by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
Freehold, NJ — When the mare My Foolish Dream gave birth to a colt on Bud Carter’s Delaware farm three years ago, farm assistant Greg Haverstick looked at the foal and told Carter, “There’s something special about him already.” There was no telling what the future held for the horse, or those around him, but it turned out Haverstick was correct.
The colt, Iron Mine Bucky, is racing in Saturday’s (Aug. 6) $1.14 million Hambletonian, presented by Mullinax Ford, for 3-year-old trotters at the Meadowlands Racetrack. And he is bringing Carter, Haverstick, and others on the journey of a lifetime.
“We never thought we’d be here and have this opportunity,” Carter said. “Everyone around the farm is so excited. It’s somewhat overwhelming in that it’s such a very prestigious thing to occur. We have so many nice friends and neighbors wishing us well. We’re excited.”
The 73-year-old Carter, who owns Iron Mine Branch Farm in Bridgeville, Del., is making his first trip to the Hambletonian. Haverstick, a 46-year-old groom-turned-trainer, and 46-year-old driver George Dennis also are heading to the sport’s premier event for the first time.
“Greg Haverstick has been almost the horse’s soul mate,” Carter said. “That’s the way it’s been through this whole journey. Everything that has occurred is due to Greg and his devotion to all of our animals, but specifically this one. We worship him. We’re like two dads. Maybe he’s a little spoiled, I don’t know. But if so, it’s a nice spoiled.”
Haverstick was harness racing’s Caretaker of the Year in 2011 in a contest then-sponsored by Harness Tracks of America and Hanover Shoe Farms.
“Now I’m going to the Hambletonian,” Haverstick said with a laugh. “I get nervous, like do I really belong in there with all those other trainers and stuff, but George Dennis has got a lot of confidence in me and the horse. I’m really excited. I think Bucky can hold his own with them.”
Iron Mine Bucky has won five of 16 career races and earned $167,756. Last year, his victories included divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Keystone Classic. This year, he won a division of the Currier & Ives Stakes.
On July 16, the colt was third in a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial, finishing behind highly-regarded Hambletonian contenders Marion Marauder and Bar Hopping.
“The first time I sat behind him, he sort of gave me chills,” said Haverstick, who is known simply as “Stick” to many in harness racing. “I never sat behind a colt like that. His attitude, his gait, his stride, his endurance; just from day one I knew he was special and that’s what I told the Carters.
“He’s never let me down since. Even as a baby, I watched him grow up, he was a good looking colt and got across the field really well. That makes this very special. We’ve seen him from day one.”
Iron Mine Branch bought My Foolish Dream from Julie Swann and Lois Swann in foal to Explosive Matter as part of a package deal that also included then-yearling filly About To Explode. A little more than a month later, My Foolish Dream gave birth to Iron Mine Bucky.
Carter has received offers to sell Iron Mine Bucky, but turned them all down. Sadly, the farm lost My Foolish Dream, who died in 2015 while giving birth to a filly, now named Iron Mine Krystal.
“We’re not getting rid of anything with that bloodline on the farm,” Carter said. “We’ve had a lot of people call wanting to buy Bucky, starting last year. We said no. My wife (Nancy) and I are 73-74 years old. There’s not many more hurrahs. We’ve always wanted to do something like this. This is what it’s all about.”
Carter, who grew up in Elkridge, Md., near Baltimore, first went to the races in his early 20s, but it was on regular visits to Ocean Downs that he caught the harness racing bug and decided to buy a racehorse. He was introduced to horseman Corey Braden and horsewoman Colby Hubble, who helped get him started.
The Carters’ other business interests include a restaurant and a hospital linens supply company. Carter previously owned an industrial laundry.
Haverstick worked for Hubble and was a second trainer at the farm before taking over more responsibilities from Hubble last year.
“I grew up in New Oxford, Pa., between York and Gettysburg,” Haverstick said. “I was real close to Hanover Shoe Farms. My family had racehorses, so that’s how I got into it. I was riding very young and as soon as I could sit on the jog cart I was jogging horses. I sort of forgot about the riding horses and all I wanted to do was the racehorses.”
Iron Mine Bucky and driver Dennis will start from post eight in the first of two nine-horse eliminations for the Hambletonian. The top five finishers from each elimination advance to the $1 million final later in the day.
Dennis has won nearly 5,200 races as a driver and more than 1,000 as a trainer. He is a regular at Harrington Raceway and Dover Downs in his home state of Delaware. He grew up near Harrington Raceway and followed his father, trainer-driver J.D. Dennis, into the sport.
Haverstick credits Dennis with helping Iron Mine Bucky’s development.
“We talk all the time,” Haverstick said. “He really thinks a lot of this colt and goes above and beyond as a driver to help with him. He gave me a lot of input and suggestions, which was a big, big help.”
The Hambletonian as well as the U.S. Pacing Championship and Hambletonian Oaks will be presented during a 90-minute broadcast from 4-5:30 p.m. (EDT) Saturday on CBS Sports Network.
Hambletonian Day first race post time is noon.
Below are the fields for the two Hambletonian eliminations:
$70,000 Hambletonian Elimination 1
Race 8 – Post time 2:58 p.m.
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line
1. Bar Hopping–Tim Tetrick–Jimmy Takter–9/5
2. Lagerfeld–Yannick Gingras–Jimmy Takter–12/1
3. Make Or Miss–Joe Bongiorno–Ron Burke–20/1
4. Milligan’s School–Andy Miller–Julie Miller–10/1
5. Brooklyn Hill–David Miller–Jonas Czernyson–3/1
6. Mavens Way–John Campbell–Ake Svanstedt–6/1
7. Tight Lines–Jeff Gregory–Jeff Gregory–25/1
8. Iron Mine Bucky–George Dennis–Greg Haverstick–15/1
9. Reigning Moni–David Miller–Jimmy Takter–4/1
$70,000 Hambletonian Elimination 2
Race 9 – Post time 3:25 p.m.
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line
1. Jimmy William–Tim Tetrick–Jimmy Takter–20/1
2. The Royal Harry–Ake Svanstedt–Ake Svanstedt–20/1
3. Sutton–Andy Miller–Julie Miller–6/1
4. Marion Marauder–Scott Zeron–Paula Wellwood–3/1
5. Southwind Frank–Yannick Gingras–Ron Burke–4/5
6. Hollywood Highway–John Campbell–Staffan Lind–30/1
7. Dominion Beach–Bjorn Goop–Nancy Johansson–30/1
8. Love Matters–Brett Miller–Jimmy Takter–12/1
9. Waitlifter K–David Miller–Andrew Harris–10/1
- Takter looks to make history in Hambletonian (Tuesday, August 02, 2016)
It is no secret that trainer Jimmy Takter has enjoyed great success in the Hambletonian Stakes. The 55-year-old Hall of Famer has won the race four times, including each of the past two years, and would become the first trainer in history to three-peat with a win on Saturday. A victory would also give Takter a record-tying fifth triumph, putting him in the company of Stanley Dancer, Billy Haughton and Ben White in that elite club.
- Southwind Frank, Bar Hopping favored in Hambo elims (Monday, August 01, 2016)
Southwind Frank will start from post 5 in the second of two Hambletonian eliminations while Bar Hopping will start from post 1 in the remaining elimination when 18 hopefuls meet Saturday (Aug. 6) at the Meadowlands for the 91st edition of harness racing’s premier event for 3-year-old trotters.
- Broadway Donna seeks to join her dam with Hambo Oaks crown (Tuesday, August 02, 2016)
She is the defending champion of her division and banked $625,642 in only 14 trips to the post, yet when the stage is set for the most heralded contest of her career, the spotlight still fails to shine on Broadway Donna in this Saturday’s (Aug. 6) edition of the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks final.
- Western New York ties in Hambletonian with Tight Lines (Wednesday, August 03, 2016)
It’s a rarity to see a Western New York connection in the Hambletonian but there’s one set for the 2016 edition which is scheduled for this Saturday afternoon (Aug. 6) at The Meadowlands. Buffalo Trotting Association President Bill Richardson along with former Buffalo Raceway regular Jeff Gregory have teamed up along with Jesmeral Stable (Steven Finkelstein) to send the 3-year-old gelding trotter Tight Lines (Yankee Glide-Ilia) into this year’s Hambletonian.
- Don’t count out the ‘other guys’ in Hambletonian (Wednesday, August 03, 2016)
A word of advice concerning Saturday’s Hambletonian: don’t take the “other guys” for granted. Southwind Frank and Bar Hopping will be the clear-cut favorites when the 91st edition of the Hambletonian takes place at the Meadowlands on Saturday (Aug. 6). But there are four talented dark horses that can make things very interesting coming down the stretch. They are Sutton, Milligan’s School, Marion Marauder and Brooklyn Hill.
- Hambletonian Day in Grand Circuit spotlight (Wednesday, August 03, 2016)
Grand Circuit action takes place this Saturday (Aug. 6) at Meadowlands Racetrack with one of the biggest Grand Circuit cards of the season. The afternoon program is led by the $1.14 million Hambletonian, the first leg of trotting’s Triple Crown for 3-year-olds.
- Bongiorno is looking forward to Hambletonian experience (Thursday, August 04, 2016)
Joe Bongiorno is in position to become the youngest driver to ever win the Hambletonian, presented by Mullinax Ford, harness racing’s most prestigious event. That can lead to some pretty anxious moments in the days leading up to the race. But the 22-year-old from Colts Neck, N.J., has a great way of not thinking about it. He just doesn’t give himself the chance. With the 91st edition of the Hambletonian set to take place at the Meadowlands on Saturday (Aug. 6), Bongiorno will be driving 20-1 longshot Make Or Miss out of post three in the first elimination.
- 2016 Hambletonian broadcast live on CBS Sports Network (Friday, August 05, 2016)
CBS Sports Network will present a 90-minute telecast of the $1 million Hambletonian, presented by Mullinax Ford, live from The Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J., on Saturday (Aug. 6) from 4-5:30 p.m. (EDT). The Hambletonian is the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown.
- Hatfield on Hambletonian: ‘There’s nothing that compares to this’ (Friday, August 05, 2016)
Bud Hatfield fell in love with Bar Hopping the moment he saw the colt as a yearling at the 2014 Standardbred Horse Sale. His affection for the horse remains high, and why not? For the first time in four decades in harness racing, Hatfield is sending a horse to the Hambletonian. And the horse is Bar Hopping. Bar Hopping is the 9-5 favorite in the first of two nine-horse eliminations of the Hambletonian, presented by Mullinax Ford, Saturday at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey.