Nuncio is out to make his mark in Valley Victory
November 27, 2013,by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
Ken Weingartner
Freehold, NJ — If not for a horse named Father Patrick, the name Nuncio might be the one at the forefront of discussions regarding this season’s 2-year-old male trotters.
Nuncio has won five of nine races this year and finished second in his other four starts. All four second-place finishes have come behind Father Patrick.
“He’s just run into a great colt there,” said driver John Campbell, who will pilot Nuncio in Saturday’s $494,750 Valley Victory Stakes for 2-year-old male trotters at Meadowlands Racetrack. “There’s nothing you can do about that except tip your hat to them.”
Nuncio will start the Valley Victory from post eight and is the 6-5 morning line favorite. Father Patrick, who won 10 of 11 starts this year, was shut down for the season after winning the Breeders Crown in October. Father Patrick’s only setback came by a head to Nuncio in his second start.
“He’s exceptional,” Campbell said about Nuncio, who is owned by Stefan Melander’s Stall TZ Inc. “He’s a little hard to rate sometimes, but when I can rate him and get him to relax he’s been very good. He just finishes up the mile so much better.”
Nuncio was at his ratable, relaxed best in his most recent start, winning the Matron Stakes on Nov. 17 at Dover Downs. His time of 1:53 smashed Explosive Matter’s track record of 1:55 for a 2-year-old male trotter as well as Chapter Seven’s stakes record of 1:55.2.
“They made some changes to him, so I hope he responds the same way again,” Campbell said.
Nuncio’s triumphs this year also include a division of the Reynolds Stakes at Vernon Downs, where he won in a track-record 1:54.3.
A son of stallion Andover Hall and the first foal out of the mare Nicole Isabelle, Nuncio was a $7,000 yearling purchase at the Standardbred Horse Sale. He has earned $337,387 this year, which is second to Father Patrick’s $744,057 among 2-year-old male trotters.
The morning line second choice in the Valley Victory’s 10-horse field is Ron Burke-trained Southwind Spirit, who is 4-1. Southwind Spirit has won six of 12 starts and $310,925. He won the Kindergarten Classic final and American-National Stakes and was third behind Father Patrick and Nuncio in the Peter Haughton Memorial.
Rounding out the field are Another Transcript, E L Titan, Expressive Action, Muscle Network, Musclesprinctonian, Odds On Amethyst, Skates N Plates and Well Built.
“There is a lot of early speed in the race,” Campbell said. “The track has shown you want to be up near the front with the bias, so I think I’ll be a part of it.”
Saturday’s stakes-filled card at Meadowlands Racetrack also includes the $534,500 Governor’s Cup for 2-year-old male pacers, $456,150 Goldsmith Maid for 2-year-old filly trotters, and $394,950 Three Diamonds for 2-year-old filly pacers.
Also in action is 3-year-old colt Captaintreacherous, who takes on older foes including Foiled Again and Pet Rock in the $512,000 TVG Free For All Series Championship for pacers, and 3-year-old filly trotter Bee A Magician, who looks to complete a perfect season in the $253,000 Moni Maker Stakes. There also is the $500,000 TVG Free For All Series Championship for older trotters and $167,500 Nadia Lobell for 3-year-old filly pacers.
Campbell will drive Modern Legend from post two in the TVG FFA Pace final. Although 15-1 on the morning line, Modern Legend was third in last week’s TVG FFA preliminary leg and third in the Breeders Crown. In between, Modern Legend was seventh in the preferred at Woodbine, but Campbell said the horse scoped sick afterward.
“He’s shown he can be competitive with this group,” Campbell said.
Captaintreacherous will try to become the first prominent 3-year-old male pacer in more than 30 years to defeat older rivals in a stakes-caliber event. Niatross was the most recent 3-year-old colt pacer to win against older foes in a major race when he captured the 1980 American Pacing Classic at Hollywood Park.
He received an invitation to the TVG final as the result of winning the Breeders Crown for 3-year-old male pacers in October.
“I applaud (his connections) for doing it,” Campbell said. “It’s great for the industry. He will be one of the favorites and he deserves to be. I think he’s capable of winning the race.”