by Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA
Delaware, OH — Four Starzzz King was one of the top 3-year-old pacers this past winter and spring, and won the Junior Trendsetter Series in February and the Matt’s Scooter series in March of this year at the Meadowlands. Now, trainer Dave Sabatelli thinks he can be one of the top pacers of the fall.
A son of The Panderosa, Four Starzzz King has won nine of 16 starts and $334,659 this year. He finished second in both the Berry’s Creek and Provincial Cup in May, then took a two month break. He returned at the end of July and finished third in a division of the Oliver Wendell Holmes on August 7 at the Meadowlands. He won his last start on September 11 at Freehold Raceway, his first triumph since his victory in the Provincial Cup eliminations on May 23.
“He wasn’t eligible to the North America Cup or Meadowlands Pace, so we planned on the break,” Sabatelli said. “What we didn’t plan on was him taking so long to get good again.”
Four Starzzz King drew post one and is 7-2 in the second division of the opening heat in this Thursday’s Little Brown Jug. He is in the same first heat division as the favorite, Timesareachanging, who finished in a dead heat win with Western Terror in the Cane Pace, and the Messenger Stakes winner, Metropolitan.
“I don’t think he’s a sleeper, I think he’s legit,” Sabatelli said. “He’s got a lot of gate speed and I think he’s got as good a shot as anybody. His last start was the first time he’d been his old self since the Provincial Cup. He handled Freehold’s half-(mile track) pretty well, so I don’t think that will bother him. He was real handy at Freehold.”
A different road traveled by Capt Silverheels’ connections
From the barroom to the Little Brown Jug — that’s the route taken to the Delaware (Ohio) County Fairgrounds by the connections of Capt Silverheels.
The owners of Capt Silverheels, trainer Craig Cornachione, Charlie Brown, Don Garner, and Joyce Morris, all of Toledo, decided several years ago to buy a horse while sitting around Brown’s bar. They each put in $5,000 and the result was the purchase of the racing mare Polite Society. She failed to do much for the group on the track, but her first foal, the homebred Capt Silverheels, has earned $115,734 in his career.
Unfortunately, Polite Society had to be euthanized in 2002 after having broken a pastern in a paddock accident while in foal.
“He’s good,” Cornachione said about Capt Silverheels, a son of 1998 Senior Jug winner Hi Ho Silverheels. “He was pretty steady at two. I wanted to (geld) him, but I was out-voted by the others. He’s settled down here now. I think he’s matured some and he’s doing well.”
Capt Silverheels has won five of 17 starts this year and has earned $65,059. He won the $86,450 Indiana Sire Stakes Final in a career-best 1:513 on September 5 at Indiana Downs, a victory that stamped Capt Silverheel’s ticket to the Jug.
“I originally didn’t want to put him in, but we won that race and had a little money,” said Cornachione, who is making his first appearance in the Little Brown Jug. “You never know what can happen. I think he can keep up. He had trouble making breaks earlier in the year — he went running in four of his first five — but we made some changes and he’s been pretty good.”
Capt Silverheels will start from post position two in the first division of the opening heat. He is 12-1 on the morning line. Since June 20, Capt Silverheels has won five of 11 and hit the board in three other starts.
“I’m just hoping to get a prize,” Cornachione said. “He can leave, even if he doesn’t show it. He had been getting too hot, so we started racing him from off the pace. He’s stepping way up in class, but if he doesn’t get roughed-up too much we’ll see what happens. He was only beaten five lengths in the Cleveland Classic and he (started from post seven) and was parked three-quarters of the mile. It’ll be interesting.”
Campbell to start two in the JugetteTrainer Jim Campbell will send out a pair of fillies, both homebreds, for Arlene and Jules Siegel’s Fashion Farms in Wednesday’s Jugette. In the first division of the first heat, Ice Sculpture (3-1) will start from post position seven with Dave Palone driving. She comes into the Jugette with two consecutive wins at the Meadows in sires stakes, and four of five wins in her starts since a fifth place finish in the Tarport Hap Stakes at the Meadowlands.
“In her defense, she drew bad every time she raced at the Meadowlands,” said Campbell. “Any time she raced in a stakes race there, she drew bad. It wasn’t all her fault. She’ll go around a half-mile (track), but the seven post isn’t a good deal. She’s versatile, you can take her off (the gate), she can leave, too. Dave will have to wait and see how the race shapes up, see what he wants to do.”
In the second division of the first heat, Fie Foe Fire will have post six, with Dave Palone driving once again for Fashion Farm.
“Her last start was probably her best start ever; she was really good that night at the Meadows (a two length win on September 11 in 1:521 in a Pennsylvania Sires Stakes). She was good in the (Pennsylvania Sire Stakes) final, too (on September 4), she just got caught in behind some that were stopping.”
It was her September 11 start that convinced Fie Foe Fire’s connections to enter her in the Jugette, when she made the lead out of the gate from post seven.
“She can step out there really quick,” said Campbell, who trained Fie Foe Fire’s dam, Fire On, and says there are some similarities. “They’ve got the same kind of gait. Actually, her mother was third and third in the Jugette (in 1994). Both are easygoing, with a big stride to them. She was pretty much a natural from day one.”
Ted’s Girl back on track
Ted’s Girl, who will star from post six and open at odds of 4-1 in the first division of the first heat of the Jugette, has hit the board in a dozen of her 14 starts this year, but this time last year she was far from a racetrack.
“She was the best-training filly in the barn all winter” said Gaetan “Gates” Brunet, the husband of trainer Deborah Brunet. “But when we got back up north (to Vernon Downs), she was sore, so we X- rayed and her growth plates were wide-open. So we turned her out and she’s better now.
“I had trained others in the same family and I knew you better off giving them time off and not pushing them. I have her 2-year-old Magical Mike brother in training now, but her half-sister showed the same kind of soreness. She (Ted’s Girl) has a lot of speed; she’s a half-sister to Dauntless Bunny (1:491 and $506,027).
“She’s a very nice filly, strong, very smart — a pleasure to be around.”
Ted’s Girl had a five and three-quarter length win in a New Jersey Sires Stakes on August 14 over Freehold Raceway’s half-mile track, and Brunet thinks her ability on a half-mile track will serve her well in the Jugette.
“She had the rail (in the sire stakes) and that was an advantage, but she took the turns pretty easily, she corners pretty good, and she’s a handy filly. I drove her once this year and she left in (a first quarter-mile time of) :254 from the eight hole, and hopefully a catch driver will do a little better,” he laughed.
Huston to autograph
The track announcer at the Delaware, Ohio Fair, Roger Huston, will sign bobblehead dolls in his image at the Harness Racing Museum gift shop on Wednesday morning at 9:15 a.m. and Thursday morning at 9 a.m. (EDT). The museum tent is located in the midway across from the final turn.
The bobbleheads are priced at $10, each, and proceeds will benefit the museum’s promotion and preservation of the sport’s history.