from the Meadowlands Publicity Department
East Rutherford, NJ — Canadian businessman John D. Fielding has a lot to be thankful for this week with Solveig and Musclesextrodinair prepping Friday night for the Fall Final Four on December 4 at the Meadowlands. He is the co-owner of Solveig, who is the 7-5 favorite (coupled with Nana’s Best) in the second race on Friday night, the $20,000 prep for the $211,800 Goldsmith Maid for two-year-old trotting fillies, and Musclesxtrordinair, who is 4-1 (coupled with Penn Stix), in the third race, the $20,000 prep for the $228,600 Valley Victory for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings. The Goldsmith Maid and the Valley Victory, along with the $200,000 Three Diamonds for two-year-old pacing fillies, and the $237,400 Governor’s Cup for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings, are the four stakes that make up the Fall Final Four. Fielding’s banner season as an owner includes the possibility that three of the horses in which he has interests — Solveig, two-year-old trotting colt Ken Warkentin and three-year-old pacer Holborn Hanover, who won the 2004 Meadowlands Pace — are in the running for 2004 divisional honors. With so much to be thankful for in terms of his holdings in harness racing, it is no surprise that he observes both the Canadian and American Thanksgiving. “I always celebrate American Thanksgiving, too,” said the 47-year-old Fielding. “There’s about eight of us going to my cottage in the Muskokas. We cook a side of beef and have a grand old time. I have to go up a day early just to get everything organized. Basically, I get the beer. Actually, I own a beer company in Toronto. It’s called Amsterdam.” The beer company is only one of Fielding’s business ventures. “I’m originally from Toronto, and I own IDMD. Design and Manufacturing,” he explained. “We have offices in Toronto and New York. We manufacture components, parts and merchandising systems for the cosmetics industry. It’s an award-winning company. It all comes down to good business with the horses as well, especially when you have so many. It all depends upon who you surround yourself with. (I’m with) top guys like Jimmy Takter and Mark Harder.” Solveig, who leaves from post seven with David Miller driving, has been first or second in eight of 10 starts, earning $538,154. “Solveig is like an old warhorse,” said Fielding. “She made the final of the Merrie Annabelle (finishing eighth after breaking stride), and she’s still going strong. She’s obviously very durable and very fast. She wears trotting hobbles, and I don’t know, but Jimmy (trainer Jimmy Takter) might try her without them next year. That would put her at a new level. She’ll probably win her division. In the Breeders Crown, she drew outside (post eight) her stablemate, and Flirtin Miss beat her from the inside (post two). Also, a horse made a break right in front of her going into the stretch. Still, she’s been very consistent and she’s made over half a million bucks. “We’ve also got Musclesextrodinair (post seven in race three with Brian Sears driving) in the Valley Victory prep,” he noted. “I would look for him to be a strong contender in the final. Trond Smedshammer’s Strong Yankee (post nine) is probably the best of the rest of this season’s freshman crop.” Musclesextrodinair has banked $31,263, finishing in the money in five of eight races. The most successful two-year-old trotter of 2004 is currently getting some time off before starting down the road to the 2005 Hambletonian. That colt, Ken Warketin, is also one of the more than 80 horses in which Fielding currently has an interest. “Jimmy (Takter) picked out Ken Warkentin (named for the Meadowlands announcer), and I bought into him before he qualified,” Fielding recalled. “I usually take half of all of them. This year we’re starting with 21 yearlings. Anyway, I sold a piece of my piece to (Toronto Maple Leafs right winger) Tie Domi. I promised I’d get him in on a good horse. He bought in at a fair price just before the New Jersey Sires Stakes Final. Then, the colt looked like he was going to be a special horse. I think Tie’s good for the game, and his first horse is an early Hambletonian favorite. How about that? I’m going to try to get Matts Sundin (the Toronto Maple Leaf’s captain) and a couple of the other Leafs involved in some horses. “Some people from Sweden (Windsor Stable) also bought into Ken Warkentin,” he added. “He went from a $26,000 yearling to whatever he’s worth now, at least $3 million. If you look at his pedigree, he has every right to be a great horse. If you go back into the second and third dam, it’s pretty deep. It’s the family of Chasing Tail, Kick Tail and Victorious Tail. He’s tough as nails and a real classy horse. His Breeders Crown win was a huge effort.” Ken Warkentin completed the year with eight wins in nine starts for earnings of $643,240. “Ken Warkentin is now turned out at Lindy Farm in Connecticut,” noted Fielding. “We’ve also got Cisco Hall up there. He could be another very good three-year-old trotter for us. He won the Kentucky Sires Stakes Final. He was going to win his Bluegrass division before he got run into. “I have to put a plug in for Holborn Hanover, and not just because I picked him out as a yearling,” Fielding mused. “He’s had very little press and Mark Harder has done an amazing job with him. Of course, he won the Meadowlands Pace, the Progress Pace, set a world record, set a stakes and track record in the James B. Dancer, and won at Lexington in the Tattersalls. It’s a tight race between him, Timesareachanging and Western Terror, but if he wins the Matron I think he deserves the division. He’s a gelding so he’ll be back next year. He’ll probably come back for the Classic Series in April.” Fielding’s interest in racing developed while he was a child. “My dad always had harness horses with trainer John Burns, and my brother actually had his trainer’s license,” he explained. “It’s been a passion. I also own about 25 thoroughbred broodmares with Fred Hertrich (of Allamerican Harnessbreds) and Dr. Philip McCarthy, a veterinarian. “In 1994, I won a Breeders Crown with Eager Seelster,” he said. “That’s what actually got me back into the game. I had run into Teddy (trainer Ted Jacobs) in a bar downtown, and I bought half of four horses from him. I won another Breeders Crown in 2002 with Allamerican Nadia, trained by John Burns. “I’d mostly like to win the Hambletonian, and at this stage, we’re in pretty damn good shape,” he added. “Yet, I’ve learned that you have to keep the highs and the lows close to each other. This can be a very humbling game. It’s a hobby, but it’s also a business, and I absolutely love it.”