by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Double Exposure was slowed by sickness last year, but not much else has prevented the 3-year-old filly trotter from making frequent trips to the winner’s circle.

Last season’s Goldsmith Maid winner, Double Exposure is among two horses from the stable of trainer Tony Alagna entered in Saturday’s (July 30) eliminations for the Hambletonian Oaks at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Double Exposure will race in the second of the two elims while O’Brien Award-winner Caprice Hill is in the first division.

Double Exposure, who didn’t make her career debut until Sept. 30 last year, has won six of nine lifetime races and earned $265,511 for owners Brittany Farms and Mel Hartman. She won four of five starts in 2015, culminating with her victory in the Goldsmith Maid last November at the Meadowlands.

“She was under the radar last year, but if anybody doesn’t know that she exists this year I feel sorry for them,” said Myron Bell, racing manager for Brittany Farms. “She’s a player. I don’t know if she’s the best, but she’s certainly a competitor.”

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Goldsmith Maid champion Double Exposure has won six of nine races lifetime, with earnings of $265,511.

Double Exposure is a daughter of Donato Hanover, the 2007 Hambletonian winner and Horse of the Year, out of the stakes-winning mare KD Girl. Originally named Princess Egg, she was KD Girl’s second foal.

“I loved her dam KD Girl,” Bell said. “I tried to buy her numerous times. I looked at the first foal of KD Girl, it was a Muscle Hill colt that was a disaster. He was a $5,000 yearling. When we went to see Double Exposure, a beautiful Donato (Hanover) filly, we were prepared to buy her. She only went for $50,000. I would imagine everybody thought the Muscle Hill didn’t make it, so they didn’t like the mare. They made a huge mistake. She’s a very top quality mare.”

Double Exposure heads to the Hambletonian Oaks eliminations off a win in a consolation division of the Zweig Memorial for 3-year-old filly trotters. She also has a win in a division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes this year.

“She needed a couple starts,” Alagna said. “We had to go to Pennsylvania with her right off the bat and that’s not really her cup of tea, the five-eighths-mile racing. But she really was good the other day at Vernon; she did it very handily.

“We’re looking forward to getting her back on the big track at the Meadowlands. Hopefully she’s ready to go. I’m not scared of any filly when she’s on her game.”

Double Exposure will start her Hambletonian Oaks elimination from post six with Tim Tetrick in the sulky. Her 10-horse division, from which the top five finishers advance to the $500,000 Oaks final on Aug. 6, also includes Dan Patch Award-winner Broadway Donna and Breeders Crown champion All The Time.

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Caprice Hill has hit the board in each of her 14 lifetime starts, with earnings of $578,696.

Caprice Hill, owned by Tom Hill, is in the first Oaks elimination. She will start from post five, with Tetrick also listed to drive. Her division includes Zweig filly champion Flowers N Songs and stakes-winner Womans Will.

It will be Caprice Hill’s first race at the Meadowlands, although the filly has qualified there three times.

Last year, Caprice Hill won seven of 10 races, including the Peaceful Way and Ontario Sire Stakes championship. For her career, the daughter of Kadabra-Bramasole has won 10 of 14 starts — all in Canada — and never finished worse than third while earning $578,696.

“She’s been very good up there and we’re looking forward to bringing her back down here,” Alagna said. “We’re looking forward to seeing how she stacks up against the best. She’s come back bigger, stronger; a lot more mature. She’s been solid. Other than finishing second to Flowers N Songs (in the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association Stakes on May 28), and she scoped terrible that night, she’s been very good.”

Post positions for the $500,000 Oaks final will be drawn and morning lines assigned on Monday (Aug. 1) at the Hambletonian press conference and post positions draw, at 4 p.m. in Victory Sports Bar at The Meadowlands. The draw will be streamed live on the Meadowlands website. Elimination winners draw for inside posts one-five and all other finalists will then be placed in an open draw.

The $300,000 John Cashman Jr. Memorial, $284,000 Cane Pace, $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks and $1 million Hambletonian will be featured on a live 90-minute broadcast on CBS Sports Network from 4-5:30 p.m. (EDT) on Aug. 6. Hambletonian Day post time is noon.

Below are the fields for the two Hambletonian Oaks eliminations:

Post Position-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line
1. Side Bet Hanover–Corey Callahan–Jonas Czernyson–8/1
2. Unica Steed–Yannick Gingras–Jimmy Takter–6/1
3. Black Broadway–Brett Miller–Michael Eaton–20/1
4. Dream Child–John Campbell–Linda Toscano–15/1
5. Caprice Hill–Tim Tetrick–Tony Alagna–5/2
6. Dancing In Thehall–Andrew McCarthy–Ake Svanstedt–10/1
7. Womans Will–Andy Miller–Julie Miller–3/1
8. Windowshopper–Ake Svanstedt–Ake Svanstedt–20/1
9. Ginny Weasley–Scott Zeron–Ake Svanstedt–15/1
10. Flowers N Songs–David Miller–Paul Reid–4/1

Post Position-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line
1. Wildflower–Ake Svanstedt–Ake Svanstedt–20/1
2. Celebrity Eventsy–John Campbell–Staffan Lind–6/1
3. Spicedbourbongirl–Jeff Gregory–Jeff Gregory–30/1
4. Synonymous Hanover–Andrew McCarthy–Chris Oakes–20/1
5. All The Time–Yannick Gingras–Jimmy Takter–9/5
6. Double Exposure–Tim Tetrick–Tony Alagna–8/1
7. Miss Tezsla–Brett Miller–Jimmy Takter–12/1
8. Broadway Donna–David Miller–Jim Campbell–8/5
9. Southwind Pearl–Scott Zeron–Jonas Czernyson–12/1
10. Gracie Hanover–Corey Callahan–Ake Svanstedt–30/1