by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
Freehold, NJ — 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.”
Walner’s time, which came in a conditioned race at the Meadowlands, equaled filly Ariana G’s mark for the fastest mile by a 3-year-old trotter this year. Walner returns to action Saturday when he competes in the first of two divisions of the Stanley Dancer Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters at the Meadowlands.
The Dancer is part of a stakes-filled card that includes the $738,550 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-old pacers and the $458,750 Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-old trotters, both of which will be broadcast live from 9-10 p.m. on cable’s SNY. Ariana G also will be in action in the first of two divisions of the Delvin Miller Memorial for 3-year-old female trotters. First race post time is 6:30 p.m.
Walner brings a six-race win streak dating back to September to the Dancer, which is one of three remaining open stakes prior to the $1 million Hambletonian on Aug. 5 at the Meadowlands. The colt has won eight of nine career races and earned $490,537 for owner Ken Jacobs and trainer Linda Toscano.
No horse has been nearer than three lengths of Walner at the finish of any race during his win streak and his average victory margin during that span is nearly 5-1/2 lengths.
“Honestly, right now it’s Walner and then the rest of us,” said trainer Ron Burke, who is sending three horses to the Dancer. “Somebody’s got to step up, or he’s got to step back.”
Tetrick and Toscano have each won one Hambletonian, which came as a team with Market Share in 2012. Toscano also trained Walner’s sire, Chapter Seven, who finished fourth in the 2011 Hambletonian. A year later, the Toscano-Tetrick combination led Chapter Seven to Horse of the Year honors.
“Hopefully (Walner) can make his father proud,” Tetrick said. “I know he’s making me proud so far.
“I’m very excited. It’s good to be in those shoes and have that opportunity to race those good horses. I’ve got a good horse here and hopefully nothing happens, knock on wood, and I do my job right. He’s got a full stakes schedule from here on out. We got a little slow start, but I think he’s going to make up for it.”
Walner, who is out of the O’Brien Award-winning mare Random Destiny, was purchased for $90,000 at the 2015 Lexington Selected Sale. He will start his $159,000 Dancer division from post eight in an eight-horse field. He is one of seven Hambletonian eligible horses in the race, with Bill’s Man, Southwind Woody, King On The Hill, Muscles Jared, Sortie, and Devious Man.
Devious Man, trained by Julie Miller, has won four of five races this season and enters the Dancer off a win in the Earl Beal Jr. Memorial.
The second Dancer division, with nine horses and a purse of $161,500, includes Hambletonian hopefuls Long Tom and What The Hill, who both have won three of four starts this year. Other Hambletonian eligibles in the field are Rubio, Such An Angel, Stealth Hanover, Fly On, Shake It Off Lindy, and Southwind Cobra.
What The Hill, who won last year’s Peter Haughton Memorial at the Meadowlands, is making his first start since finishing third on June 2 in this year’s New Jersey Sire Stakes championship behind Long Tom and King On The Hill. He won a qualifier in 1:52.4 on July 8 at the Big M.
The colt is one of the three Dancer entrants from the Burke stable.
“He got real sick and it took a while for him to get over it,” Burke said. “Hopefully we got it out of the way and now we can get him ready and push toward the Hambo. It seems like he’s back good. He should be pretty close to perfect this week. Hopefully he’ll be ready to go.”
Burke’s remaining Dancer horses are Southwind Cobra, who starts from post nine in the second division, and Southwind Woody, who leaves from post two in the first. Southwind Cobra is winless in eight races this year while Southwind Woody is 1-for-11.
“Woody adds Lasix,” Burke said. “This is a big step up for him. He tends to follow these horses, but not pass them. I’m hoping maybe Lasix will get him over it.
“Cobra since we took the hobbles off seems a little better, but the draw really didn’t help him.”
For Saturday’s complete Meadowlands card, click here.
For a look at Meadowlands Pace night at a glance, click here.
ROAD TO THE HAMBLETONIAN
A look at open stakes for 3-year-old male trotters
and state-restricted stakes featuring Hambletonian eligibles
Date – Track – Event – First – Second – Third
May 6 – Freehold – Dexter Cup – Lord Cromwell – Gustavo Fring – Southwind Cobra
May 19 – Meadowlands – NJSS – Long Tom – Yes Mickey – Deacon Tony
May 19 – Meadowlands – NJSS – What The Hill – Southwind Cobra – New Jersey Viking
May 20 – Meadows – PASS – Sortie – Giveitgasandgo – High Glider
May 20 – Meadows – PASS – Andy M – Gustavo Fring – Stealth Hanover
May 20 – Meadows – PASS – Common Parlance – Brown Bear – Brand New Key
May 29 – Vernon – NYSS – Stick With Me Kid – Bill’s Man – Top Flight Angel
May 29 – Vernon – NYSS – Devious Man – Lord Cromwell – Aces And Eights
May 29 – Vernon – NYSS – Enterprise – Swell Chap – Meetmeinthemiddle
June 2 – Meadowlands – NJSS Final – Long Tom – King On The Hill – What The Hill
June 3 – Meadows – Currier & Ives – Fraser Ridge – Meme Hanover – Muay Hanover
June 3 – Meadows – Currier & Ives – Moonshiner Hanover – Giveitgasandgo – Lars Perry
June 3 – Meadows – Currier & Ives – Sortie – Dover Dan – Always A Good Time
June 9 – Mohawk – Goodtimes Elim – International Moni – Guardian Angel As – Jake
June 9 – Mohawk – Goodtimes Elim – Enterprise – AWOL Hanover – Shake It Off Lindy
June 9 – Vernon – EBC Elim – Bill’s Man – Such An Angel – Stick With Me Kid
June 9 – Vernon – EBC Elim – Devious Man – Swell Chap – Lord Cromwell
June 10 – Pocono – PASS – Rubio – Muscles Jared – Di Oggi
June 10 – Pocono – PASS – Dover Dan – Moonshiner Hanover – Sir John F
June 10 – Pocono – PASS – Giveitgasandgo – President Lindy – Andy M
June 17 – Mohawk – Goodtimes – International Moni – Mass Production – Seven And Seven
June 18 – Vernon – Empire Breeders Classic – Devious Man – Bill’s Man – Stick With Me Kid
June 24 – Pocono – Beal Elimination – Long Tom – Sortie – Lucky Matter
June 24 – Pocono – Beal Elimination – Perfect Spirit – Devious Man – Dover Dan
June 24 – Pocono – Beal Elimination – Ariana G* – Bill’s Man – Moonshiner Hanover
July 1 – Pocono – Earl Beal Jr. Memorial – Devious Man – Long Tom – Ariana G*
July 9 – Pocono – PA All Stars – Two AM – Moonshiner Hanover – Di Oggi
July 9 – Pocono – PA All Stars – Dover Dan – Andy M – Shake It Off Lindy
July 9 – Pocono – PA All Stars – Giveitgasandgo – Explosive Ridge – Common Parlance
July 9 – Pocono – PA All Stars – Thisguyisonfire – Sir John F – Ataboy Hanover
July 15 – Meadowlands – Stanley Dancer Memorial –
July 22 – Meadowlands – Tompkins-Geers –
July 29 – Meadowlands – Reynolds –
Aug. 5 – Meadowlands – Hambletonian –
Hambletonian eligible in bold
*Filly; also eligible to Hambletonian Oaks
- 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.
- Bigger, stronger Marion Marauder ready for Hambletonian Maturity (Wednesday, July 12, 2017)
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.
- 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.
- 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.