by Dan Conway, USTA Web Newsroom Correspondant
Noble Cam, a five-year-old Nobleland Sam/Camtown Sweetie stallion, was racing at the Meadowlands, Lexington, Northfield Park and Scioto Downs throughout the season but had pocketed just $10,500 in nine starts. Saturday night at Hazel Park Raceway, he was the second favorite in the five horse $11,400 Invitational Handicap Pace. He has been a very good one in the past with a lifetime bankroll of $362,843 and his connections were looking for just the right spot with a decent purse. The favorite in the field was JC, a Michigan bred Hazel Park regular with $41,648 on his 2004 card and lifetime earnings just in excess of a half million dollars. Mr Minority was the other horse to watch; he captured this class last week in 1:54. Mark Webster sat behind JC and he took him to the front in a quick time of :274. Noble Cam, driven by Larry Stalbaum, was away second with Copeland Comet and Vince Copeland third. Heading to the half, Wally McIlmurray, Jr. brought Mr Minority out from fifth and at the :564 marker they sat third on the outside. Following Mr Minority was Soligos Hanover, handled by Ray Fisher, Jr. On the front end, JC paced along unchallenged. Out of the second turn and down the backstretch, Mr Minority slowly moved up on the outside with Soligos Hanover right behind. He had been racing recently at Northfield Park. JC was picking up the pace at this point and hit the three quarters in 1:25, a length and a quarter ahead of Mr Minority, who was still hung out. Around the turn and into the stretch, JC kept his speed and it looked like it would be a three horse race to the wire. All three pacers, JC, Mr Minority and Noble Cam, have all been finishing strong in their recent starts so it was just a question of who was going to be the best tonight. As the wire came up, Noble Cam surged to the front and won in 1:531, three-quarters of a length in front of JC. Mr Minority was another length back in third. This was the second victory of the season for Noble Cam who is owned by Charles Meyer of Ohio. David Stratton trains.