from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Gallo Blue Chip is the horse to beat in Saturday night’s $114,600 Presidential Final at the Meadowlands and trainer Mark Harder has two chances to do so with Camcracker and Rair Earth.

He also sends out Token Favorite, the 9-5 morning line favorite in Saturday’s co-featured $90,000 Complex Final.

“Gallo Blue Chip is absolutely the horse to beat,” said Harder of the seven-year-old with the four-race winning streak. “He has such a desire. That was a great mile last week, but I think he was better the week before when Camcracker was first over to him. That was an awesome mile.”

Gallo may be the 2-1 morning line favorite for a second consecutive Presidential title, but no one is conceding the race to the 2000 Horse of the Year.

The Harder-trained entry, both owned by Aubrey Friedman of Burlington, Ontario and Brian Nixon of Centerport, New York, are ranked 7-2 in the morning line in the fifth race.

Camcracker, an eight-year-old by Cambest, won a division of round two of the Presidential with a 1:50⁴ effort and has a career bankroll of $815,858.

“We gave Camcracker a bit of break in December because we brought back Rair Earth,” explained Harder, a 42-year-old New Zealand native. “Camcracker been good since those two wins in a row last month (in opens on November 29 and December 13). Two weeks ago he was first over on that cold, cold night (and finished fifth). He’s got post nine, but there should be some movement in this race.”

Rair Earth, a seven-year-old with $878,019 earned, had several weeks off before returning to action at the Meadowlands on December 27. He lost three straight weeks by necks and last week was fourth by a length and a quarter behind Gallo Blue Chip.

“Even though he’s been so good to us, I’ve always thought that Rair Earth wasn’t really a top level horse at the Meadowlands,” Harder conceded. “He won a lot of his races in Canada on the front end. It’s a little different here. It’s tougher. He raced well last week. He was beat a little more than a length after making two moves. He left hard, he had to retake the lead, and they were at him again. He wasn’t disgraced by any means.”

Token Favorite, racing for Gordon and Karin Bryan of Calgary, Alberta, comes into the Complex Final, the sixth race, off of victories in both preliminary rounds of the three week series. The five-year-old son of Jate Lobell finished in the money in 16 of 22 starts last year and has been first or second in all three outings of 2004.

“The owner and I discussed what to do with him last year when he was done racing at the Meadowlands in the winter,” Harder said. “He went to Toronto and raced in the Cam Fella Series, then he went home to Alberta and raced as an open horse. The owner wanted an open horse up there, it just wasn’t the time to beat him up down here, and we were looking to set him up for this winter here. It was a matter of timing and getting him back here fresh. In terms of management, so far it’s worked out.

“Last week, when he came back as the heavy favorite, I was scared he might have to get used hard,” Harder said. “It was nice that he got that trip. So, he’s in fine shape for the final, and he’s had a very good week. Since he’s been racing every week now he trains very lightly and just blows out one trip on Thursday. He’s got a great attitude.

“It’s an even bunch and anything trip out,” Harder said of competition. “I thought Casimir Camotion was a real nice horse when Patrick Lachance bought him, but he’s got the 10 hole. Dr Hanniball comes off a nice win, too.

“My stable is building up,” noted Harder, who won the fall training title at the Meadowlands. “I’ve got around 35 horses here and around 18 up in Canada with Tony O’Sullivan. There are six two-year-olds and three up there. Gordon Bryan has some babies up in Calgary that he develops on his own. He’s a great owner who has invested a lot in business, and I’m very lucky to have him. He’s got quite a few broodmares now, so he’s not quite as active buying yearlings anymore. He deserves some success. I’ve got a lot of good people like Aubrey Friedman, Brian Nixon and Robert Murphy, who are always ready to invest, but right now they’ve given me about as much as I need.

“This will really be my fourth full season on my own,” Harder added. “The last two years I’ve been around $2.8 million and in the top 10 in North America, so I can’t complain. I’ve got a nice three-year-old filly pacer named BJ’s Sunset, and there are a couple of other three-year-olds coming my way with a lot of potential.”

5th Race — $114,600 Presidential Final on Saturday, January 24

Hd # PP Horse Driver Trainer ML

1 2 Jugular Mike Lachance Noel Daley 4-1

1A 10 E Dee’s Cam Ron Pierce Noel Daley 4-1

2 4 Rair Earth David Miller Mike Harder 7-2

2A 9 Camcracker George Brennan Mark Harder 7-2

3 1 Royal Mattjesty Jack Moiseyev Nat Varty 8-1

4 3 Gallo Blue Chip Daniel Dube Mark Ford 2-1

5 5 Cheyenne Rei Brian Sears Robbie Siegelman 5-1

6 6 Image of Dawn Pat Lachance Pat Lachance 15-1

7 7 Life Sizzles Jim Morrill Jr Jeff Smith 10-1

8 8 Life Source Cat Manzi Richard Banca 8-1

6th Race — $90,000 Complex Final on Saturday, January 24

Hd # PP Horse Driver Trainer Odds

1 3 Street Sign David Miller Mark Ford 8-1

1A 5 Joshua Yannick Gingras Mark Ford 8-1

2 1 Dr Hanniball Brian Sears Bruce Saunders 4-1

3 2 Riptide Hall Howard Parker Ron Knigge 12-1

4 4 Token Favorite Mike Lachance Mark Harder 9-5

5 6 Western Gambler George Brennan Darby Miller 15-1

6 7 Fire Within K Ron Pierce Anthony Salerno 8-1

7 8 Dream Rocket Daniel Dube Jerry Evilsizor 10-1

8 9 Largeandincharge Jim Morrill Jr. Joe Anderson 8-1

9 10 Casimir Camotion Pat Lachance Pat Lachance 5-1

Around the Meadowlands for January 22, 2004

Hall of Fame driver Cat Manzi will be among those honored at the 68th Anniversary Banquet of the New Jersey Sports Writers Association on Sunday, January 25 at the Pines Manor, Route 27, in Edison. The sports writers group named him New Jersey Harness Horseman of the Year.

Advance wagering on Sunday’s Prix d’Amerique from Vincennes near Paris begins on Saturday at 12:00 noon. Four races from France will be simulcasted on Sunday morning with gates opening at 9:15 a.m. Admission will be free until 11:00 a.m.

The Meadowlands will offer the Magna 5, a new Pick 5 wager which will begin on January 31. The wager guarantees a minimum pool of $500,000 and spans races simulcasted from different Magna-owned tracks — Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park, Golden Gate Fields, Laurel Park, Pimlico, Bay Meadows and Lone Star Park. The five designated races are scheduled to be presented within a time span of slightly more than an hour.

“I didn’t plan on being on the lead,” said Ron Pierce who won the $44,500 White Ruffles Final on Tuesday night with Midnight Art, who was placed first. “I thought George (Brennan) would follow me up with Tripleplay Hanover (the favorite who broke stride and was placed last). I’m not sure what happened to her. These (cold weather) conditions make it very tough to race on top. The one minute middle half is like a :56² or so on a normal night. It’s very difficult to cut it out and go all the way. My mare was a little short on the end, but she’s been lightly trained and doesn’t have as many starts as some of these others. She’ll get better.”

Mark Jordan trains Lady Chelan who was first across the wire but disqualified and placed fifth.

“I got her last February from Richard Mannon,” Jordan noted. “She broke a sesamoid at two and was basically a throwaway. I qualified her nice and easy in 1:54 and a piece here in July and that was just the second race off the farm. She’s better on the bigger track; she crumbles on the turns. But she’s a tough strong mare.”