by Ellen Harvey, Harness Racing Communications
Freehold, NJ — Things are getting bumpy on the Holiday Road. The 3-year-old trotting colt, who went off stride and finished last in the Hambletonian on August 7 after wins in the Historic-Dickerson Cup and a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial at the Meadowlands, was not entered in the Canadian Trotting Classic.
A single 10-horse elimination for the million-dollar CTC is Saturday (Sept. 11) at Mohawk Racetrack. The top eight finishers from the elim with join Hambletonian winner Muscle Massive and Colonial winner Lucky Chucky in the final on Sept. 18. Muscle Massive and Lucky Chucky accepted byes, based on earnings, to the final.
Holiday Road won a qualifier in 1:57.1 on August 27 at Mohawk. Last Friday, he went off stride in a qualifier and finished seventh.
“He qualified OK the first time, but he made a break last week,” trainer/co-owner Greg Peck said on Tuesday afternoon. “The splint (which developed in early August) is still bothering him. He can’t go (in the Canadian Trotting Classic). It’s on his right front, outside of his knee. I don’t even know if he’ll be OK by Lexington (in mid-October). We’ve tried freezing it, cryosurgery, we’ve tried shock wave therapy, but as of today at noon, if you touch it, it’s sore.”
The splint bones are either of two small bones that lie along the sides of the cannon bone (the largest bone between the knee and ankle). The condition happens when calcification occurs on a splint bone causing a bump.
Holiday Road has won five of 10 career races and earned $426,200. He is owned by Jerry Silva, TLP Stable, Four Friends Racing Stable, and Deo Volente-Peck Stable.
The field, in post position order with listed drivers and trainers, for the CTC elim is: 1. Arriba Amigo, T. Ritchie, B. Burgess; 2. Peace Bridge, TBA, B. Burgess; 3. Text Me, Ra. Waples, R. McIntosh; 4. He’s A Demon, J. Jamieson, J. Gillis; 5. Hard Livin, Y. Gingras, J. Takter; 6. Pilgrims Taj, M. Lachance, T. Smedshammer; 7. Take My Picture, R. Pierce, N. Drennan; 8. Coco Lindy, T. Tetrick, F. Antonacci; 9. Temple Of Doom, D. Miller, J. Czernyson; 10. Break The Bank K, B. Sears, T. Smedshammer.