by Keith Gisser, assistant publicity director, Northfield Park

Northfield, OH — On Saturday, January 27, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Northfield Park team up for an exciting evening at the track.

Two Cavaliers, tentatively “Wild Thing” Anderson Varejao and rookie Daniel Gibson, will be at the track from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to meet patrons and sign autographs. The Cavalier Girls and Moondog will also be in attendance.

Dave Bianconi will interview the players, and anybody wearing Cavs gear gets free admission on that Saturday. There will be ticket giveaways, as well as a chance to win Cavalier apparel and more.

Check this space next week or go to www.northfieldpark.com/promotions.asp for all the details!

Need to mention this again: Sunday (Jan. 21) is your last chance to get into the final of Northfield’s $10,000 Tournament of Champions.

The real money, free-to-enter qualifier is set for Sunday afternoon, and the top three finishers in the last prelim will earn seats in the following week’s two-day (Saturday night and Sunday afternoon) championship.

In the January 14 qualifier, John Ehrhardt of Northfield turned his $100 bankroll into $924.50 to take the $599 first prize. David Straub was second, winning $300 with his $707.15 total. The Cleveland resident outdistanced Broadview Heights’ Phil Prymas, who won $250, amassing $630.50.

Information on all Northfield handicapping tournaments is available at www.northfieldpark.com/simulcast.asp

Isn’t it ironic: On the surface, trotter Eden Roc is just a race horse. But she sure has a nose for winning at the right time.

The 6-year-old daughter of Call Toll Free won her last start of 2006, giving Tony Morgan his 1,000th win of the season, as he became just the second driver in history to hit a four-figure win total in a single season.

On Friday (Jan. 12), she won her third straight race with Mark Headworth driving. That win gave the 36-year-old Michigander his 2,000th career win. A former Raceway Park driving champ, Headworth is campaigning at Northfield while the Toledo track is closed.

Mark Sundstrom trains Eden Roc, who took her 2:01.3 lifetime standard in Morgan’s millennial win, for owners John Kruzewski and John Schultz, both of Vermilion.

This and that: 5-year-old Ataboyart, a son of Northfield Wall of Famer Le Mistral, stayed (literally) on track Saturday, winning the $10,000 Invitational Pace in 1:53.4. Last week he won, but was disqualified for leaving the racecourse and interfering with local Horse of the Year Key Western. Karen Tkaczyk trains Ataboyart for Dorothy Miller and Jeffrey Miller Stables.

Longtime mutual clerk Jack Fogel has been named Northfield Employee of the Month for January.

The track’s concession stands now accept all major credit cards, as does the Northfield Park gift shop. Pick up a deli wrap, a copy of Northfield Park-Images of Sport and a fine cigar and hold on to your cash!