Less is more for Fourth Dimension

by Rich Fisher, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — For Fourth Dimension, it was the classic case of addition by subtraction.

Despite racing well enough in the preliminary legs to qualify for the New York Sire Stakes final at Yonkers, the freshman trotting colt was held out by trainer Marcus Melander. He felt Fourth Dimension had nothing left to prove in the Empire State and wanted to save him for the Breeders Crown.

Removing the NYSS from the equation has paid off so far, as Fourth Dimension was a winner in last Saturday’s Breeders Crown 2-year-old colt and gelding elimination races at Hoosier Park. He enters Saturday’s final as the 5-2 favorite starting from the No. 4 post position.

“He raced great in New York,” Melander said. “He took a bad step there at Yonkers right before Lexington; maybe he didn’t like the half(-mile track) as much. We decided to skip the New York Sire Stakes final. He showed (in his Breeders Crown elimination) he is one of the best ones in the country, so he is one of the best in New York as well.

Dean Gillette photo

Fourth Dimension posted a 2-year-old colt trotter track record of 1:54 in winning his Breeders Crown elimination.

“It was $225,000 in purses, but we didn’t want to go back to New York and race him and then come out here (to Indiana). It’s not fair to the horse. We skipped it and I think it was the right move for sure.”

Fourth Dimension finished second in a Bluegrass Stakes division on Sept. 28 in Lexington, trotting in 1:53.1 and a week later won an International Stallion Stakes division in 1:52.4.

In skipping the New York Sire Stakes final on Oct. 14, he got 15 days off and responded with a 2-year-old colt trotter track record of 1:54 in his Breeders Crown elimination. Driven by Brian Sears, the son of Chapter Seven-Corazon Blue Chip started from post seven and took the lead prior to the half. He trotted :28.1 in the final quarter to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Met’s Hall.

It was the sixth win in eight starts for Fourth Dimension, who also has a second-place finish. He has earned $139,700 for owner Courant Inc.

Melander felt the horse’s performances in Kentucky confirmed his talent.

“Everyone that saw him in Lexington the first week when he was first up on Fashionwoodchopper, we went a big last half there,” the trainer said. “The second week, he won so easy in (1):52.4. So I knew I had a good horse. But you never know.

“(Our Breeders Crown elimination) was the best 2-year-old horses in North America, except for maybe Alarm Detector and Crystal Fashion, but we won pretty easy. I’m confident for the final.”

Fourth Dimension will see how he stacks up against Crystal Fashion in the final, as David Miller drove that gelding to a first-place win in 1:54.3 in the other elimination. Crystal Fashion battled Samo Different Day down the wire and held off Fiftydallarbill for a neck victory.

“I was very happy with the way he raced,” trainer Jim Campbell said. “He came first over and just kind of wore them down.”

The son of Cantab Hall-Window Willow has hit the board in 10 of 11 starts this year with four firsts, three seconds and three thirds, and has earned $155,292 for owner Fashion Farms. He goes off at 7-2 from the No. 1 post in the final.

“We’ve been very happy with him all year long,” Campbell said. “He’s the type of horse, he’s good gaited, and he always gives us a good effort finishing. The long stretch here definitely doesn’t hurt him any.”

Following is the field for Saturday’s $600,000 Breeders Crown 2-year-old colt trot.

PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line
1-Crystal Fashion-David Miller-Jim Campbell-7/2
2-You Know You Do-Yannick Gingras-Jimmy Takter-6/1
3-Fiftydallarbill-Trace Tetrick-William Crone-8/1
4-Fourth Dimension-Brian Sears-Marcus Melander-5/2
5-Met’s Hall-Andy Miller-Julie Miller-9/2
6-Dawson Springs-Joe Bongiorno-Tony Alagna-30/1
7-Moosonee-Scott Zeron-Christopher Beaver-30/1
8-Missle Hill-Tim Tetrick-Tony Alagna-30/1
9-Samo Different Day-Jimmy Takter-Jimmy Takter-20/1
10-Skyway Torpedo-Peter Wrenn-Alvin Miller-20/1

Hoosier Park, in conjunction with Roberts Communications, will offer live steaming and replays of the Breeders Crown races at www.hoosierpark.com/racing/2017breederscrown/.

Related Articles:

  • Breeders Crown ‘everything you could dream about’ for Pink Pistol’s owners (Monday, October 23, 2017)
    Seven years ago, horse agent Pete Shody saw a 4-year-old female trotter named August Revenue win by nearly 10 lengths in 1:54 at Pocono and called her owners to see if the mare was for sale. She was not, he was told, because she was going to be bred. But Shody did not forget about her. Five years later, the Ontario-based Shody came across a 2-year-old female trotter for sale online for $6,000 Canadian. Her name was Pink Pistol and she was a daughter of August Revenue. Shody was interested immediately. After checking out the Cantab Hall-sired filly, he convinced his wife, Sharon Cameron, and several partners to buy her. On Friday, she will compete in the $250,000 Breeders Crown Mare Trot at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Indiana.
  • Darlinonthebeach is ‘coming into form’ heading into Breeders Crown (Monday, October 23, 2017)
    Darlinonthebeach can end a lot of frustration and take care of some unfinished family business with a good trip this Friday (Oct. 27). Trainer Nancy Johansson’s horse is 3-1 on the morning line for the $250,000 Breeders Crown Mare Pace at Hoosier Park. Darlinonthebeach won the first of two eliminations this past Friday in 1:49.3, while race favorite Nike Franco N (2-1) won the second elimination in 1:51.2.
  • Magee shifts from Breeders Crown winner to judge (Monday, October 23, 2017)
    Once a harness driver, always a harness driver. For someone with nearly 12,000 race wins and more than $100 million in earnings, that statement would have to be spot-on, no? Not for Dave Magee, whose highly successful driving career on the Chicagoland circuit has now seen him transition to an associate judge at Indiana’s Hoosier Park, a position enhanced by the fact that Magee had a nearly four-decade career in the bike.
  • Caviart Ally looks to rebound in Breeders Crown final (Tuesday, October 24, 2017)
    After letting a lead slip away in her elimination, Caviart Ally will try and be a little less zealous and a lot more powerful down the stretch in Friday’s $500,000 Breeders Crown final for 3-year-old female pacers at Hoosier Park.
  • JL Cruze, Pasithea Face S scratched from Breeders Crown (Tuesday, October 24, 2017)
    JL Cruze, a winner of $364,974 this year, who finished third in his Breeders Crown elimination at Hoosier Park on Saturday (Oct. 21) and drew post position two for the $526,250 Open Trot final, was scratched today with a slight injury.
  • Final fields drawn for Friday, Saturday Crown events (Tuesday, October 24, 2017)
    Post positions for the final four Breeders Crown races were drawn Monday night (Oct. 23) along with induction ceremonies for the Indiana Horse Racing Hall of Fame at Hoosier Park. Hannlelore Hanover drew post 4 in the Open Trot final.
  • Indiana connections looking to cement local legacy in 2017 Breeders Crown (Wednesday, October 25, 2017)
    When the Breeders Crown kicks off Friday night (Oct. 27) at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, Indiana’s breeding program will be represented by 10 entries in the 12 championship races. Two of those Indiana-sired starters hail from a partnership that was formed just last winter when trainer Jamie Macomber was connected with Z Tam Stables through Hoosier horseman Wilbur Eash. Now, the connections of sophomore pacers Beckhams Z Tam and Carol’s Z Tam are hoping dreams can come true this weekend.
  • Breeders Crown finals in Grand Circuit spotlight (Wednesday, October 25, 2017)
    The 12 Breeders Crown championship events at Hoosier Park will be front and center in the Grand Circuit spotlight this week.
  • Post Time Special: All Bets Off (Wednesday, October 25, 2017)
    With a mark of 1:48.2 set at Rosecroft Raceway at the age of 5, 27 wins from 100 starts and 63 in-the-money finishes and $2,836,082 in lifetime earnings, it’s safe to say that All Bets Off oozes class as a racehorse.
  • Manchego aims for historic Breeders Crown victory (Wednesday, October 25, 2017)
    Manchego will put her perfect record on the line in Friday’s $600,000 Breeders Crown for 2-year-old female trotters at Hoosier Park and a victory there would be historic. None of the previous 33 winners of the event for 2-year-old female trotters has been undefeated.
  • Elimination winners hope to continue success in Crown final (Wednesday, October 25, 2017)
    After watching their 3-year-old male trotters win two of the three $25,000 Breeders Crown eliminations last weekend, trainers Frank M. Antonacci and Domenico Cecere will look to continue their success in Saturday’s (Oct. 28) $527,500 final at Hoosier Park. In the first elimination, International Moni posted a victory in 1:52.4, while Lindy The Great won the second elimination in 1:53.
  • Rock N Tony providing connections with first Breeders Crown finalist (Thursday, October 26, 2017)
    Owner Anthony Lombardi of Illinois finally has his first Breeders Crown finalist in sophomore pacing gelding Rock N Tony. Trained by Erv Miller for Lombardi and partner Rocco Ruffolo, the 3-year-old Rockin Image-Pandemonious gelding is peaking at the right time for a shot at Breeders Crown glory.
  • Wrenn makes return to Breeders Crown (Thursday, October 26, 2017)
    This weekend, Peter Wrenn returns to the Breeders Crown finals for the first time in 21 years. He hopes to create a few more memories in the event, which is Friday and Saturday nights at Wrenn’s home track, Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.
  • Hannelore Hanover seeks large payday in Crown Open Trot (Thursday, October 26, 2017)
    There could be numerous theories and reasons as to why Ron Burke is racing trotting mare Hannelore Hanover against the boys in Saturday’s (Oct. 28) $526,250 Breeders Crown Open Trot final at Hoosier Park. But the answer is simple and logical. The trainer pointed out that one reason overrides all the rest. Sounding like the Jerry Maguire of harness racing, Burke is thinking in terms of “Show me the money” when he notes the Open Trot purse is twice the size of the Mare Trot, which Hannelore Hanover won last year.
  • Shnitzledosomethin is out to stamp himself as a superstar in Breeders Crown (Thursday, October 26, 2017)
    He is no stranger to the sport’s marquee event, as owner Howard Taylor has collected four Breeders Crown trophies, but this year’s edition on Friday (Oct. 27) and Saturday (Oct. 28) at Hoosier Park could be scintillating for the Philadelphia resident. Shnitzledosomethin, one of five entries Taylor is involved with in this year’s edition, possesses the opportunity to not only redeem his sire’s second place finish in the 2010 Crown sophomore male pace, but to place himself firmly on center stage as a truly special horse.
  • It’s “Obvious” Mark Steacy means business in Breeders Crown (Thursday, October 26, 2017)
    Trainer Mark Steacy has only one starter in the 2017 Breeders Crown, but his history in these championship races makes Obvious Blue Chip an obvious horse to watch Friday night at Hoosier Park.
  • Merriman hopes Crown win is in the cards (Friday, October 27, 2017)
    Aaron Merriman got Dealt A Winner and will try to play a winning hand in Saturday’s (Oct. 28) $421,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino. Dealt A Winner and Mach It So each won an elimination last week, with David Miller driving both. Miller will drive Mach It So in Saturday’s final, so Merriman was called upon to drive Dealt A Winner. A 5-year-old gelding, Dealt A Winner is the 3-1 morning-line favorite, with Mach It So next at 7-2.
  • Luc Blais loaded for Breeders Crown trotting events (Friday, October 27, 2017)
    Trainer Luc Blais is feeling good about the horses he has in this year’s $6 million Breeders Crown at Hoosier Park in Anderson, Ind., but there’s also a feeling of melancholy because he’ll be competing without his greatest horse, Intimidate. The 8-year-old gelding was retired earlier this year.

Back to Top

Share via