Ken Weingartner

Hightstown, NJ — Shartin N, the 2019 Horse of the Year, returns to action Saturday (July 18) in the $172,850 Dorothy Haughton Memorial for older female pacers at The Meadowlands Racetrack after missing a start because of a minor foot issue. The 7-year-old mare, unbeaten in two outings this season, was scratched from a conditioned race July 5 at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Prior to the brief setback, Shartin N won an invitational for fillies and mares at Dover Downs on March 4 and an open handicap for fillies and mares at Yonkers Raceway on June 30. Her victory at Yonkers, where she lost a shoe during the race, came from post eight.

“It’s unfortunate she had to be scratched, but it was something that was easily taken care of,” trainer Jim King Jr. said. “She’s had a good week. She had a good group to train with — Soho Burning Love, Bettor Joy, Donttellmeagain — and showed her dominance. That was good because those are some pretty good ones.”

Shartin N has won 36 of 45 career races and $2.07 million since arriving in the U.S. from New Zealand. USTA/Mark Hall photo.

Shartin N is owned by Richard Poillucci, Jo Ann Looney-King, and driver Tim Tetrick. She has won 36 of 45 career races and $2.07 million since arriving in the U.S. from New Zealand.

King has been more than pleased with what he’s seen from Shartin N in her limited action this year.

“Oh my goodness, I don’t know how she could have done it any better,” King said. “Both times coming from off the pace and doing her job. It is special to have a horse like her. In so many ways, she’s just ordinary, another horse. But in so many other ways, she’s not.”

Shartin N will start the Dorothy Haughton Memorial (formerly the Golden Girls) from post two and is the 8-5 morning-line favorite. Her training partners/stablemates Soho Burning Love A and Bettor Joy N also are in the race, with the former at 4-1 and the latter at 15-1.

Kissin In The Sand, who has a 1:47.4 win from two starts, is the 7-2 second choice and Caviart Ally, last season’s Breeders Crown Mare Pace winner, is 5-1.

The Dorothy Haughton Memorial (race 10) is part of a stakes-laden slate at The Big M. Following is a look at the other stakes events on the card. First race post time is 6:30 p.m. (EDT).

Race 2 – $40,000 Miss Versatility for trotting mares (third leg of series)

Manchego, the season’s fastest trotter thanks to her 1:50 win in the first round of the series, is the 4-5 morning-line favorite. She won her first two races of the campaign before a half-length setback to Atlanta in the Cutler Memorial on July 4. Plunge Blue Chip is the 4-1 second choice.

Race 3 – $253,500 Del Miller Memorial for 3-year-old filly trotters

Empire Breeders Classic winner Hypnotic AM is the 3-1 favorite, followed by W.N. Reynolds Memorial champ Sorella at 7-2 and returning Dan Patch Award winner Ramona Hill at 9-2. Sorella is No. 2 in Meadowlands announcer/analyst Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Hambletonian rankings and Hypnotic AM is No. 5.

Race 4 – $142,250 Stanley Dancer Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters (division)

Amigo Volo, coming off a win in a division of the Pennsylvania All-Stars and ranked No. 1 in the Road to the Hambletonian, is the 3-1 favorite. Big Oil, also a PA All-Stars winner, is 7-2 followed by returning Dan Patch Award winner Real Cool Sam at 4-1 in his seasonal debut. Six of the eight male trotters in the Road to the Hambletonian ratings are in this race: Amigo Volo, Back Of The Neck (No. 3), Real Cool Sam (4), Third Shift (6), Big Oil (7), and Synergy (10).

Race 5 – $142,250 Stanley Dancer Memorial (division)

Reynolds division runner-up Beads is the 3-1 favorite. EL Ideal, third behind Beads in their Reynolds split, is 7-2 and seasonal debuting Ready For Moni is 9-2. Beads and Ready For Moni are in the Road to the Hambletonian rankings, at eighth and ninth, respectively.

Race 6 – $194,400 Mistletoe Shalee for 3-year-old filly pacers

JK First Lady, coming off a 1:49.4 qualifier win, is the 3-1 favorite. She was third by a neck in her only start, June 26. Rocknificent, who won a division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes her last time out, is 7-2 and returning Dan Patch Award winner Lyons Sentinel, who was second to Rocknificent in the PASS, is 4-1 from post nine in an 11-horse field.

Race 7 – $391,300 William R. Haughton Memorial for older male pacers

Dancin Lou, who won a preliminary leg of the Graduate Series and was third in the final, is the 3-1 favorite. Roll With Joe Stakes champ Backstreet Shadow is 7-2 with Roll With Joe runner-up None Bettor A at 9-2.

Race 8 – $464,900 Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-old trotters

A 13-horse field going 1-1/8 miles. Gimpanzee, 3-for-3 this year and fresh off a victory in the Graduate Series final, is the 3-1 favorite from post 13. Forbidden Trade, the 2019 Hambletonian winner, won a conditioned race last week at The Meadowlands and is 7-2. When Dovescry, who won the 2019 Hambletonian Oaks, is making her seasonal debut and is 9-2.

Race 9 – $636,650 Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-old male pacers

Tall Dark Stranger is the 7-5 favorite. Read more here.

Race 11 – $123,100 William R. Haughton consolation

Sintra is the 3-1 favorite followed by Geez Joe at 7-2 and Western Joe at 9-2.

For Saturday’s complete Big M entries, click here.