by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — During the long, cold winter in Western Pennsylvania Rich Gillock, like any other resident, was looking forward to the spring, but it wasn’t because of the warmer temperatures. He couldn’t wait to get Major Athens on track and see what this colt was made of.

“His owners still have the mare and keep her here by my farm,” he said. “He was trained and broken right here and showed me a lot of signs all winter long. His biggest asset is his manners. He learns quickly and doesn’t seem to get real upset over much. With trotters in the early stages that is crucial but you never really know what you have until you get racing. Unfortunately they go so fast anymore that it takes a great one instead of just good ones like it did years ago.”

The 2-year-old son of Andover Hall-Miss Athens, who is a homebred competing for Thomas Brice and Charles Receski, has captured three of his four trips to the post, with one second, accumulated $66,515 in earnings and a lifetime mark of 1:56.

His first start was on June 25 at The Meadows in an $8,200 conditioned event where he finished second and the colt has gone on to triumph in a $30,000 Pennsylvania All-Stars contest on July 3, where he set his lifetime mark, a $78,931 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes race at The Meadows on July 11 and his $20,000 elimination on July 27 for the $387,250 Peter Haughton Memorial Final on Saturday (August 4) at the Meadowlands.

Major Athens will leave from the one hole in what is carded as race eight on the Hambletonian undercard and has morning line odds of 2-1.

Lisa photo

Major Athens was a half length winner over Corky in their Peter Haughton Memorial elimination.

“I’m pretty positive I have a nice colt and I’m positive I have a good driver (Brian Sears) that will give me an opportunity,” Gillock said. “We just need a bit of luck on our side and hope something crazy doesn’t go wrong. I think we have a legitimate shot to at least get some good money or hopefully get the win.

“I’ve been in this race before and it seems like I always draw outside and never have the opportunity to get into the race the way you would like,” he continued. “In fact I let the driver pick the post and he said one or two. We got second pick and if we get through this one it will be a big judgment because in these races all the stops come out. All these colts are good and everybody will be on their game plan. We will have a true test of what we have on Saturday.”

No matter how the Haughton unfolds, Major Athens will return to Pennsylvania, then journey to Lexington and eventually north of the border for the Breeders Crown.

“We’ll stay in Pennsylvania with him,” Gillock explained. “We have additional Sire Stakes that we’ll go into, then we have a race or two in Canada and then we go to Lexington. One of the owner’s sons lives in Lexington and they enjoy going down there so we are staked and depending on what happens we’ll finish Pennsylvania out, go to Lexington and then off to Canada for the Breeders Crown.

“We go mainly with homebreds so it’s a little different than going to the sales and taking your pick of everything you want,” he continued. “The homebreds are more of a challenge sometimes but you can always get good ones and we have a Donato Hanover brother to Major Athens so hopefully we will be right back there next year.”

Gillock doesn’t think moving from a five-eighths oval to the mile will have much of an effect on Major Athens’ performance.

“Honestly, I think he can go on any track,” the Belle Vernon, Pa., resident said. “I train on a half-mile track at my farm and we race at The Meadows and Pocono which are five-eighths but turns do not seem to be an issue for him. He’ll have to step it up on the big track and go a lot more, but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens on Saturday.”

Top free for all trotter Winning Mister, a half-brother to Win Missy B, who is one of the favorites for the Hambletonian Oaks on the same race program, is also under Gillock’s care.

“I think she (Win Missy B) has raced extremely well in all her starts and in any other year where there wasn’t Check Me Out, and of course Maven is a top filly herself, Win Missy B would be the top filly,” he said. “Unfortunately for her Oaks elimination she drew in with Maven and if she doesn’t have one of them in there she wins the race. She won a few weeks ago at the Meadowlands when the top two fillies weren’t in there. She will definitely be in the race on Saturday and it will depend on what kind of trip they get. She has gate speed and Brian (Sears) is driving her. He knows the racetrack and is a top quality driver. Hopefully she is on her game and everything works out well.

“We passed up Saturday with Winning Mister because we have a lot of starts in him and are going to try to get him ready for Chester on the 19th for the Maxie Lee,” Gillock continued. “Charlie (Norris) has done a great job with this filly (Win Miisy B). He had her in Florida last year and he’s done a great job of getting her back this year. Make sure you give Charlie credit because I would never hear the end of it. In fact I just spoke with him about Saturday’s race and we were talking things over. He’s racing against me in the Haughton with Show Ticket who is also a nice colt, so hopefully we have some luck.”

Peter Haughton Memorial Final
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-ML
1-Major Athens-Brian Sears-Rich Gillock-2-1
2-Dewycolorintheline-Tim Tetrick-Ray Schnittker-7-2
3-Corky-David Miller-Jimmy Takter-9-2
4-Aperfectyankee-Jim Oscarsson-Jim Oscarsson-15-1
5-Max Andover-Johnny Takter-Jimmy Takter-20-1
6-Show Ticket-Yannick Gingras-Charlie Norris-10-1
7-My Man Can-Andy Miller-Julie Miller-6-1
8-Hall Of Muscles-John Campbell-Jim Campbell-20-1
9-Caveat Emptor-Ray Schnittker-Ray Schnittker-12-1
10-Fashion Blizzard-Jim Morrill, Jr.-Jim Campbell-8-1