by Tia Lanette, Clyde Hirt Sports Journalism Workshop
East Rutherford, NJ — After four decades in the harness racing business, Doug Paul and his family will see a dream come true Saturday when Bill’s Man races in the $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
Bill’s Man will be the Pauls’ first starter in the sport’s premier race for 3-year-old trotters, the Hambletonian. If that were not enough, the Pauls also will make their first appearance in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, for 3-year-old female trotters, with Fine Tuned Lady.
“We’re excited,” said Paul, whose family operates a real estate management company in Wilmington, Del. “We’re all looking forward to it. It’s everybody’s dream (to be in the Hambletonian). It’s on everyone’s wish list that ever gets into the business.”
Paul’s father, Ralph, got the family started in racing and Paul continues the tradition with his mother, Rosalind.
Bill’s Man is owned by the Pauls’ M And L of Delaware and Wisconsin’s Bill Wiswell. The Pauls and Wiswell have been partners on horses for several years. Wiswell is the “Bill” in Bill’s Man. The colt’s original name was Credit Volo. He was one of only two horses they bought with trainer John Butenschoen in 2015. The other was Fine Tuned Lady.
“For a small stable, that’s not too bad,” Paul said. “Bill normally picks out the colts and we normally pick out the fillies. We got a Hambo contender and one in the Hambo Oaks. I told him we ought to quit after that. We’ll never do that again.”
Bill’s Man (Credit Winner-Silver Springs) is 5-1 on the morning line in the first of two $100,000 Hambletonian eliminations Saturday. International Moni is the 5-2 favorite in the first elimination and Devious Man is the 5-2 choice in the second. The top five finishers from each elimination advance to the $1 million final later in the day.
“I think with the right type of trip, right type of day, he’s as good as anyone in there,” Paul said about Bill’s Man, who has won two of nine races this year and earned $115,986. “I don’t think going two heats will bother him. He’s a big, strong good looking horse.”
Fine Tuned Lady (Cantab Hall-Poster Princess) is 10-1 on the morning line in the Hambletonian Oaks. The filly has won three of eight races this year and earned $79,689. Ariana G is the 6-5 favorite.
“Ariana G looks like she’s much the best, but other than that I think we’re competitive with the field,” Paul said.
In addition, Dude’s The Man will race for the Pauls in the $224,400 Sam McKee Memorial for older male pacers.
The Hambletonian final, Hambletonian Oaks and McKee Memorial will air live on CBS Sports Network during a 90-minute broadcast beginning at 4 p.m.
Corey Callahan, who has won eight consecutive driving titles at Dover Downs, will drive Bill’s Man and Fine Tuned Lady.
“We’ll be up there on Saturday, cheering them on,” Paul said. “We’ll be nervous, but a good nervous. That’s what you get into the game for, to be able to compete in these types of races.”
— Tia Lanette, a senior at Rutgers University, is writing as part of the Clyde Hirt Workshop.
Following are the Hambletonian elimination fields and the field for the Hambletonian Oaks.
Hambletonian Elimination (race eight)
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Line
1-Southwind Woody-Matt Kakaley-Ron Burke-12/1
2-Bill’s Man-Corey Callahan-John Butenschoen-5/1
3-Guardian Angel As-Jason Bartlett-Anette Lorentzon-10/1
4-Giveitgasandgo-David Miller-John Butenschoen-8/1
5-International Moni-Scott Zeron-Frank Antonacci-5/2
6-Stealth Hanover-Francisco Del Cid-Francisco Del Cid-30/1
7-Victor Gio IT-Yannick Gingras-Jimmy Takter-6/1
8-Long Tom-Tim Tetrick-Marcus Melander-3/1
9-Jake-Dan Dube-Luc Blais-8/1
Hambletonian Elimination (race nine)
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Line
1-What The Hill-David Miller-Ron Burke-3/1
2-Seven And Seven-Mark MacDonald-Tom Durand-8/1
3-Sortie-Andy McCarthy-Noel Daley-10/1
4-Shake It Off Lindy-Brett Miller-Frank Antonacci-20/1
5-Dover Dan-Brian Sears-John Butenschoen-8/1
6-Enterprise-Tim Tetrick-Marcus Melander-9/2
7-Southwind Cobra-Matt Kakaley-Ron Burke-15/1
8-Achille Duharas-Yannick Gingras-Jimmy Takter-20/1
9-Devious Man-Andy Miller-Julie Miller-5/2
10-Perfect Spirit-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt-12/1
$500,000 Hambletonian Oaks
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Line
1-Southwind Avanti-Jason Bartlett-Anette Lorentzon-10/1
2-Dream Together-Daniel Dube-Luc Blais-8/1
3-Caviart Wonder-Andy McCarthy-Noel Daley-20/1
4-Ariana G-Yannick Gingras-Jimmy Takter-6/5
5-Magic Presto-Brian Sears-R. Nifty Norman-5/1
6-Fine Tuned Lady-Corey Callahan-John Butenschoen-10/1
7-Feed Your Head-Tim Tetrick-Jimmy Takter-6/1
8-Sunshine Delight-Brett Miller-Staffan Lind-20/1
9-Overdraft Volo-Andy Miller-Julie Miller-10/1
10-Dream Baby Dream-Rod Allen-Rod Allen-15/1
- Nineteen enter Hambletonian; Ariana G stays in Oaks filly division (Tuesday, August 01, 2017)
Nineteen 3-year-old trotters entered Tuesday for the $1 million Hambletonian, to be raced Saturday (Aug. 5) at The Meadowlands Racetrack. Though the connections of sophomore filly Ariana G had considered racing against the colts, they eventually opted to remain in the $500,000 distaff division of the Hambletonian.
- Post positions drawn for $1.2 million Hambletonian (Tuesday, August 01, 2017)
International Moni and Devious Man on Tuesday were made morning-line favorites for their respective eliminations in Saturday’s $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes for 3-year-old trotters at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
- Cane Pace leads Hambletonian Day undercard (Tuesday, August 01, 2017)
The $334,325 Cane Pace, first leg of Pacing’s Triple Crown, is also raced on the Hambo Day card and drew a dozen entrants.
- Right horse, right time (Wednesday, August 02, 2017)
It was two years ago during a dinner in Lexington when trainer Frank Antonacci and driver Scott Zeron first discussed the idea of Zeron wearing the Antonacci family’s Lindy Farms colors sometime in the future. Antonacci and Zeron both thought it would be a fun idea with the right horse at the right time. International Moni proved to be the right horse. The Hambletonian Stakes trail proved to be the right time. And on Saturday, Zeron will put aside his own blue, white and red colors for the black, blue and white of Lindy Farms and sit behind International Moni in the first of two $100,000 Hambletonian eliminations as the 5-2 morning-line favorite at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey.
- Hambletonian leads big Grand Circuit card at Meadowlands (Wednesday, August 02, 2017)
Grand Circuit action takes place this Saturday (Aug. 5) at Meadowlands Racetrack with one of the biggest Grand Circuit cards of the season.
- Millers hope to be on winning side in this year’s Hambletonian (Wednesday, August 02, 2017)
Andy Miller knows how it feels to come within a neck of winning the Hambletonian Stakes. This year, he hopes to experience victory. Miller drives Devious Man in Saturday’s $1.2 million Hambletonian for 3-year-old trotters at the Meadowlands. The colt, trained by Miller’s wife, Julie, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the second of two $100,000 eliminations. The top-five finishers from each elimination return later in the day for the $1 million final.
- Melander pair are ready for Hambletonian (Thursday, August 03, 2017)
Marcus Melander has never won a Hambletonian but the 25-year-old trainer has the essence of Hambo greatness surrounding his entire being. And while the Swede does not have a favorite in Saturday’s $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes for 3-year-olds at the Meadowlands, he does have a Tim Tetrick-driven horse in each elimination getting pretty good odds. In the 10-horse division (race nine), Enterprise is 9/2, while in the nine-horse division (race eight), Long Tom is at 3/1 odds.
- Seven And Seven, Jake could carry drivers to first Hambo crowns (Thursday, August 03, 2017)
Saturday’s (Aug. 5) two Hambletonian elimination races include two horses with identical morning-line odds and a driver on each looking for their first Hambo crown ever. The 8-1 shot Seven And Seven, driven by Mark MacDonald and trained by Tom Durand, will leave from post two in a field of 10 in the Hambletonian’s second elimination heat (race nine). While Jake also at 8-1, could bear Dan Dube to the winner’s circle from post nine in the first heat (race eight).
- $1 million Hambletonian broadcast live on CBS Sports Network Saturday Aug. 5 (Thursday, August 03, 2017)
CBS Sports Network will present a 90-minute telecast of the $1 million Hambletonian, live from the Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J., on Saturday (Aug. 5), from 4-5:30 p.m. (EDT). The Hambletonian is the first and most prestigious leg of the Trotting Triple Crown.CBS Sports Network, which has been the broadcast home of the Hambletonian since 2012, also will air the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, and provide coverage of the $224,000 Sam McKee Memorial Pace.
- Butenschoen looks for big day on Saturday at Meadowlands (Friday, August 04, 2017)
Coming off a career year, trainer John Butenschoen might be on his way to a career day. Butenschoen’s stable will start three horses in Saturday’s $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes at the Meadowlands Racetrack, plus one horse in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks. This year, Butenschoen has contenders Bill’s Man and Giveitgasandgo in the first of two $100,000 Hambletonian eliminations. Dover Dan is his stable’s hopeful in the second division. Soon after the eliminations, Butenschoen will send Fine Tuned Lady into the Hambletonian Oaks.
- Lorentzon hopes to spring upsets with Guardian Angel AS and Southwind Avanti (Friday, August 04, 2017)
Despite not possessing sterling resumes or bulging bank accounts, Anette Lorentzon has faith that Guardian Angel AS, her first $1.2 million Hambletonian contestant, and Southwind Avanti, the second filly she has entered in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, will be a great source of pride after their appearances on Saturday (Aug. 5) at the Meadowlands.
- Taking a look at possible challengers in Oaks (Friday, August 04, 2017)
While eyes at Saturday’s $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old female trotters at the Meadowlands will likely be trained on morning-line favorite Ariana G and second choice Magic Presto, fans might want to use their peripheral vision to check out a few other possible challengers with upsets on their mind.
- Hambletonian alumni join festivities (Friday, August 04, 2017)
In addition to the race on the track, Hambletonian Day is a chance to salute champions of days gone by.