by Rich Fisher, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent
Trenton, NJ — While some trainers might be upset they were unable to get their prized horse to the breeding shed, Paula Wellwood and Mike Keeling feel it’s a pretty good consolation prize that Marion Marauder can still race and will be on the track in Saturday’s $458,750 Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-olds at the Meadowlands.
Actually, it’s more than just a consolation. It’s almost as if divine intervention transformed a hard choice into a no-brainer.
“As my husband was quoted as saying, it was the easiest tough decision we ever made,” said Wellwood, who trains the 2016 Trotter of the Year and Trotting Triple Crown winner with her spouse, Keeling.
The connections, which include owners Devin Keeling (the couple’s son) and Marion Jean Wellwood (Paula’s mom) and driver Scott Zeron, were being urged to put Marion Marauder out to stud after his 3-year-old season. He could not breed a full book, however, and Wellwood-Keeling were almost relieved rather than disappointed.
“Before anything got even serious we just pulled the plug,” Wellwood said. “We never had any issues with racing him again. It was never a concern. We called everything off. It was very quickly that we just pulled the plug.
“To be quite honest we didn’t want to say goodbye to him. It was kind of everybody was telling us it’s the thing you should do, and I guess you should. But he just couldn’t breed a full book. We were going to syndicate him but we didn’t want to get involved in anything like that so we just called it off fast. It was just immediate.”
And unanimous.
“There was no question in any of our minds or hearts,” Wellwood said. “It was fine.”
Why wouldn’t it be after what he has shown?
A son of Muscle Hill out of the mare Spellbound Hanover, Marion Marauder has won 13 of 31 career races and earned $1.9 million. The 2016 season defied description, with 10 wins in 15 starts, with the highlights being Marion Marauder’s victories in the Hambletonian, Yonkers Trot and Kentucky Futurity.
Wellwood finally got to enjoy it all after the year ended. The daughter of late Hall of Fame trainer Bill Wellwood refused to dwell on, or celebrate, anything during last season’s run because her focus was on getting the horse ready.
When winter arrived, she took time to reflect upon all the success.
“I couldn’t believe it, it was just mind boggling,” Wellwood said. “You just smile and you really don’t believe it happened. It still seems surreal. I’d watch some videos sometimes. You actually pick up more when you sit back and watch it. You’re like ‘Oh really, oh that was nice!’ You can see everything.”
And just sit back and smile?
“Basically,” she said.
Once the breeding shed was closed for business, Marion Marauder returned to work in March after a lengthy turnout. He appears more than ready to take on the most challenging year in a horse’s career.
“He’s bigger, stronger; he did all the right things the way that they’re supposed to do,” Wellwood said. “He’s really not any different than bringing him back for his 3-year-old year. As far as mannerisms and training down, he was easy.
“He does everything on his own schedule. He knows when it’s really time to go and he’s just a smart, very easy horse to train. Nothing’s changed. Obviously, he still has his desire to win.”
That he does. He won his seasonal debut in a preliminary round of the Graduate Series, which is reserved for 4-year-olds, at Tioga Downs before facing open company in the preferred at Mohawk, where he finished third. Then last Saturday he became the first Trotting Triple Crown winner to compete at the Meadowlands as a 4-year-old, winning the $240,000 Graduate Series final in 1:51.2.
Now comes the Hambletonian Maturity, which will be contested at the distance of 1-1/8 miles with a field of nine. Marion Marauder will start from post three.
The Hambletonian Maturity is part of a stakes-packed card at the Meadowlands on Saturday, with an earlier-than-usual 6:30 p.m. post time for the first race. The $738,550 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace will air live on cable’s SNY from 9-10 p.m., with the Hambletonian Maturity also part of the broadcast.
“We’ve been cautious with him,” Wellwood said. “We raced him at Tioga then we gave him three weeks off. We just don’t want to jam him up with starts. We still want to keep it on a limited schedule this year because it’s a 4-year-old year, a transition year and it can be very hard on him. We just want to take it easy and hopefully gear up for more races next year. We’ll definitely be racing him next year.”
The Hambletonian Maturity will be Marion Marauder’s final race against solely 4-year-olds and from there it is all open events. The trainers are considering racing him in the inaugural $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot — the richest harness horse race in state history — on July 28. But they are mainly concerned with the John Cashman Memorial on Hambletonian Day, which is Aug. 5 at the Meadowlands.
Wellwood insists, however, that nothing is etched in stone and it all depends on the horse.
“We’ll let him tell us,” she said. “If he wants to race, he’ll race. He lets you know, he’s good at that. There’s no pressure this year. He’s done so much that anything he does now is just like a bonus. We let him really dictate what he wants to do. He hasn’t changed in training. He’s exactly the same with the same personality.”
And the same driver, as Zeron is back in the bike after enjoying last year’s drives to glory.
“He was very happy he’s back racing,” Wellwood said. “As you see, he’s very calm, cool and collected when he drives him. He’s got a lot of confidence in him. Those two are the perfect marriage.”
And the wedding vows are still intact even though kids don’t appear to be in the future.
Following is the field for the Hambletonian Maturity in post order with listed drivers and trainers.
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-Celebrity Eventsy-Christian Lind-Staffan Lind
2-Taco Tuesday-Jim Morrill Jr.-G. Buzzy Sholty
3-Marion Marauder-Scott Zeron-Paula Wellwood
4-Dayson-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke
5-Warrawee Roo-Daniel Dube-Luc Blais
6-Double L Lindy-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt
7-Truemass Volo-Jeff Gregory-Jeff Gregory
8-Trolley-Marcus Miller-Erv Miller
9-Cufflink Hanover-Corey Callahan-John Butenschoen
- Classic Pro takes free (legged) ride to Meadowlands Pace (Monday, July 10, 2017)
Classic Pro might be the easiest horse to identify in Saturday’s $738,550 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-old pacers, but not because of any markings or equipment — or even a number — on the colt. It is because what Classic Pro will be missing: hobbles.
- Marion Marauder, Lady Shadow, and Walner headline Pace undercard stakes (Tuesday, July 11, 2017)
Nearly $3 million in Grand Circuit stakes will be contested on Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace night, Saturday (July 15) with an early post time of 6:30 p.m.
- Bowden hopes for no bad “Blood” in Meadowlands Pace (Tuesday, July 11, 2017)
Adam Bowden is never quite sure what to expect from Blood Line. Last weekend, the colt finished second to award-winning Huntsville in the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace elimination, completing the mile in 1:49.1 with a :26.3 last quarter. In his previous start, Blood Line went off stride at odds of 2-1 in his elimination of the Hempt Memorial and failed to advance to the final. Needless to say, Bowden is hoping for more of the former than the latter in Saturday’s $738,550 Meadowlands Pace final for 3-year-old pacers at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey.
- SNY to provide live coverage of Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace (Tuesday, July 11, 2017)
The 41st Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace will air live on SNY, Saturday (July 15) from 9–10 p.m.
- Off-the-track excitement on Pace Night at The Meadowlands (Wednesday, July 12, 2017)
While the action on the track Saturday night (July 15) at the Meadowlands will be hot, with nearly $3 million in purses headlined by the $738,550 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace, there will be plenty of action off the track as well.
- Meadowlands Pace card leads big Grand Circuit weekend (Wednesday, July 12, 2017)
The stakes heavy Saturday (July 15) Grand Circuit card at the Meadowlands features the $738,550 Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-olds.
- Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace Night at a glance (Wednesday, July 12, 2017)
Here is the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace Night at a glance.
- Dancer Memorial is next stop for champion Walner (Thursday, July 13, 2017)
If Walner’s six rivals last week felt as though they were run over when the returning Dan Patch Award winner made his seasonal debut with a 7-1/2 length victory in 1:51.1, it’s no wonder. “You sit behind him and it feels like you’re driving a Corvette with a Mack truck engine,” Walner’s driver, Tim Tetrick, said after the win. “He’s ready to rock.”
- Top older pacers to tangle at Big M (Thursday, July 13, 2017)
Call Me Queen Be faces a tough group of older female pacers in Saturday’s $201,000 Golden Girls at the Meadowlands Racetrack, but driver Scott Zeron expects his mare to be in the thick of the action from the get-go. It’s been a successful formula for the horse, who has earned nearly $1.1 million in her career.
- Dream Baby Dream “keeps the fire burning” for Rod and Dawn Allen (Friday, July 14, 2017)
If there is anyone on the planet who intends to ask Rod Allen if he plans on procuring the services of another reinsman to steer his Delvin Miller Memorial contestant Dream Baby Dream in this event, or any other, be forewarned he will not even acknowledge the question. After all it is a silly question, as anyone familiar with Allen knows the only individual that will be holding the lines behind this filly is him.
- Pace Night highlights at The Meadowlands (Friday, July 14, 2017)
The Meadowlands presents “The Greatest Night in Harness Racing” this Saturday with the 41st edition of the track’s signature race, the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace, for a purse of $738,550. There is an early 6:30 p.m. post time on Saturday.
- Schnittker/Tetrick look for another Meadowlands Pace triumph (Friday, July 14, 2017)
Trainer Ray Schnittker and driver Tim Tetrick have enjoyed success previously in the Meadowlands Pace, winning in 2010 with One More Laugh, and have a chance to add another trophy to their collections when award-winning Huntsville faces nine rivals in Saturday’s $738,550 edition of the Meadowlands Racetrack’s signature event.
- Stars to shine on Saturday at Meadowlands (Friday, July 14, 2017)
There will be no shortage of award-winning horses on the track Saturday at the Meadowlands. The star-packed card features eight stakes events, with at least one Dan Patch Award winner in each. In fact, all told there will be the recipients of a combined 22 Dan Patch and O’Brien awards in action Saturday night at the Big M.