by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
Freehold, NJ — 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. Prior to this year, Butenschoen made one start in the Hambletonian, which came in 2013 with Punxsutawney, who failed to advance from his elimination to the final.
This year, Butenschoen has contenders Bill’s Man (5-1 on the morning line) and Giveitgasandgo (8-1) in the first of two $100,000 Hambletonian eliminations. Dover Dan (8-1) is his stable’s hopeful in the second division. The top five finishers from each elimination advance to the $1 million final later in the day.
Soon after the eliminations, which are races eight and nine on the card, Butenschoen will send Fine Tuned Lady into the Hambletonian Oaks. She is 10-1 on the morning line.
The 54-year-old Butenschoen was born in Illinois and out of high school went to work for Delvin Miller, who won two Hambletonians as a trainer and one as a driver. He met his wife, Jackie Kiger Butenschoen, while working for Miller. Her father was also a trainer and for a time was the farrier at Miller’s Meadow Lands Farm. The Butenschoens work together in their stable, where they are joined by son Tyler.
Butenschoen enjoyed his first million-dollar season as a trainer in 2001, when the trotter Plesac (named in honor of then-major league pitcher Dan Plesac) was the star of his barn. Plesac raced from 1999 to 2003, earning $2.5 million in his career.
Last year Butenschoen set career highs with 85 wins and $2.34 million in purses. Butenschoen’s successes included Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championships with Fine Tuned Lady (2-year-old female trotter division) and Giveitgasandgo (2-year-old male trotter division). He also trained New York Sire Stakes champion pacer Funknwaffles.
Fine Tuned Lady was fourth in her Hambletonian Oaks elimination after racing as the first horse in the outer flow while tracking leader Ice Attraction. Ariana G followed Fine Tuned Lady’s cover to the top of the stretch and trotted home a winner from there in 1:51.3. Ariana G, last year’s divisional Dan Patch Award winner, is the 6-5 favorite in the final.
“We didn’t really want to be first up,” Butenschoen said. “She got a little lost up there and a couple fresher horses went by her, but then she dug right back in and she fought hard to the wire. Hopefully we can get a trip off someone else (in the final) instead of supplying someone else with the right trip.
“But she shows up all the time. She’s consistent. She’s handy.”
Fine Tuned Lady, a daughter of Cantab Hall-Poster Princess driven by Corey Callahan, has won nine of 20 career races, finished worse than third only twice, and earned $518,029 for owners Bill Wiswell and M And L of Delaware.
The same connections will send out Bill’s Man in the Hambletonian eliminations. Bill’s Man, a son of Credit Winner-Silver Springs, has won four of 21 lifetime starts and earned $186,427. He heads to his assignment off a third-place finish in the Reynolds last weekend at the Meadowlands.
“We were a little disappointed he finished third, but he was parked the whole mile and seems to have come out of the race fine,” Butenschoen said. “He’s shown he’s good enough to go with them.
“He’s had a good year. Maybe we’ve been a little too cautious with him. Last year he made some very untimely miscues and it didn’t seem to matter if we had hobbles on him or not. The main thing was trying to teach him to race and have his confidence and have him trotting. He has the ability. I think if we can work out a trip we should be OK.”
Giveitgasandgo, a son of Yankee Glide-Mazda Hanover, competes in the same elimination and enters the race off a 1:52.1 win in a 3-year-old open at the Meadowlands last weekend. He raced with Lasix for the first time in that start, but Lasix is not permitted in the Hambletonian.
“I thought he might have had a little more trot finishing Saturday, but it was his first start back in 20 days off of a scratch (because of sickness),” Butenschoen said. “We won’t be able to use Lasix, but hopefully we’ve got everything in shape and under control.”
Giveitgasandgo has won 11 of 19 career races and earned $352,349 for owners Harmony Oaks Racing (which is Butenschoen and his wife), David J. Miller, Lawrence Means, and VIP Internet Stable.
In the second elimination, Dover Dan is a son of Andover Hall out of the mare CR Kay Suzie. His dam was a three-time Dan Patch Award winner, including 1995 Horse of the Year. She took on the boys in the 1995 Hambletonian, but went off stride in her elimination and failed to advance to the final.
Dover Dan has finished off the board four times this year, with three of those instances coming when starting from a post No. 9. He started from the nine post in the Reynolds in his most recent race and also had the outside in the final of the Beal Memorial and a division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes.
“I’ve been disappointed with the draws we’ve had,” Butenschoen said. “He’s just been a little bit of a victim of circumstances with post positions.
“The other night (driver Brian Sears) said he had a ton of trot. Usually for a horse to trot as hard as he did to get back into the race they’re kind of tired. He said he wasn’t tired. He trotted his back half in :54.2 or :54.3 and came from way, way, way out of it. I’ve been pleased with him performance-wise. You can’t do anything about the post positions.”
Dover Dan has won six of 19 lifetime races and earned $181,823 for owners Wiswell, Jean Goehlen and Gene Schick.
Goehlen’s father, George Alexander, bred 1992 Hambletonian winner Alf Palema. It was the last horse he ever bred. Alexander, whose Chestnut Farm raised and bred only trotters, was a director of the Hambletonian Society. He was elected as an Immortal to the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1990.
CBS Sports Network will air live coverage of the Hambletonian from 4:00-5:30 p.m. (EDT) Saturday. The Sam McKee Memorial (formerly U.S. Pacing Championship) and Hambletonian Oaks also will be featured during the 90-minute broadcast. First race post time on Hambletonian Day is noon. The Hambletonian final is 5:11 p.m.
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.
- 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.
- ‘A dream come true’ for Doug Paul (Thursday, August 03, 2017)
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.
- 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.
- 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.