from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Lis Mara, the 2006 Older Pacer of the Year, will make his 5-year-old debut in the $42,000 Open on Saturday night (April 28) at the Meadowlands.

Off a scorching 1:49.1 qualifying mile last week — the fastest in track history — Lis Mara is rated as the 9-5 morning line favorite from post two in the race six Open. Ironically, Total Truth, the horse who beat him out for Pacer Of the Year honors, finished a distant second in that qualifier.

“I think he’s ready,” said trainer Erv Miller. “He’s acting like he is. He loves to be back in action. Last year, the longer the season went, the more he liked it. He’s feeling bouncy and racy, really feeling good.”

The son of Cambest moved into Miller’s barn in 2006 and ended the season with a record of 10 wins, five seconds and one third in 17 starts, for earnings of $967,495. Owned by MJG Racing Stable and Louis Willinger, Lis Mara has a career bankroll of $1,148,021. Mike Gulotta of MJG indicated that Lis Mara will make his first four starts of 2007 at the Meadowlands.

Trainer Erv Miller will also send out Pop Z Pop in Saturday’s eliminations for the Berry’s Creek. Starting from post eight (head #7), Pop Z Pop will tangle with the formidable duo of The Quiet Mon and Home Bed Advantage in race two.

“So far this year, he’s gone the other way,” Miller said. “The way he was training back, I thought he’d be doing well right away, but it is early and he’s got the talent. He made a break in his last start. He just got a little too keyed up. He actually might have paced too much.”

Daley aims quartet at Berry’s Creek

Trainer Noel Daley is loaded for bear with four horses entered in Saturday’s eliminations for the $225,000 Berry’s Creek.

The top five finishers in each elimination advance to the $225,000 Berry’s Creek Final on Saturday, May 5. The Berry’s Creek is the first major race of the year for 3-year-old colt pacers and has been a stepping stone to a $1 million Meadowlands Pace win for four horses: Artistic Fella (2006), Mach Three (2002), Hot Lead (1996) and Cam’s Card Shark (1994).

Daley will send out the entry of Cue The Paige and No Perfect Escape in the first $25,000 elim, race two, for Adam Victor & Son Stable. The duo is rated at 5-1 on the morning line with Cue The Paige drawing the rail and No Escape First post seven. A Meadowlands Pace eligible, Cue The Paige is from the first crop of 2002 Horse of the Year Real Desire. He has seven career starts, the most of any of Daley’s entrants, and his achievements include runner-up finishes in the Kentucky Sire Stakes, International Stallion Stake and Bluegrass last fall at The Red Mile.

Hall of Fame reinsman John Campbell had to choose between Daley’s entrants in the race and ultimately went with Cue The Paige. Campbell drove the colt’s dam, Paige Nicole Q, to victory in the 1996 Miss New Jersey at the Meadowlands. Cue The Paige is her fourth foal and the most successful by far. He sold for $27,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale.

“I’m not sure who’s the better horse of these two, him or No Perfect Escape,” Daley said. “John Campbell called me and asked me that question and I told him I honestly didn’t know. John wound up choosing Cue The Paige because he drew inside. This colt has some talent. He wasn’t worse than second in any heat last year. I don’t think he, or any of the ones I have, will be a top five colt this year, but they have enough ability to step up at any time and put in a big mile.”

No Perfect Escape will make his fifth career start with Yannick Gingras in the sulky. He came home in :26.3 to finish fifth in his 3-year-old debut last week. The son of Artiscape-Mary Sue Hanover was a $52,000 yearling purchase at the Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

“He’s very quick, probably quicker than Cue The Paige,” Daley said. “They are different types of horses, all four are, but this colt showed a :26.2 final quarter at Du Quoin (in the Hayes on September 2, 2006 at Du Quoin fairgrounds in Illinois). He flashed some talent last year.”

All American Bomber and Isaac Newton, both Pace eligibles, are Daley’s contenders in the second Berry’s Creek elimination, race three. The entry is rated at 5-1 with All American Bomber firing from post three with David Miller and Isaac Newton from post seven with Campbell.

Owned by the Victors, John Fielding and Fred Hertrich III, All American Bomber was a $37,000 yearling purchase at the Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The son of Real Artist-Bouvier is a half-brother to At Point Blank ($718,067). His lone victory in six starts at two was a 1:52.4 score in the Bluegrass at The Red Mile. Unfortunately, the gelding did not get off to an ideal start to his sophomore season last week at the Meadowlands. He broke stride early in the mile and finished tenth.

“(Driver) Ron Pierce told me he made a break last time because he flicked a knee coming out of a hole,” Daley said. “After he settled down, he was fine. We haven’t seen what he can do yet.”

Isaac Newton fared better than his entrymate in his first start of the season. Campbell steered him to a 1:53.3 victory off a perfect pocket trip on April 19 at the Meadowlands. Isaac Newton was a $27,000 yearling buy at the Lexington Selected Sale by Adam Victor & Son. The Real Artist colt has hit the board in three of four career starts.

“He’s been lightly raced,” Daley said. “Last year he (got sore) and we put him on the shelf. I don’t want to see any of my horses overdriven at this point. I’d prefer they weren’t on the lead or first-over. This colt showed on the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes circuit last year he could go with his class.”

$25,000 Berry’s Creek Elimination -Race 2
HN, PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer, Odds
1, 1, Cue The Paige, J. Campbell, N. Daley, 5-1
1A, 7, No Perfect Escape, Y. Gingras, N. Daley, 5-1
2, 2, The Quiet Mon, A. Miller, J. Butenschoen, 7-5
3, 3, May June Character, G. Brennan, G. Sholty, 12-1
4, 4, Home Bed Advantage, P. Lachance, D. Mc Caffrey, 3-1
5, 5, Angry Dwarf, D. Miller, R. Schnittker, 10-1
6, 6, Southern Myles, B. Sears, R. Hans, 6-1
7, 8, Pop Z Pop, R. Pierce, E. Miller, 8-1

$25,000 Berry’s Creek Elimination – Race 3
HN, PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer, Odds
1, 3, Allamerican Bomber, D. Miller, N. Daley, 5-1
1A, 7, Isaac Newton, J. Campbell, N. Daley, 5-1
2, 1, Wearable Art, R. Pierce, P. Kleinhans, 2-1
3, 2, Spin Rate, D. Dube, L. Remmen, 3-1
4, 4, Papichulo, A. Miller, M. Ford, 12-1
5, 5, Lost In The West, Y. Gingras, R. Bendis, 8-1
6, 6, Artist’s View, B. Sears, G. Sholty, 6-1
7, 8, Fresh Deck, G. Brennan, J. Holloway, 4-1