by Matt Sparacino
Harrington. DE — A rich field of eight pacers with total lifetime earnings of nearly $9 million will go postward in the 5th Annual $335,000 Bobby Quillen Memorial Monday at Harrington Raceway.
Fotowon Photo
Foiled Again is the 8/5 favorite in Monday’s 5th Annual Bobby Quillen Memorial at Harrington.
Among those competing will be Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and JJK Stables’ Foiled Again (8/5, Yannick Gingras), who is competing in his third Quillen and bidding for a repeat after taking the 2011 event in a track record time of 1:50.1. He is one of three Ron Burke trainees in the event.
The 7-year-old Dragon Again gelding could make history with a win and would become the oldest pacer to surpass $1 million in a season. A win would also push the elite pacer to more than $3 million in his career and he drew the coveted rail. He and stablemate Atochia (3-1, Ron Pierce) won their respective eliminations. Atochia, wasn’t as fortunate with the draw however, drawing post eight.
Francis Azur’s Hypnotic Blue Chip (4-1, Tim Tetrick) drew post seven after finishing fourth in his elimination. The 5-year-old Art Major stallion is making his second straight Quillen appearance for trainer Kevin McDermott.
Kevin Reynolds’ Pangiorno (5-1, Ross Wolfenden) was a second place finisher to Atochia last week and drew post two. Wolfenden chose Pangiorno over local horse Harry Van Knoblauch’s Mainland Key N (12-1, Brad Hanners), who finished third in his elim behind Foiled Again and Clear Vision. Clear Vision (6-1, David Miller), who is the third Burke-trainee in the race, is owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Panhellenic Stable and James Koran.
Perhaps none in the field are as accomplished on a half-mile racetrack as Baron Racing and VIP Internet Stable’s Giddy Up Lucky (8-1, Dan Dube) whose banked $509,170 in 2011, most of which was on half-mile tracks. Richard Lombardo and Pasquale Rizzo’s Go Go Solano (10-1, Brandon Simpson) a fourth place finisher in his elim, will round out the field.
The race is scheduled as the eighth on the 14 race program. A t-shirt giveaway (while supplies last) will be held at 5 p.m. on the first floor of the grandstand. Post time is 5:30 p.m.
A $5,000 minimum guaranteed pick four pool will be available starting in race three. The guarantee is available in conjunction with the USTA’s Strategic Wagering Program.
The race is named in honor of late Delaware legislator Bobby Quillen, who passed away in 2004. Quillen was a long-time state representative who always looked out for Delaware horsemen. He was also a popular member of the local community who was a member of the Board of Directors of Harrington Raceway and Delaware State Fair.