Hopeful Colts And Fillies Storm Three State-Bred Divisions

Our coverage of the Hambletonian Trail starts on Thursday, May 14, with glamour-boy trotters in Pennsylvania Sires Stakes (PASS) splits worth $63,000 plus at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Twenty-three eligibles are strewn across the lucrative splits.

In the first edition, another Jimmy Takter student should command the win pools—Uncle Lasse. Other than the four other eligible to the classic and two others, Uncle Lasse debuts in his sophomore season. Uncertain form but for the spotless record of Takter, we will pass on this colt’s first effort in ’15 and go with Cue Hall. He raced well at 48-1 last week, finishing fourth.

Round two will feature the colt that defeated Cue Hall. It’s another Takter terror, Whom Shall I Fear. In here, also, is Piercewave Hanover, who debuted his glamour-boy season with a mighty second, beaten by Real DJ Hanover, who starts to his right in this affair. Chef Lee (non-eligible), who is five for five, should inherit the second-favorite spot, leaving “Piercewave” a good shot for a great trip and a chance to topple the “Fear.”

Takter’s parade of probable favorites continues with The Bank. Though he debuts, expect plenty of support from the crowd, though it will be shared with Boots N Chains, who scored easily in his debut. This sets up another great price for Divisionist, whose Dexter Cup miles proved the Chuck Norris student is one to contend with the Takter gang, while offering great money.

Finally, the last chapter for the day has six of seven eligible to step up in August, with one more Takter star for the chance of a sweep—Pinkman. We are banking on the continued improvement of Cruzado Dela Noche with a win under his saddle already and whatever weight may be carried by Pinkman on his first sophomore mile.

At the Meadowlands, Friday, May 15, state-bred olts launch the New Jersey Sires Stakes (NJSS). There are two divisions for the boys and then a division for the girls.

The colt divisions ($20,000 each) feature fields aiming for the August contest. Because this is New Jersey, the Hambo eligibles usually fill the NJSS casts, many of them by Muscle Hill.

Two in the first division debut at three—Guess Whos Back and Aldebaran Eagle. Jimmy Takter’s Canepa Hanover has the early lead in earnings on a single start, finishing second, and of course he has the Takter brand. Ake Svanstedt trains a trio going here.

SS Poseidon may go under the radar here and offer a decent price. The Erv Miller trainee debuted with a second and has every reason to be in the mix here.

The brash French Laundry makes his sophomore debut for Takter. Svanstedt has another pair going in this one and Jonas Czernyson sends out one, as does Nancy Johansson (Takter’s daughter). We fully expect French Laundry to have a stunning start at three and give a few nods to Muscle Diamond (also debuting at three after a good frosh record). You may get a better offering from the latter.

The single, $25,000, division for the “Oaks” gals has a field of 10 and features the soph debut of the great Mission Brief. Here’s the deal—if she is smooth gaited, no one here can beat her. But these gals will be putting her to the test in her first start out and that could mean some trouble.

Though we are following Southwind Cartier for a big price, she gets post 10 against some on the inside that beat her in a Simpson. If you key Mission Brief, don’t be afraid to use an exacta with “Cartier,” which will raise the reward famously. If you swing for the fence, Cartier is the top choice.

New York Sires Stakes (NYSS) for the fillies has three divisions on Friday, May 15 at Tioga. In the first $41,300 field, My Lucky World and Lady Winona are the eligible gals in the field of nine. Julie Miller’s Lady Winona should try to steal this from start to finish but should find a few challenging along the way. Ray Schnittker’s Summers Windsong is looking for her third-straight win but may be in too deep here. Ultmately, My Lucky Word may be offering the best price of the two “Trail” gals due to her low-profile trainer.

Concern ourself with only three in the second division: Concentration, Lindy Land and Waiting Room, the only eligibles of the nine leaving the gate. The crowd will not be giving the Oaks-aimed gals as much action, so this could be a fine wagering event. Of the three, two debut for the season and our choice is Frank Antonacci’s “Lindy” gal. The Lindy history with Trail colts and fillies is well worth backing, especially when the public looks elsewhere. Lindy Land is faster than her recorded qualifier because she was not pushed and may not have to be in this mile, either, as well as she promises a price.

The third NYSS battle of fillies features another triptych of eligibles: A List Lindy, Shaqline and Frou Frou. This field of nine is not soph-experienced. The 8 horse, Northern Obsession has a good bank account but here meets a better class with more ambition and some mystery to their prowess. Takter’s Shaqline may get some action due to his name, as may Burke’s Frou Frou but we are going to stick with the Lindy product. This time trained by Charlie Norris, A List Lindy may fly from the rail and enjoy a win at a good price after three tries this season have tightened her up.

Saturday, May 16, the Meadows presents a program during the race-heavy Preakness day thoroughbred noise. A quartet of Oaks hopefuls in PASS division, worth $48,000 plus each, are on the docket.

Takter fillies come out to play in these features. Smexi is the first of Takter’s field of fillies in this quartet of battles. Smexi was not one of the top-level frosh trotters for the barn and this is her debut. But the division’s notable non-eligible threat, Riina Rekila’s E L Love is here and our productive winner of a Lady Suffolk split will be a big challenge to all in the division and is a good favorite in this group, for your judgment of value.

Wild Honey is the next Takter product, also with her soph debut. We’ll check in with Homer Hochstetler’s hopeful Sweet Thing, twice potent already at three.

Next, only three on the way to August participate, including another Takter gal, Sarcy. The sharp but non-eligible Sky Hanover has been earning for Julie and Andy Miller and Burke’s Gatka Hanover tries his second start at three. Eligible Christine Sixteen debuts for Ake Svanstedt and may be ready for a big mile, as Svanstedt prepares his promising Oaks co-star.

Finally, I’m So Fancy, an Oaks hopeful from Burke’s barn, gets local hero Dave Palone to drive and takes all the win money. Here, you could find a price with R. Nifty Norman’s Magic Marker, the second of three with eyes on August (Wiclet Hanover for Svanstedt is the other).

The racing of classic divisions—soph-colt-and-filly trotters—on their quest to the Hambletonian and “Oaks” finals continues its exclusive, extended coverage from TwinSpires and the Hambletonian Society.

Recaps of races covered in this blog can be found at the archive section of the web’s home for the Hambletonian Society