, Captain Crunch (Gingras) easily prevailed as the 9-5 second choice in the $35,000 Progress Pace prep when he romped home three lengths clear in 1:47.3. Breeders Crown winner Dancin Lou settled for fourth as the 9-5 favorite while Southwind Ozzi failed to earn a spot in the $350,000 final next week after being supplemented into this event. Captain Crunch was an early season sophomore star but has since yielded divisional honors to Bettor's Wish.
This Saturday night the Meadowlands will host eight stakes worth nearly $3 million for a good blend of younger and older trotters and pacers of both genders and several divisional honors - and potentially horse of the year - could be finalized this weekend. Several events will feature three-year-olds facing off with their older rivals.
In the first of the eight stakes, Atlanta (Yannick Gingras) will look to put the finishing touches on her season when he leads the $175,000 TVG Open Mare Trot. The $400,000 Governor's Cup for two-year-old colt pacers features Papi Rob Hall, who boasts a 5-4-2 slate and $555,000 banked this season for trainer Brett Pelling. The $500,000 Valley Victory for two-year-old colt trotters is highlighted by Amigo Volo, who owns six wins and over $600,000 banked from 11 starts, while the $475,000 Goldsmith Maid for freshmen filly trotters features Sister Sledge, an eight-time winner from 11 starts with $440,000 banked.
The $350,000 TVG Open Pace features reigning harness horse of the year, McWicked, who scratched sick out of the $100,000 Potomac Pace at Rosecroft Raceway, plus the top four finishers in that event, Endeavor (Tim Tetrick), Dealt A Winner (David Miller), Breeders Crown hero American History (Joe Bongiorno), Courtly Choice and Dorsodoro Hanover, runner-up in the Breeders Crown final. But it also includes sophomore star Bettor's Wish (Dexter Dunn), who owns 13 wins and $1.5 million banked from 18 starts in which he had never been worse than second.
Then in the $410,000 Three Diamonds final for two-year-old filly pacers, Lyons Sentinel (Tetrick) will look to cap a stellar late portion of the card for trainer Jim King, Jr., One race later in the $350,000 TVG Open Trot, Manchego takes on the boys, including Six Pack and sophomore star Gimpanzee.
But in the last stakes on the card, the $175,000 TVG Open Mare Pace, Shartin N (Tetrick) will look to put the finishing touches on her harness horse of the year campaign when she goes postward from the rail with 15 wins and almost $950,000 banked from 18 starts this year. Looking to upend her are Caviart Ally, clearly the second-best mare in this division, and sophomore star Warrawee Ubeaut.
That same evening at Yonkers Raceway in New York, veteran campaigner Bit Of A Legend N (Jordan Stratton) will leave from the coveted rail in a non-winners of $20,000 last five starts class after taking a non-winners of $15,000 last five event last weekend in 1:54.3. The stallion trained by Peter Tritton has won seven of 20 starts and earned nearly $100,000 this year while never finishing second or third. He owns 53 wins and over $2.5 million banked and is competing in one of the last three or four starts in his stellar career before heading off the stud duty in Ohio.
Wednesday evening at Dover Downs, Captain Crunch (Gingras) easily prevailed as the 9-5 second choice in the $35,000 Progress Pace prep when he romped home three lengths clear in 1:47.3. Breeders Crown winner Dancin Lou settled for fourth as the 9-5 favorite while Southwind Ozzi failed to earn a spot in the $350,000 final next week after being supplemented into this event. Captain Crunch was an early season sophomore star but has since yielded divisional honors to Bettor's Wish.
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