from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — The $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic and $200,000 Thomas D’Altrui Miss New Jersey, both for New Jersey sired 3-year-old pacers, drew 15 entrants each for this weekend’s elimination races at the Meadowlands.

The top five finishers in each elimination will advance to the finals on May 31. The colts and geldings will compete in $25,000 eliminations carded as races three and five on Saturday, May 24. The fillies in the companion race will meet in $20,000 eliminations, races two and three, on Friday, May 23.

Mr Nice Guy tops the field for the second New Jersey Classic elimination. Nat Varty trains the son of Western Ideal, while Ron Pierce has the driving assignment from post four.

Mr Nice Guy’s four wins this season include the $84,000 Matt’s Scooter Final on March 22 and a sharp 1:51 score in a 3-year-old open on April 26. However, a minor bout of sickness caused the gelding to fall short in last week’s opening round of the New Jersey Sire Stakes, giving McCedes the upset.

Robert Scharf, whose nom de course is Between The Pipes Stable, purchased Mr Nice Guy privately on February 28, 2008. A $33,000 yearling purchase at the Lexington Selected Sale, Mr Nice Guy has earnings of $147,508 lifetime.

“I can’t really take credit for picking him out,” Scharf said. “My friend (bloodstock agent) Anthony Altomonte found the horse. He had been following him a long time and told me I had to jump on it. I am thankful I did. Nat’s done a great job with him.”

Scharf’s father, Martin, is a longtime horse owner best known for campaigning 2000 Horse of the Year Gallo Blue Chip.

The first of the two New Jersey Classic eliminations is a wide-open field that includes Rudy Rednose, four-for-six this season for George Teague, Jr.; Harley D Hanover, a solid 1:51.3 NJSS winner last week; and Duneside Perch, the 2007 NJSS champion.

Fillies vying for the Miss New Jersey crown include Sweetheart champion McArts N Crafts and Knock Three Times, the Sweetheart runner-up and NJSS winner last week.

The “real” Miss New Jersey, Amy Nicole Polumbo, will present the trophy to the winner of the Miss New Jersey on May 31.

Both events are sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey, which represents the thousands of breeders, owners, trainers, drivers and caretakers based in the Garden State.

The Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic was established by the SBOANJ in 1980 and renamed to honor a founding member in 2006. Anthony Abbatiello, a 1994 inductee into harness racing’s Hall of Fame and currently a New Jersey Racing Commissioner, was a member of the SBOANJ for more than four decades, including 14 years as president. The Colts Neck, N.J. resident trained many past stars, including Newt Lobell and Taurus Romeo.

The companion race for 3-year-old pacing fillies, which debuted in 1984, was also renamed in 2006 to the Thomas D’Altrui Miss New Jersey. D’Altrui, a resident of Union and the master of DI Farms in Hillsborough, served 33 years as an SBOANJ board member, 22 years as vice president. His farm produced such top performers as Totally Ruthless, Sweet Reflection, Whosurboy and DI Starfire, and the broodmare Mommy Dear, whose foals earned more than $2 million.

$25,000 Anthony Abbatiello NJ Classic Elimination – 3rd Race
Post, Horse, Sire, Driver, Trainer
1, Cold Cape Cod, Artiscape, Yannick Gingras, Mark Harder
2, Touch And Go, Life Sign, Tim Tetrick, James Sronce
3, Rudy Rednose, Red River Hanover, Brian Sears, George Teague, Jr.
4, Duneside Perch, Cam’s Card Shark, Eric Goodell, Ross Croghan
5, Ole Red River, Red River Hanover, George Brennan, Mark Harder
6, Dear Mac, McArdle, John Campbell, Noel Daley
7, Harley D Hanover, Western Ideal, Yannick Gingras, Linda Toscano
8, Weekend Gambler, Cam’s Card Shark, Brian Sears, Mark Silva

$25,000 Anthony Abbatiello NJ Classic Elimination – 5th Race
Post, Horse, Sire, Driver, Trainer
1, Perseus, Life Sign, Brian Sears, Mark Silva
2, McCedes, McArdle, Cat Manzi, Chris Ryder
3, Meant To Be Me, McArdle, Tim Tetrick, Linda Toscano
4, Mr Nice Guy, Western Ideal, Ron Pierce, Nat Varty
5, Dax Hanover, Cam’s Card Shark, Andy Miller, Tom Fanning
6, Yankee Rocketeer, Artsplace, Tim Tetrick, Kevin Lare
7, Daley Deposit Only, Artiscape, George Brennan, Dan Daley

$20,000 Thomas D’Altrui Miss New Jersey Elimination – 2nd Race
Post, Horse, Sire, Driver, Trainer
1, Valmctorian, McArdle, Cat Manzi, Larry Remmen
2, Expressive, Artsplace, Brian Sears, Ed Lohmeyer
3, Cheyenne Trish, Artiscape, George Brennan, Robert Siegelman
4, Ideal Justice, Western Ideal, Andy Miller, Jim Campbell
5, Cartniverous, Artiscape, Eric Goodell, Josh Green
6, JK Getupngo, Western Ideal, Tim Tetrick, Linda Toscano
7, Knock Three Times, Western Ideal, David Miller, Ross Croghan
8, Ideal Newton, Western Ideal, Ron Pierce, Noel Daley

$20,000 Thomas D’Altrui Miss New Jersey Elimination – 3rd Race
Post, Horse, Sire, Driver, Trainer
1, Chocolate Art, Artiscape, Brian Sears, Noel Daley
2, Best Place, Artsplace, George Brennan, Buzzy Sholty
3, McArts N Crafts, McArdle, Mike Lachance, Haralabos Gianoulis
4, Ideal Morning, Western Ideal, Ron Pierce, Peter Kleinhans
5, Good News Lady, Western Ideal, Andy Miller, Jimmy Takter
6, Erma Le Em, Cam’s Card Shark, Ron Pierce, Steve LeBlanc
7, Diamond Jubilee, Artsplace, Ron Pierce, Ross Croghan