by Lynne Snierson, publicity director, Rockingham Park

Salem, NH — A full field of nine accomplished pacers will take center stage at Rockingham Park next Saturday (June 20) when they battle in the track’s signature race, the $30,000 New Hampshire Sweepstakes Final, but only eight of the competitors were known after both of the $12,500 eliminations were completed on Saturday (June 13).

Cactus Creek, the 3-5 favorite in the field of eight in the first of two $12,500 eliminations, won his race handily by almost four lengths in 1:52.2 and definitely will be one of the early favorites for the final.

Rockingham Park photo

Lover Boy Le Ru was an upset winner in his NH Sweepstakes elimination.

Lover Boy Le Ru, a 21-1 upset winner in the second race with a field of seven, had a tougher time earning his spot and had to come from way back to cover the mile in 1:54.3 and finish 1-1/4 lengths in front at the wire for driver-trainer Raymond Vizzi.

“I didn’t think I had it won until halfway down the stretch,” said Vizzi. “He’s a very lazy horse and I had to hit him (with the whip). But once he gets into it, he’s all business and in that last quarter, he gave me all he had.”

Lover Boy Le Ru, a 6-year-old gelding owned by Steve Stabile, paid $44.80, $8.80, and $6.80 and keyed a $289.20 perfecta with 50-1 shot Golden Mattjesty and a $1,730.20 trifecta with third place finisher and 5-1 choice Arid N. Town Attack set the early pace but faded through the stretch to finish a well beaten last.

PH Bestman, dispatched as the 4-5 favorite in that elimination, crossed under the wire in fifth place and thus should have missed the final, which is limited to the top four horses in each elimination plus one fifth place horse from the fastest of the two races.

But PH Bestman, driven by Richard Wojcio, will get into next Saturday’s race because the fifth place finisher of the faster elimination, Paper Luck, is owned by the same connections as Golden Mattjesty and the conditions of the final prohibit common ownership of any two horses in the field. So now owners James and Jane Devlin and Joseph Edwards must decide which of their two stablemates, Paper Luck or Golden Mattjesty, will compete for the trophy next week.

The pacers who are definite for the $30,000 final are Cactus Creek, Mata Harry, Manchine, Freedoms Call, Lover Boy Le Ru, Arid N, Mr Nice Guy, and PH Bestman.

No matter whether it’s Golden Mattjesty or Paper Luck completing the field, the owner of Cactus Creek, the 6-year-old gelded son of Artsplace who boosted his career earnings to more than $461,000 with the win, likes the chances of his horse next Saturday.

“You could say that I was born under a lucky star,” Reginald Duguay said. “This horse was sold for over $200,000 two years ago and I bought him at a sale for $12,000 just 14 weeks ago. What I liked about him is that he set a world record as a 3-year-old in a preliminary for the Little Brown Jug and won the Adios. I guess I have a star on my forehead. I once bought a filly for $4,000 and she won $69,000 in a year.”

Both Golden Mattjesty and Paper Luck are driven by David Ingraham, who was victorious in two races on Saturday to go along with the four he won on Friday at Rockingham, and trained by Kelly Case. Ingraham, who won back-to-back top driver honors here in 2005-06, has jumped out to an early lead in the drivers’ standings with five days of the meet in the books.