by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Renowned pacer Foiled Again is a perfect 10 this season — as in an undefeated 10-year-old — and now trotting star Arch Madness is getting ready to try to join him.

The 10-year-old Arch Madness won a qualifier last weekend at the Meadowlands in 1:54.3 and will return to the Big M on Saturday for another prep for the upcoming campaign.

Last year, Arch Madness won three of 18 races and earned $425,427 for trainer/driver Trond Smedshammer and owners Willow Pond LLC and Marc Goldberg, who also were among the trotter’s breeders. He won the Allerage Farms Open Trot at The Red Mile in Lexington, finished second overseas in Sweden’s prestigious Elitlopp, and was third in the Breeders Crown.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Arch Madness became the ninth trotter in history to surpass $4 million in career earnings when he won the Allerage last fall at The Red Mile.

Arch Madness has won 34 of 107 starts and became the ninth trotter in history to surpass $4 million in career earnings when he won the Allerage. A week earlier, he won the Allerage elimination race with a 1:50.2 mile, a time that equaled his own world record for the fastest ever by a male trotter older than age 4.

“He’s going to qualify again, but I was happy with the first qualifier,” Smedshammer said. “We’ll go again on Saturday and then we’ll start racing. He’s a year older, but it doesn’t seem like he’s changed at all.”

Arch Madness’ first stakes race is slated to be the Arthur J. Cutler Memorial at the Meadowlands. Eliminations are scheduled for May 10 and the $180,000 estimated final is May 17. Another trip to the Elitlopp, where Arch Madness has twice been the runner-up, is not in the works.

“He’s going to need a start before the Cutler, a couple starts maybe, somewhere around here,” Smedshammer said. “We have no plans at all (to go to Sweden). But he seems fine.”

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Two other trotting standouts are expected to head to qualifiers in the near future. Market Share, who was voted the sport’s top 3-year-old male trotter in 2012 and the best older male trotter in 2013, is anticipated to qualify on April 26 and 2013 Horse of the Year Bee A Magician is targeted for the first weekend in May.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

2013 Horse of the Year Bee A Magician will qualify the first weekend in May.

Bee A Magician was unbeaten in 17 races last season at age 3 and earned a divisional record $1.54 million. She became the first 3-year-old filly trotter to receive the Horse of the Year Award since Continentalvictory in 1996.

Trained by Richard “Nifty” Norman and driven by Brian Sears for owners Mel Hartman, Herb Liverman, and David McDuffee, Bee A Magician’s wins included the Breeders Crown for 3-year-old filly trotters, Hambletonian Oaks, Elegantimage Stakes, and Delvin Miller Memorial.

Her $1.54 million in purses were the most ever for a 3-year-old filly trotter, breaking the record of $1.17 million set by Continentalvictory in 1996, and her winning time of 1:51 in the Miller Memorial at Meadowlands Racetrack is the fastest mile ever by a 3-year-old filly trotter.

“She’s in good shape,” Norman said. “I’m very happy with her.”

Bee A Magician is expected to qualify twice and then head to Canada for the first round of the Miss Versatility Series in Ontario on May 19.

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As mentioned earlier, Foiled Again remains unbeaten this year. Last week, he improved to 4-for-4 this season by winning for the fourth time in the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series at Yonkers Raceway. The 10-year-old pacer, who has won 80 of 202 career races, had never before started a season with four consecutive wins.

Since last fall, Foiled Again has been the richest horse in North American harness racing history, and his $100,000 in purses in 2014 have pushed his career earnings to $6.13 million for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and JJK Stables.

Mike Lizzi photo

Foiled Again is unbeaten in four starts this year, while banking $100,000.

Foiled Again leads the Levy series standings, but he will be back in action Saturday night for the last of the five preliminary rounds. He drew post seven in a seven-horse field and is the 3-5 morning line favorite for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke.

“He’s just really getting his legs,” Gingras told Yonkers Publicity Director Frank Drucker after his 1:51 win last weekend. “Give the other horses credit, but they’re going to have to do better to beat Foiled Again.”

On Wednesday, co-owner Mark Weaver added, “He’s the exception. He really hasn’t been pushed that hard yet.”

Burke’s stable has five of the top six horses in the Levy standings and all will be racing Saturday. Mach It So, from the barn of trainer P.J. Fraley, is second in the standings followed by Burke’s Bettor’s Edge, Itrustyou, Clear Vision, and Easy Again.

Hillbilly Hanover, who is No. 11 in the standings, Special Forces (12) and Aracache Hanover (14) also will be competing for Burke in Saturday’s three Levy divisions.

The conditions for the eight-horse $567,000 final and eight-horse $100,000 consolation, both on April 26, limit Burke to two starters in each.

For the full Levy standings, click here.

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The last preliminary round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for older female pacers is Friday at Yonkers.

Series leader Yagonnakissmeornot, who has three wins and a second in the event, is the 8-5 morning line favorite in the first of two divisions. She will be driven by Daniel Dube for trainer Rene Allard.

Somwherovrarainbow is the 8-5 choice in the second division for driver Brian Sears and trainer Joe Holloway. She skipped the third round of the series, but has two wins and a second in her Matchmaker starts. She is No. 5 in the standings, behind Angels Delight, Summertime Lea, and Rocklamation.

Anndrovette, the three-time pick for harness racing’s best older female pacer, is sixth in the standings, with Shelliscape and defending Matchmaker champion Feeling You rounding out the top eight.

For the complete series standings, click here.

The $371,400 Matchmaker final is April 26, along with the $75,000 Matchmaker consolation.

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David Miller, who will be inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in July, needs 23 wins to reach 11,000 victories for his career. Miller ranks No. 8 in wins among all drivers in North American history and was the sport’s Driver of the Year in 2003.

He has won at least $10 million in purses in a season a record 12 times and his $178 million in lifetime purses trail only Hall of Famers John Campbell, Ron Pierce and Mike Lachance. Miller, a 49-year-old native of Ohio, has finished among the top seven drivers in seasonal purses each of the last 15 years.