from Meadowlands Media Relations

Three-year-old trotters take center stake on Friday night, the opening program of the Meadowlands’ holiday harness meet, in a trio of first round divisions of the Charles Singer Memorial.

The $15,000 events are carded as the second, sixth and eight of the 11-race program, the first of 21 fall dates.

The Singer entrants – 28 total – have modest records [non-winners of three or $75,000 lifetime] but can parlay their end of year performances into the upper condition classes or even the free for all ranks. For some, illness or slow maturity is the reason they have yet to show their best.

Instant Photo, who drew post six in the eighth race and is listed at 6-1 in the morning line, is one such candidate. David Miller is listed to drive.

“He’s an improving three-year-old,” said Jim Raymer, who trains him for his own Trillium Racing Stable of New Holland, Pennsylvania. “We didn’t have any luck in the Canadian Trotting Classic. He showed that he could trot in 1:54 in his eliminations. I had picked one major race suitable for him to keep him eligible to. He was also good then, so we tried it. I figured maybe some of the other horses might be tired after all of the other big stakes. In the final, it rained real hard about 40 minutes before, and he broke right up behind the starting car. He only made two breaks all year. He’s been good to us and he should be an even better four-year-old next year.”

The gelded son of SJ’s Photo – Princess Pan has five wins, six seconds and two thirds in 23 starts for earnings just shy of $50,000. Lifetime, he has finished in-the-money in 20 of 34 starts, banking $82,225. “I started him back up and raced him at Chester Downs and Pocono Downs recently because the Singer Series came up earlier than it has,” explained the 54-year-old native of Markham, Ontario. “I’m just bringing him along. He doesn’t owe me anything. I bought him for $4,000 at the New Jersey Classic Sale. I also bought his sister [Muscles Lady Ann for $20,000] this year at Harrisburg.

“Instant Photo had a bad front foot, a clubfoot that wasn’t conformed right,” Raymer noted. “Yet, I had seen him out in the paddock, and he did everything right. It hasn’t caused him a problem, and he doesn’t wear a boot. He had it all along, and usually the ones who develop problems have a hard time.

“I’m based in new Holland, Pennsylvania, and moved out here two years ago,” he said. “We have 13 horses, a mix of two and three-year-olds. There are five yearlings, five two year olds coming three and three three-year-olds [that] we’re going forward with.

“I pretty much stick with trotters and every now and then I buy a pacer to remind me why I should have more,” he added. “I won the Classic Oaks Final with Scully FBI in 2003. I also had Rickie and Goddess of Chaos [each of which earned in excess of $250,000]. They’ve all been SJ’s Photos. Either they like me, or I’ve been lucky to get the right ones.”

Trainer Ed Hart has turned to a son of Garland Lobell named Red Dragon for the Singer Series.

Red Dragon is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the first division, the third race, having won three of his last five and five of 14 overall this year.

“Red Dragon is a colt improving all the time,” said Hart, 50. “As a two-year-old [in 2005], he would have had a real shot at the Peter Haughton. He was coming around real good, then he got sick and we had to scratch him. He nearly died and lost about six or eight months. We had to send him to New Bolton Clinic [at the University of Pennsylvania]. He had a reaction to antibiotics. Then, it took him a long time to come around at three this season. He’s just starting to come to hand right now. He’s got quite a pedigree [a half brother to Peter Haughton Memorial winner and $1.1 million earner Civil Action], and he was an $85,000 yearling.”

Red Dragon has earned $34,909 lifetime for Peter Rhulen of New York, New York.

Hart will also harness All Shuttle, who brings a two-race winning streak into Friday’s seventh race, a $21,000 condition pace.

“All Shuttle is from the first crop of Space Shuttle,” noted Hart who is based at Kristie Leigh Farm outside of Goshen, New York. “This horse did fairly well in New York Sires Stakes this year. He won in 1:55.4 at Goshen, and finished fifth in the final. He’s a big, good-looking three-year-old, turned out to mature last year, and he’ll make a nice racehorse. Space Shuttle’s owner, Robert Hiemstra also bred this one.

Hart is capping off his third million-dollar season of the last six, and his best ever.

Hart is best known for campaigning Space Shuttle, a career winner of $728,695. In 2000, the son of Goalie Jeff upset Western Ideal in 1:47.4 in the US Pacing Championship. Hart also campaigned the 2004 Dan Patch Award winner Village Jolt. That son of Cam’s Card Shark polished off a $918,577 two-year-old season winning the Breeders Crown in 1:51.1 at Woodbine.

“I had a pretty good summer, and I just won the [$490,904] Art Rooney Memorial the other day with Gimmebackmybullets,” he said. “That topped things off nicely. I also had a good run in the New York Sires Stakes. I have mostly babies right now, a dozen yearlings. We bought six at Harrisburg last week, some at Lexington, and we have some home-breds, so we’re pretty busy. I’m trying to get back into that national spotlight. My name is back in your program to create some awareness.”

Homer Hochstetler has sent Earlivic to New Jersey for the three-week Singer Series.

The son of Valley Vic- Earlibac will leave from post nine in the sixth race and is rated 5-2 in the morning line.

“I sent Earlivic out there to Julie Miller [driver Andy’s Miller’s wife],” Hochstetler said. “She’s based at Gaitway Farm. They bought a home in New Jersey. Earlivic [a $4,200 yearling at the Walker Standardbred Sale in Illinois] was shipped to me after his two-year-old year. I raced him in Illinois Sires Stakes, and he’s for sale now.”

The colt races for M&J Stables Inc. of Monee, Illinois and has earned $44,367 with two wins, four seconds and seven thirds in 24 career outings.

“In his last start, I dropped him in the right class [non-winners of two races], and he just jogged in a lifetime best of 1:57.4 at Balmoral Park,” Hochstetler added. “I think he can trot in around 1:56 at the Meadowlands, and he’s a better horse from off the pace.”