Seven And Seven, Jake could carry drivers to first Hambo crowns
August 3, 2017,by Lou Monaco, for the Hambletonian Society
East Rutherford, NJ — Saturday’s (Aug. 5) two Hambletonian elimination races include two horses with identical morning-line odds and a driver on each looking for their first Hambo crown ever. The 8-1 shot Seven And Seven, driven by Mark MacDonald and trained by Tom Durand, will leave from post two in a field of 10 in the Hambletonian’s second elimination heat (race nine). Seven And Seven has not raced since June 17, where he finished third in the $183,230 Goodtimes Final at Mohawk Racetrack to eventual winner and Hambletonian favorite International Moni.
New Image Media photo
Seven And Seven seeks to provide Mark MacDonald with his first Hambletonian triumph.
“He is a pretty resilient horse. He will go with them and right now he is training really good,” said Durand, who is participating in his third Hambletonian, having finished second in the 2011 final with Whiskey Tax and eighth in an elimination with Roughing It in 1990.
“In the Goodtimes, he was spooked at the start of the race but driver David Miller said he was really impressed with how he responded and he had a ton of horse left. The qualifier last week at Mohawk was good, but it was a bit disappointing because, I wanted to test the horse out on the front end, and he didn’t want anything of it, so we won’t be sending him out to the lead on Saturday.”
With Miller opting for What The Hill out of post one and Brian Sears driving Dover Dan from post five, MacDonald will drive. MacDonald drove in his first Hambletonian heat last year and finished sixth with Reigning Moni, missing the final by one spot.
“To make the final and possibly win it would be the culmination of something we have worked for a very long time,” said Durand via phone call Wednesday. “He has been training like a monster, especially his last time out on Tuesday, he shifted gears like that and is right on the bit. He is going to give it his all I know that.”
Another 8-1 shot, Jake, will leave from post nine in a field of nine in Saturday’s first Hambletonian heat (race eight).
Trained by Luc Blais, Daniel Dube will drive.
Blais, a native of Lochaber Ouest, Quebec and who is seeking his first Hambletonian champion, is coming off a solid year in which he ranked fifth in Canada’s trainer earnings with $1.78 million.
The 55-year-old Blais had worked with a number of stakes winners at Yves Filion’s Bayama Farms in Quebec before starting his own stable. His best-known recent successes include two-time O’Brien Award-winning trotter Intimidate and Ontario Sire Stakes champion trotter Emoticon Hanover.
Dube’s last drive in a Hambo heat was with Workout Wonder in 2015, finishing sixth. Dube did drive Make It Happen to a third-place Hambo final finish in 2008.
“He raced good the last time out and I think he will be all right coming from the outside post,” Dube said via phone call Wednesday. “I can do whatever I want with him. In these eliminations, you need a little bit of racing luck to make the final. We just have to get there.”
Dube finished second with Jake in a $15,000 race on July 29th.
“This is the best race. I can’t explain it. For us to get to the final and have a chance to win, it would mean a lot to me and a dream come true,” Dube said.
Following are the Hambletonian fields.
Hambletonian elimination (race eight)
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Line
1-Southwind Woody-Matt Kakaley-Ron Burke-12/1
2-Bill’s Man-Corey Callahan-John Butenschoen-5/1
3-Guardian Angel As-Jason Bartlett-Anette Lorentzon-10/1
4-Giveitgasandgo-David Miller-John Butenschoen-8/1
5-International Moni-Scott Zeron-Frank Antonacci-5/2
6-Stealth Hanover-Francisco Del Cid-Francisco Del Cid-30/1
7-Victor Gio IT-Yannick Gingras-Jimmy Takter-6/1
8-Long Tom-Tim Tetrick-Marcus Melander-3/1
9-Jake-Dan Dube-Luc Blais-8/1
Hambletonian elimination (race nine)
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Line
1-What The Hill-David Miller-Ron Burke-3/1
2-Seven And Seven-Mark MacDonald-Tom Durand-8/1
3-Sortie-Andy McCarthy-Noel Daley-10/1
4-Shake It Off Lindy-Brett Miller-Frank Antonacci-20/1
5-Dover Dan-Brian Sears-John Butenschoen-8/1
6-Enterprise-Tim Tetrick-Marcus Melander-9/2
7-Southwind Cobra-Matt Kakaley-Ron Burke-15/1
8-Achille Duharas-Yannick Gingras-Jimmy Takter-20/1
9-Devious Man-Andy Miller-Julie Miller-5/2
10-Perfect Spirit-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt-12/1
- Nineteen enter Hambletonian; Ariana G stays in Oaks filly division (Tuesday, August 01, 2017)
Nineteen 3-year-old trotters entered Tuesday for the $1 million Hambletonian, to be raced Saturday (Aug. 5) at The Meadowlands Racetrack. Though the connections of sophomore filly Ariana G had considered racing against the colts, they eventually opted to remain in the $500,000 distaff division of the Hambletonian.
- Post positions drawn for $1.2 million Hambletonian (Tuesday, August 01, 2017)
International Moni and Devious Man on Tuesday were made morning-line favorites for their respective eliminations in Saturday’s $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes for 3-year-old trotters at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
- Cane Pace leads Hambletonian Day undercard (Tuesday, August 01, 2017)
The $334,325 Cane Pace, first leg of Pacing’s Triple Crown, is also raced on the Hambo Day card and drew a dozen entrants.
- Right horse, right time (Wednesday, August 02, 2017)
It was two years ago during a dinner in Lexington when trainer Frank Antonacci and driver Scott Zeron first discussed the idea of Zeron wearing the Antonacci family’s Lindy Farms colors sometime in the future. Antonacci and Zeron both thought it would be a fun idea with the right horse at the right time. International Moni proved to be the right horse. The Hambletonian Stakes trail proved to be the right time. And on Saturday, Zeron will put aside his own blue, white and red colors for the black, blue and white of Lindy Farms and sit behind International Moni in the first of two $100,000 Hambletonian eliminations as the 5-2 morning-line favorite at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey.
- Hambletonian leads big Grand Circuit card at Meadowlands (Wednesday, August 02, 2017)
Grand Circuit action takes place this Saturday (Aug. 5) at Meadowlands Racetrack with one of the biggest Grand Circuit cards of the season.
- Millers hope to be on winning side in this year’s Hambletonian (Wednesday, August 02, 2017)
Andy Miller knows how it feels to come within a neck of winning the Hambletonian Stakes. This year, he hopes to experience victory. Miller drives Devious Man in Saturday’s $1.2 million Hambletonian for 3-year-old trotters at the Meadowlands. The colt, trained by Miller’s wife, Julie, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the second of two $100,000 eliminations. The top-five finishers from each elimination return later in the day for the $1 million final.
- Hambletonian weekend opens Friday at The Meadowlands (Thursday, August 03, 2017)
The final weekend of live racing for the 2017 Championship Meet at the Meadowlands, including Saturday’s giant Hambletonian Day extravaganza, kicks off on Friday night (Aug. 4) with a dozen races beginning at 7:15 p.m.
- Melander pair are ready for Hambletonian (Thursday, August 03, 2017)
Marcus Melander has never won a Hambletonian but the 25-year-old trainer has the essence of Hambo greatness surrounding his entire being. And while the Swede does not have a favorite in Saturday’s $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes for 3-year-olds at the Meadowlands, he does have a Tim Tetrick-driven horse in each elimination getting pretty good odds. In the 10-horse division (race nine), Enterprise is 9/2, while in the nine-horse division (race eight), Long Tom is at 3/1 odds.
- ‘A dream come true’ for Doug Paul (Thursday, August 03, 2017)
After four decades in the harness racing business, Doug Paul and his family will see a dream come true Saturday when Bill’s Man races in the $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Bill’s Man will be the Pauls’ first starter in the sport’s premier race for 3-year-old trotters, the Hambletonian. If that were not enough, the Pauls also will make their first appearance in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, for 3-year-old female trotters, with Fine Tuned Lady.
- Butenschoen looks for big day on Saturday at Meadowlands (Friday, August 04, 2017)
Coming off a career year, trainer John Butenschoen might be on his way to a career day. Butenschoen’s stable will start three horses in Saturday’s $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes at the Meadowlands Racetrack, plus one horse in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks. This year, Butenschoen has contenders Bill’s Man and Giveitgasandgo in the first of two $100,000 Hambletonian eliminations. Dover Dan is his stable’s hopeful in the second division. Soon after the eliminations, Butenschoen will send Fine Tuned Lady into the Hambletonian Oaks.
- Lorentzon hopes to spring upsets with Guardian Angel AS and Southwind Avanti (Friday, August 04, 2017)
Despite not possessing sterling resumes or bulging bank accounts, Anette Lorentzon has faith that Guardian Angel AS, her first $1.2 million Hambletonian contestant, and Southwind Avanti, the second filly she has entered in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, will be a great source of pride after their appearances on Saturday (Aug. 5) at the Meadowlands.
- Hambletonian alumni join festivities (Friday, August 04, 2017)
In addition to the race on the track, Hambletonian Day is a chance to salute champions of days gone by.