from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Burning Point is one of 11 mares who hope to snap 2004 Horse of the Year Rainbow Blue’s winning streak at 12 in the $215,000 Lady Liberty Final on Friday night at the Meadowlands.

Rainbow Blue, who has won 30 of 32 career races and is four-for-four this season, is the even-money morning line favorite in the Lady Liberty, Friday night’s featured sixth race. The last time Rainbow Blue lost was in the Mistletoe Shalee on Hambletonian Day (August 7) at the Meadowlands.

Burning Point, trained by Steve Elliott, is the 6-1 third choice from post eight. While Rainbow Blue took a week off, Burning Point cruised to a 1:50.3 victory in a $40,000 open for Lady Liberty eligibles last Friday.

“She had just gotten back from Canada on Monday so we pretty much turned her out all week,” Elliott said after the race. “We didn’t want to race her hard tonight because the final is next week. We were looking to keep her tight without using her too much. It will be a different story with Rainbow Blue and the others. Hopefully we’ll be in the winner’s circle again.”

Burning Point, who has 32 career victories and $1.3 million in earnings, has won her last three appearances at the Meadowlands. She finished second in the 2004 edition of the Lady Liberty, three lengths behind the winner Loyal Opposition. Now five, the daughter of Camluck was named the 2003 Three-Year-Old Filly Pacer of the Year after capturing the Breeders Crown, Matron and Roses Are Red.

Burning Point is owned by Shelby Novick and Ken Solomon’s Cuzzins Stable of Delray Beach, Florida.

Rainbow Blue, winner of her last 12 starts, continues to amaze even her trainer and co-owner George Teague, Jr.

“She does it easier than any other horse I’ve seen do it,” said Teague. “She continues to amaze me, and I know how good she is. I think she’s better than last year. She’s a little bigger, wider, stronger, a little faster, a little better.”

Rainbow Blue has banked $1,428,934 for Teague; his sister, Brenda Teague; and K&R Racing LLC, all of Houston, Delaware. Her only career losses were at the Meadowlands in the $150,000 New Jersey Sires Stakes Final in 2003 and the Mistletoe Shalee Final last August.

Rainbow Blue’s stakes opportunities at the Meadowlands this year include not only the Lady Liberty but also the $85,000 third leg (July 23) and $250,000 final (July 30) of the Classic Series and the $175,000 (est.) Golden Girls (August 6).

The field for the $215,000 Lady Liberty Final, race six on Friday, June 17:

PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer, ML
1, Four Starzzzz Ittt, Eric Ledford, Erik Shulman, 12-1
2, Apple Krisp, Cat Manzi, Seldon Ledford, 20-1
3, She’s My Belle, Jim Morrill Jr., Bruce Saunders, 15-1
4, Carolina Sunshine, Brian Sears, Ross Croghan, 5-1
5, R Burning Desire, Patrick Berry, Robert Baggitt, Jr., 15-1
6, Glowing Report, David Miller, Jerry Silverman, 10-1
7, Ascending , Mike Lachance, Robert Horowitz, 15-1
8, Burning Point, George Brennan, Steve Elliott, 6-1
9, Rainbow Blue, Ron Pierce, George Teague, Jr., Even
10, L Dees Val, John Campbell, Mark Capone, 12-1
11, Smashingpringipisa, Daniel Dube, Gus Tsanakos, 30-1
12, Stonebridge Kisses, Yannick Gingras, Mark Ford, 15-1

Nine Pace prospects head north of the border for “Cup”

Nine of the 10 finalists in Saturday’s $1.2 million North America Cup at Woodbine are also eligible to the $1 million Meadowlands Pace on July 16.

North America Cup finalists Load The Dice, Cam’s Fool, Runover Feeling, Stonebridge Regal, Rocknroll Hanover, Leading X Ample, Tidewater, I Zee and American Ideal are all among the Meadowlands Pace nominees. Only Gold Dust Beach is not. It would cost $100,000 to supplement to the Meadowlands Pace.

Rocknroll Hanover, who tops Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Meadowlands Pace, has been installed as the 7-5 favorite from post five in the North America Cup, which may be watched and wagered on at the Meadowlands.

“He impressed me because I believe strength is more his game than speed, and it doesn’t look like speed is an issue either,” said trainer Brett Pelling after Rocknroll Hanover won his North America Cup elim in 1:50 flat. “I put a headpole on the inside. He was drifting away from it a little bit, but I don’t think that really matters.”

The Pelling-trained Cam’s Fool, second in his North America Cup elim, drew post two and is rated 7-1 in the North America Cup Final.

“He was really getting it on the end of the mile,” Pelling said of Cam’s Fool. “I wasn’t really that enthused about taking him up there because it’s so hard for a young colt to kick off and get going all of a sudden facing the goliaths from post nine. I told John (driver John Campbell) you could leave if you want, but they can all leave up there with the straightaway start, and one thing I didn’t want him to do is come five or six wide because every time a horse does that at Woodbine, they lose four lengths. John drove him great, so he’s a bonus.”

The Bob McIntosh-trained Stonebridge Regal had the fastest elim, winning in 1:49.4. He will leave from post four and is 5-2 in the morning line.

“I trained him up big for this one, and I admit I was nervous, since I hoped to see the real ‘Regal’ back, and here he is,” McIntosh said the night of the elims. “He likes the dog fights. He’ll go toe-to-toe with you.”

Two new additions to the Road to the Meadowlands Pace Top 10 are Load The Dice, who was second in his Cup elim, and American Ideal, who was third.

“He came out of the race well,” trainer Chris Ryder said of Load The Dice, who drew the rail and is 12-1 in the morning line. “He’s no surprise. He’s always been a good one, but I don’t know who’s better now, him or Dawn Ofa New Day (1:50.3 New Jersey Sires Stakes winner on June 4). They’re both very good. We’re happy with Load The Dice, but we’re going up against a pretty formidable animal in Rocknroll Hanover.”

American Ideal will have to overcome post 10.

“He raced great (in his elim), but coming down the lane there was a white scalper on the track, he kind of leaped over it and made a bobble,” said Flamoboro Downs-based trainer Casie Coleman, originally from British Columbia. “I think it cost him second place. Mark (driver Mark McDonald) had to grab him up, and he didn’t pull the earplugs. He had a tiny nick on his foot, I’m not sure if it was from cross-firing, so I’m changing his shoeing a little bit to widen him in the back and adding a small pair of quarter boots on him up front. He has lots of gate speed, and he’s a pretty versatile horse.”

Leading X Ample, third in his elim, has post seven.

“He came out of the race pretty good,” said Nova Scotia-born trainer Bill Elliott, who opened his own stable last year in Hagarsville, Ontario, after 25 years working for Bill Robinson. “I took his blood on Monday, and it came back good. We’ll just jog him lightly and train him a little bit on Thursday. I also had Tidewater draw into the final (post eight). He raced real good to be fourth, and he’s getting better with every race.”

Around The Meadowlands for June 15, 2005

The Meadowlands was one of 39 North American racetracks which participated in Saturday’s fundraising efforts on behalf of Alex’s Lemonade Stand for Pediatric Cancer Research. The Meadowlands and its guests contributed $2,500 toward the $140,000 raised on Belmont Stakes day.

The prospect of Village Jolt, the 2004 Two-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year, making the Meadowlands Pace now seems in jeopardy.

“He scoped very sick after the race (a seventh place finish in the North America Cup elims last Saturday),” said trainer Ed Hart. “Right now we’re going to give him a week or two off. I think the Meadowlands Pace is a question mark. We’re not really sure. We’ll see how he comes along. We’ll scope him again at the end of the week. The main focus is to get him healthy. He has a little history of this, and it’s just reoccurred.”