from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — All eyes will be on Deweycheatumnhowe in this Friday’s $350,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial Final at the Meadowlands as he bids for his 12th consecutive win. But a full field of 10 will line up behind the gate to try and derail the undefeated, early Hambletonian favorite, including Ace High Hall for trainer Mark Ford.

Ace High Hall will start from post nine in the fifth race Stanley Dancer for 3-year-old colt trotters. He is rated at 15-1 on the morning line with Dan Dube listed to drive. The Stanley Dancer is the last major prep race for the $1.5 million Hambletonian on August 2.

“To be realistic, Deweycheatumnhowe might be the best horse that ever was,” Ford acknowledged. “Dewey is not going to get himself beat. Circumstances might. Unless a catastrophe, I think we are all racing for second money. But sometimes it’s not necessarily who has the best horse, it’s who’s the luckiest at the time. Timing, luck and having the best horse all have to come together.”

Ace High Hall had all those things come together during a productive 2-year-old campaign for Ford and owner Martin Scharf. The pair acquired the son of Conway Hall-Angus Bonemar after his second lifetime start and he proceeded to win three straight races in New York Sire Stakes action. He went on to set a 1:59 track record at Yonkers for 2-year-old trotting colts on September 6.

“He was good every start last year,” Ford said. “But I really thought all last year, that if you get him to a big track it would really pick him up. I think I’m right. He’s ok around the half but he is such a big horse that it takes him a while to get going. I think he will be better here.”

Ace High Hall has had plenty of time to mature, with nearly eight months between his last start as a 2-year-old and his debut at 3.

“I think it was good for him that he only had very limited stakes last year only in New York,” Ford said. “We stopped with him in September and we gave him a long time off. He’s not a delicate colt, but I thought we’d give him a chance to grow. I purposely didn’t start him too early this season hoping that a bigger track would help him and hoping he would be competitive so he could maybe go with some of the better colts this summer.”

Ace High Hall notched his first win this season in an elimination for the Yonkers Trot on June 21.

“I was so happy with him at Yonkers,” Ford said. “He won the Yonkers Trot elimination (in 1:57.2) impressively. Then, we drew the eight hole in that final and had no chance.”

In last week’s Stanley Dancer elimination, Ace High Hall angled clear of traffic late in the stretch and surged to finish second.

“He raced well again the other night in his Dancer elimination,” he said. “Maybe he would’ve won on the front end. I think I over instructed my driver (Daniel Dube). We were trying to be a little cautious for the next few weeks and I just didn’t want him roughed up. He’s progressing and that was a good acclimating mile for him.

“I’m very cautiously optimistic about him,” Ford continued. “So far, so good and I couldn’t ask for more. I don’t go in with aspirations on winning the Hambletonian, but if we can get a little bone here and there I’d be perfectly happy with that.”

The Friday night program also features the $300,000 Del Miller Memorial for fillies. Snow White is the 8-5 morning line favorite from post two in race seven.

Road To The Hambletonian – July 10, 2008

Each week, Meadowlands racing analyst Ken Warkentin ranks the top contenders for the $1.5 million Hambletonian on August 2.

Rank, Horse, Driver, Trainer, Owner, Warkentin’s Comments
1, Deweycheatumnhowe, Ray Schnittker, T. Gewertz, C. Iannazzo, F. Baldassare and Deweycheatumnhowe Stable. Remains undefeated in 12 starts with an impressive career best of 1:52.2 in his Stanley Dancer Memorial elimination. Schnittker said when he asked him, he opened up. Eight-for-eight at the Big M.

2, Snow White, John Campbell, Kevin Lare, North State Street St., Harness The Power, and Jerry Silva. Rebounded with an easy elimination score of 1:54 in her Del Miller Memorial elimination. Trainer Kevin Lare said she made a successful visit to a chiropractor, but she’s still not 100 percent.

3, Clerk Magistrate, Trevor Ritchie, Per Henriksen, Asa Farm. Launched a fierce challenge at Deweycheatumnhowe and settled for second in his Big M debut — a solid acclimating mile after missing three weeks.

4, Celebrity Secret, Tim Tetrick, Staffan Lind, Celebrity Farms and Celebrity Secret Stable. Rallied to win his Dancer elimination, equaled his lifetime mark of 1:54 and made it four in a row at the Big M. Tim Tetrick said he’s push button to drive and keeps improving.

5, Ace High Hall, Daniel Dube, Mark Ford, Martin Scharf. Yonkers Trot elimination winner finished a solid second to Celebrity Secret in his Big M debut. He’s a Conway Hall half-brother to millionaire Hanko Angus.

6, Muscle Mass, Brian Sears, Erv Miller, Perretti Racing and Plum Creek Farms. Finished fifth from post 10 with a final quarter of :27.4 to qualify for the Stanley Dancer Memorial final. Second trainer Tony Alagna said he’s over the hump and will keep improving.

7, Make It Happen, Ray Schnittker, Eat My Dust St., Daisy Acres, Taylor, and Adkins. Did not race last week after finishing a close second in the Yonkers Trot final. Schnittker feels he’ll step up on a mile track. Not in to go at press time.

8, Kajan Kooker, Mike Lachance, Ron Gurfein, Meinzinger, Silva, and Sampson Street Stable. Failed to fire off cover finishing seventh behind Deweycheatumnhowe after finishing a close second to that rival in the Dickerson Cup. Not in to go at press time.

9, Napoleon, Stephane Bouchard, Noel Daley, Tucci, Korn, Thomases, and Guarniere. The Yonkers Trot winner did not race last week and was not in to go at press time.

10, Big Apple Deli, John Campbell, John Simpson, Jr., Lon Frocione. Did not race last week after finishing third in the Yonkers Trot final and is not in to go at press time.