from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — For five of the eight horses in Saturday’s (Jan. 6) featured race at The Meadowlands, it is the final prelude to the three-week Presidential Series, which gets underway on January 13.

One of those five is Pacific Renegade who is rated at 4-1 in the morning line in the $35,000 winners over conditioned pace, carded as the fifth race. The Presidential, the winter showcase for free-for-all pacers, offers two weeks of $50,000 preliminary legs to determine the 10 finalists who will meet for an estimated $100,000 on January 27.

Pacific Renegade, now six, has been a consistent earner, banking more than $275,000 of his $352,705 in career earnings in 2005 and 2006 while facing the top older horses in training.

In addition to Pacific Renegade, the Presidential hopefuls competing in Saturday’s feature include All Over The Place, Roddy’s Bags Again, Bay Sign and Hop Sing.

“Renegade can go with the best horses on his best day,” said trainer Tom Fanning. “He is probably a cut below the best free-for-allers, but when he is sharp, especially on a smaller track, he can beat almost all of them.”

The son of Cam’s Card Shark has made 90 career starts with 21 wins, 18 seconds and 10 thirds to his credit. He took his lifetime mark of 1:49.1 at the Meadowlands when he was four.

“I really have an affinity for him because we developed him from the end of his 2-year-old year on, and he has worked his way up the ladder,” Fanning noted. “He also has a great and totally supportive owner (Joseph Smith of Vero Beach, Florida) who has only made my job easier and has given this horse the time he needed to develop.”

Missing from this week’s battle of the pacing titans is Nuclear Breeze, who will put his seven-race winning streak on the line in the Presidential.

Another Fanning stakes colt, Artstanding, should be back in action this summer. At two, Artstanding was second in the $593,032 Governor’s Cup, and at three he was the runner-up in the $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic.

“Artstanding is rehabbing a tendon injury and should be back in June,” said Fanning of the 4-year-old son of Artsplace.

Around the Meadowlands for January 5, 2007

David Miller’s $70 million in purses for the first seven years of the 21st century puts him at the top of that list among drivers in North America.

“I would like to think I can keep it going and keep it even, the same as I’ve done,” said Miller. “I’ll continue doing what I do. I’m healthy. I think I can have a real good run. I’m far from over with my career. I’m in my prime.”

The 42-year-old has had five $10 million seasons but some of the big events have eluded him, thus far.

“The Hambletonian with Ken Warkentin a couple of years ago, that kind of took the wind out of my sails,” he recalled. “He was such a phenomenal 2-year-old, but he didn’t grow from two to three, and he didn’t improve through the year like I thought he might. What a stride and gait he had. I’d also like to win the Meadowlands Pace. The year No Pan Intended won the Triple Crown, he was fourth in the Pace. He didn’t find his best stride until afterwards. That’s the Cam Fella that came out in him. He just kept getting better as the season went along.”

Robbie Siegelman sends out both Life Is A Cabaret (second race) and You Tell Gordy (fourth race) on Saturday night.

“I’ve had Life Is a Cabaret for four years now,” Siegelman noted. “Last year was actually his best year for me. He’s eligible to non-winners of $7,500, but they put a cap on that race. He’s also eligible to non-winners of $10,000, but that race didn’t fill. So he’s in non-winners of $15,000, which is still a class break for him. Life Is A Cabaret is one of Gordy Freeman’s favorite horses. He loves those old war horses who go out and fight and give it their all. This horse will never see a claiming race and will always have a home with Gordy. He’s the majority owner. You Tell Gordy (named for Gordy Freeman) is eligible to the Presidential. When we made him eligible to the series, we had every intention of him going in it. He’s going to have to show me he can go with the big boys though. He’s always competitive and can follow anyone. It’s the passing that is the issue. This is going to be a key race for him this weekend, key as to whether or not we drop him in the box to go in the Presidential.”

Trainer Don Swick reports that his Breeders Crown winner last fall at two, Calgary Hanover, will be back racing in the spring.

“She was turned out and came back a week ago Tuesday,” he said. “She came out of the Breeders Crown exceptionally well. The Monday after the race, she was bouncing around and all full of herself. If it hadn’t been for her getting shut off in the elimination and then being forced inside a pylon, she would have cruised. Mike Lachance did such a good job with her. Look for her to qualify the end of May early June. This year looks like it’ll be a lot of traveling for me. I have four pacing yearlings and one trotting colt by Conway Hall. I bought pacers this year. I just needed a break from the last year or so when some of the younger trotters can drive you crazy. So far, I like what I have. It potentially could be a nice year for me.”

While his trotting colt Chocolatier is retired to New Jersey’s Southwind Farm to begin his breeding career, there is no sign that Doug Ackerman is cutting back at age 79.

“I’m in Pinehurst, North Carolina, a great place to train a horse but the cell phone reception, I think, it gets lost in the pine cones,” he mused. “This is our first year here.”

Ackerman and wife Ada will be joined by son Doug R. (D.R.) in two weeks.

“We were living a half mile from Del Mar Racetrack for over 50 years. But the last few years there, we had no stability. Those of us who were still training there were treated like unwanted houseguests. Then they put the polytrack in, and that was it. We headed east. Our house is still on the market (for $1,375,000), but we haven’t sold it yet and may have to come down a little. A lady in Indiana told me a long time ago, moving is good for you. It builds new brain cells. Dr. (David) Meirs is checking Chocolatier out as we speak for fertility and issues like that. All the shares of the syndication have been sold. He’s a great gaited horse, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he turned out to be a top sire.”