by Ellen Harvey, for Harness Racing Communications
East Rutherford, NJ — All The Time (Yannick Gingras) emerged from the pack at the head of the stretch to pull away from the field to win the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old trotting fillies on Saturday (Aug. 6) at the Meadowlands in 1:52.1 by 3-3/4 lengths.
Side Bet Hanover (Corey Callahan) was first to the lead at the quarter-mile pole in :28.1 before being overtaken by Caprice Hill, who put Side Bet Hanover behind her and led the field through the :55.4 half-mile. Celebrity Eventsy (John Campbell) was out to challenge past the half-mile marker but could not get past the leader, who got to the three quarters in 1:24 before the field straightened for home.
A trio of fillies were ahead of All The Time with about an eighth of a mile to go were left in her wake as she overhauled them handily in an all-out sprint to the wire.
“I was hoping to follow Brian (Sears with Windowshopper),” said Gingras. “I thought his filly was one of the fillies to beat, and they had a little bobble on the backstretch. She felt so strong, she was able to catch the gap really quickly. I was just hoping not to be first-up around the last turn. I figured John would come (with Celebrity Eventsy) and when he did it made my job really easy.”
Caprice Hill (Tim Tetrick) was second and Celebrity Eventsy (John Campbell) was third. Broadway Donna (David Miller) was fourth and Side Bet Hanover fifth.
All The Time is a daughter of Muscle Hill, trained by Jimmy Takter and owned by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld. It was the sixth Hambletonian Oaks win for Takter and his third in a row. He ties Jan Johnson for the most Oaks wins ever as a trainer.
“She was really sharp today,” said Takter. “She had a good week. The timing had to be perfect. I knew I had a ticket that was very strong with a couple good fillies. We pulled the front shoes on her, which I think might have kicked her up a little bit. It was the first time she ever did that. There were three horses in the race that I had tremendous respect for. We were the lucky ones.”
- Marion Marauder wins Hambletonian (Saturday, August 06, 2016)
It wasn’t the perfect drive. But it was the perfect ending. Marion Marauder won Saturday’s $1 million Hambletonian, presented by Mullinax Ford, by a nose over Southwind Frank in 1:51.4 at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Sutton was third as the top three horses stretched across the finish line separated by only a neck in the 91st edition of the sport’s top race for 3-year-old trotters.
- Update on All The Time (Tuesday, August 16, 2016)
The connections of outstanding 3-year-old trotting filly All The Time had a roller coaster ride during Hambletonian weekend.