from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Undefeated three-year-old pacer Four Starz Sisco will take his first big step as a stakes contender in the $225,480 Berry’s Creek on Saturday, May 7 at the Meadowlands.

The Berry’s Creek drew 11 horses and will not require elimination races for the first time. Instead, 10 of the eligible pacers, including Four Starz Sisco, will tune up for next week’s race in a $25,000 prep this Saturday, carded as the tenth race. The 11th eligible, With Anticipation, will compete in the first race, a conditioned pace. Post positions for the Berry’s Creek Final will be drawn on Tuesday, May 3.

Trained by Dave Sabatelli for Four Starzzzz Stables of Glenwood, New Jersey, Four Starz Sisco has won all four of his career starts and posted a mark of 1:50.2 in his last start. He has been rated 3-1 in the morning line from post 10 with Eric Ledford in the sulky. Jenna’s Choice, winner of three Winter Series Finals (Junior Trendsetter, Matt’s Scooter and Suslow), is tabbed the favorite at 9-5.

Four Starzzzz Stables has campaigned two recent Berry’s Creek runners-up, Four Starzzz Shark in 2001 and Four Starzzz King in 2004.

Four Starz Sisco, a $31,000 yearling purchase at the 2003 Tattersalls Sale, sold as Mr Kash Man. He is by 1999 Meadowlands Pace winner The Panderosa and is the third foal out of Lizbet Kash, who earned $350,000 and competed in the mares open ranks at the Meadowlands.

“I liked that he was a Panderosa first of all, and the mare, Lizbet Kash, was real good,” Sabatelli said. “He was an athletic looking colt.

“(At two) he was no good and that is why he is a gelding,” he said. “He was not into being a racehorse. He had his mind on everything else but that. So we gelded him and turned him out. That helped him mature mentally. When he came back this year, he was brought back by Mike Latham. He works with Four Starzzzz, bringing back the green horses. He does a great job bringing them back.

“He has been better and more mature (this year), but actually he has been too aggressive,” Sabatelli said. “Eric (Ledford) has done a great job taking him from off the pace and moving him to the lead around the backside instead of leaving hard from the wings. He is a push button kind of horse. He improves every time he races. He is the first horse I have ever trained that beats his lifetime mark each time he races by almost a second. He is all business right now. If anything, he is too much. He needs to learn how to relax a bit.”

Four Starz Sisco has had his way on the front-end while racing in the non-winners of two ranks up to this point, but the gelding may have to learn to adjust his style, beginning with the Berry’s Creek.

“He has been on the front every start by the half-mile,” Sabatelli said. “He was at 5-2, then 3-5 and his last start he was 1-9, so you got to have him up there. When you start racing against the better horses, the races are dictated to you.”

Four Starz Sisco is eligible to many of the sport’s premier stakes for three-year-old pacers, including the $1 million Meadowlands Pace on Saturday, July 16.

“If nothing changes he will have the Provincial Cup (May 29 at Windsor), North America Cup (June 18 at Woodbine) and the Meadowlands Pace,” he said. “That is, if everything goes well he looks like he will be on that path. I am hoping he is that kind of horse and we don’t see him at the end of the summer racing in a non-winners of three.”

$25,000 Berry’s Creek Prep – 10th Race, Saturday, April 30, 2005
Hd #, PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer, ML
1, 2, Jo Pa’s Shark, Jim Morrill Jr., Mark Harder, 8-1
1A, 8, Michael’s Marvel, John Campbell, Mark Harder, 8-1
2, 1, Odds On Duane, John Campbell, Robin Schadt, 6-1
3, 3, Pat’s All Star, Mike Lachance, Ray Allen, 8-1
4, 4, Mega Hall, George Brennan, Randy Bendis, 5-1
5, 5, Jenna’s Choice, Brian Sears, Mark Silva, 9-5
6, 6, Mystic Gold, Cat Manzi, Trevor Warwick, 20-1
7, 7, Realiscape, John Campbell, Ross Croghan, 20-1
8, 9, Failsafe Hall, George Brennan, Steve Elliott, 15-1
9, 10, Four Starz Sisco, Eric Ledford, Dave Sabatelli, 3-1

Driver changes will be made on Wednesday night.

Around The Meadowlands for April 27, 2005

Argentina-bred Chucaro Ahijuna, the fastest double-gaited horse, will travel to Europe for the Olso Grand Prix in Norway on May 15 and the Elitlopp in Sweden on May 29.

With 10 wins last week, including a grand slam on Wednesday, Eric Ledford has been selected the Grasshopper Also Driver of the Week. Ken Rucker, with seven wins, including a triple on Saturday, takes the Charlie Brown’s Trainer of the Week honors.

Trond Smedshammer reports that Strong Yankee is “coming along well, and he looks like my only Hambletonian hopeful for this year.”

Smedshammer won the 2004 Hambletonian with Trotter of the Year Windsong’s Legacy.

Filly champion Housethatruthbuilt is prepping for her 2005 campaign.

“She is training well and will be ready for the second leg of the Classic Series in Canada,” he said. “HP Paque bled in the Su Mac Lad. I am not quite sure what I’m going to do with him. I think May 6 I’ll qualify him with Lasix and see how he does. I could put him in the Cutler, or I could retire him. It depends on how he does. Sand Vic will go in the Cutler. I’ll qualify him at the Meadowlands the week before.”

Dave Tingley will not have War Paint or Peaceful Way in New Jersey for the Cutler, which has its final on May 21.

“I didn’t make War Paint eligible because we thought we’d be going to the Elitlopp with him,” he said. “But he’s not going after all. Peaceful Way is coming back well but won’t be ready in time.”

Pat’s All Star and Realiscape will both be making their 2005 debuts in the Berry’s Creek Prep, Saturday’s tenth race.

Pat’s All Star was a dominant force on the New York Sires Stake trail at two, posting a record of six wins and two seconds in eight starts and earning $132,413 for owner Patrick Tarsio of Newburgh, New York.

Realiscape was winless in nine starts at two, but had three seconds and a third, banking $16,220 for the Let It Ride Stables of Delray Beach, Florida.

With no elimination race, the draw for post positions for the Berry’s Creek Final on May 7 will be a straight draw on Tuesday morning.

The $47,500 open, the seventh race on Saturday, marks the first start of the year for Metropolitan, now four, who comes into the race with career earnings of $983,070.

Mini Me makes his first start at the Meadowlands since July 24. Winless in 11 starts in 2004, he was second in his season’s debut on April 16 at Pocono Downs.