by Ken Warkentin, for the Meadowlands Racetrack

East Rutherford, NJ — The long and winding road to the $1.5 million Hambletonian on Saturday (August 4) is coming down to the wire with eliminations this Saturday (July 28).

We have followed the top contenders and rated their performances on the stakes trail as harness racing’s greatest day approaches at the Meadowlands. The Winterbook Top 10 grew to a list of about 30 prospects at one point.

After sitting at number one throughout the entire process, trainer Ray Schnittker decided the filly Check Me Out will now race in the Oaks. So, for the first time we have a new leader in Uncle Peter, among those in the Top 10 who have continued to win and impress.

This year’s Hambletonian looks wide open, and a key theme is strength in numbers with multi-horse contingents from Jimmy Takter, Noel Daley, Jim Campbell, Julie Miller and Trond Smedshammer.

After sweeping both Stanley Dancer Memorial divisions, Takter trainees rank 1-2 and the Hall of Famer has three in the Top 10.

1. Uncle Peter goes into the eliminations fresh off a perfect prep, a well controlled 1:53.1 score in a Stanley Dancer Memorial division with Ron Pierce as the 2-5 favorite. Pierce said it was “a piece of cake” for the son of Cantab Hall. This followed a career best of 1:52.3 in the PA All-Stars at Pocono Downs. Last year’s Breeders Crown upsetter heads a powerful Jimmy Takter battalion, which includes Little Brown Fox, Guccio and Weingartner.

2. Little Brown Fox is a Muscles Yankee colt that pulled off a Stanley Dancer Memorial division shocker ($49.60) in a sharp 1:51.2 with Yannick Gingras. Gingras said, “He was very impressive.” The colt beat his Jimmy Takter stablemate Guccio. He also won the NJSS final in 1:53.3.

3. Stormin Normand enters the eliminations off a win in a division of the PASS at Pocono by a nose in 1:52.4. The son of Broadway Hall finished a solid second in the Yonkers Trot after a second (timed in 1:51) to Googoo Gaagaa in the world record (1:50.4) Earl Beal, Jr. Memorial. He also won his Beal elimination in 1:51.4. The stablemate to Dan Patch Award winner Possess The Will (trainer Jim Campbell) won the PASS Championship at two, and comes off Lasix.

4. Magic Tonight comes in on a high trend, finishing second (timed in 1:53.4), beaten a half-length by My MVP in a PASS at Pocono Downs on July 14 after missing three weeks. Bounced back after fading to seventh from the rail in the Earl Beal, Jr. Memorial. He shattered The Meadows track record with a 1:52.4 score in a PASS and gives Noel Daley (Broad Bahn) a serious shot at a Hambletonion repeat.

5. Possess The Will was the 2011 Dan Patch Award winner and comes off his second tightener, where he made a first over bid and finished third in the fastest (1:51.2) Dancer division. The Donato Hanover colt was second in a Reynolds division in his 2012 debut. Sickness had delayed his comeback and trainer Jim Campbell looks for him to be fresh and sharp going into the Hambletonian. He was the top earner among last year’s freshman trotters. Both Jim Campbell trained colts would be coming off Lasix, which is not allowed in the Hambletonian.

6. Beer Summit missed 28 days due to sickness, then set most of the pace and tired to fourth in a PASS at Pocono Downs on July 14. The stablemate to Magic Tonight posted a perfect trip upset ($19.20) in the Goodtimes final with Ron Pierce in the bike for trainer Noel Daley, equaling the Mohawk track record of 1:52.2. Daley noted the son of Cantab Hall is best as a stalking threat.

7. Riccolo is an Illinois bred gelding by Northern Kid who made it a perfect nine-for-nine in 2012 with an easy wire-to-wire Big M debut in 1:54.3. He was recently sold to Norwegian interests and was making his first start for Trond Smedshammer. He won his first eight starts this season at Balmoral Park, and his latest there was a lifetime best of 1:54.2. Swedish driving ace Olle Goop has been asked to drive him if he makes the Hambletonian.

8. Archangel made it seven in a row with a Tompkins-Geers Memorial stakes record of 1:54.3 at Tioga Downs on July 21. He went wire-to-wire in the Yonkers Trot in 1:54.1 when the heavy favorite Googoo Gaagaa broke stride twice. This Credit Winner colt broke his own Vernon Downs track record by winning the Empire Breeders Classic in 1:53.1 for trainer Peter Arrigenna. He will be making his mile track debut.

9. Guccio is a Yankee Glide colt that is going in the right direction to complete the Top 10 trio for Jimmy Takter. He rallied for second (timed in 1:52) behind stablemate Little Brown Fox in the fastest (1:51.2) Dancer division despite having issues getting a hold of the track. He also finished second to Little Brown Fox in the NJSS final.

10. Market Share stormed home in :27.3 in a 3-year-old Open on July 21 after finishing third in the Yonkers Trot. The son of Revenue S was a fast-closing fifth as the beaten favorite in the Goodtimes final, and won his elimination in 1:53.2. The stablemate to world champion 4-year-old Chapter Seven was also the beaten favorite (third) in the NJSS final, and won a NJSS division by nine lengths in 1:53.1 for trainer Linda Toscano.

Other Contenders

Banker Volo is an Erv Miller (Manofmanymissions) trainee. He was a locked-in second behind Uncle Peter in his Dancer division with Jim Morrill, Jr., who’s also been driving Archangel. Unraced at two, the son of Yankee Glide came bursting on the scene, winning his first four starts, including an impressive 1:52.3 blowout at Pocono Downs.

Solvato is a stablemate to Trond Smedshammer newcomer Riccolo and finished a hard-charging third, beaten a neck, in a PASS at Pocono Downs after a third to Uncle Peter in the PA All-Stars. Owns a win in a PASS division in 1:53.2 at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Smedshammer said he’s fast enough, still fresh and a trip horse just like Windsong’s Legacy.

My MVP goes into the eliminations off a win in his division of the PASS at Pocono Downs in a career best 1:53.4 on July 14 with Mike Lachance after a second to Uncle Peter in the PA All-Stars. The son of Cantab Hall, trained by Tony Alagna, also won a division of the PASS at The Meadows in 1:55.1 over Beer Summit and Solvato.

Delano heads into the eliminations off his third straight NYSS win and fourth this season, scoring a half-length decision in 1:55 at Vernon Downs for Ray Schnittker. The son of Credit Winner went wire-to-wire in a NYSS division at Yonkers in 1:56.4 on July 3. He also won a NYSS division in a Buffalo Raceway track record of 1:56.3 on June 17. The son of Credit Winner started 2012 by going wire-to-wire in a NYSS split in 1:54.4 at Tioga Downs.

Knows Nothing rallied from well off the pace to win the Canadian Breeders Championship in 1:54.3 on July 21 at Mohawk despite missing 35 days. Unraced at two, he finished a strong fourth in the Goodtimes final. He won his first five starts, including a Goodtimes elimination in 1:53.4 for Jody Jamieson and Jeff Gillis. Unraced at two, his sire Kadabra enters the Canadian Hall of Fame in August. Jamieson and Gillis finished ninth in the 2009 Hambletonian with Federal Flex.

Lightning Storm comes into the eliminations on a high note off a second (1:52.4) by a nose to Stormin Normand in the PASS at Pocono Downs. The son of Donato Hanover was third to Money On My Mind in the Reynolds Stakes at the Big M, and kicked off 2012 with back-to-back wins of 1:53.3 and 1:53.4. The Peter Haughton elimination winner at two is trained by Jonas Czernyson, who has sent out six Hambletonian finalists in the last four editions.

Appomattox grinded first over and finished a solid third behind Uncle Peter in a Dancer division with Tim Tetrick driving. Finished second to Coraggioso in the Historic at Tioga Downs on June 17. He rallied from post nine to win his 2012 debut in 1:56.1 on June 1 at the Big M for trainer Frank Antonacci, who was second in the 2008 Hambletonian with Crazed.

Weingartner was last year’s Peter Haughton Memorial upsetter and recently returned from a P-1 fracture. The son of Donato Hanover finished third in a 3-year-old Open on July 21 after winning a qualifier on July 12 in 1:55 for Jimmy Takter, who said he’s coming back better than expected.

Money On My Mind is perhaps the best hope for Andy and Julie Miller. Beaten seven lengths, finished fourth (timed in 1:52.4) in the fastest Dancer division following a well rated wire-to-wire win in the Reynolds Stakes in 1:53.3. The son of Cantab Hall was a distant second in Magic Tonight’s 1:52.4 track record in the PASS at The Meadows back on May 30.

Top Billing comes into the eliminations off a top effort, a gutsy first over win by a nose in a PASS at Pocono Downs in 1:53.4 with Tyler Buter driving. The son of Andover Hall was the Spring Survivor winner at the Big M for Andy and Julie Miller.

One In A Million rebounded from a break in the second Dancer division by going wire-to-wire in a standout qualifier on July 21 (:26, :54.2, 1:23.1, 1:53) with Brian Sears. Son of Donato Hanover dominated an overnight in a career best of 1:53.3 on July 6. Won his 2012 debut with a mighty sweep from post 10 in 1:55.2 on June 15 for Chuck Sylvester, who has won four Hambletonians.

Coraggioso cruised in a Tompkins-Geers Memorial division at Tioga Downs in 1:55.3 on July 21 and has now banked more than $200,000 this season. Finished second as the beaten favorite in the NYSS at Vernon Downs on July 11. Went all the way from post seven in a NYSS division at Yonkers on July 3 in 1:56. Cruised to a lifetime best of 1:54.3 in the Historic at Tioga. The son of Conway Hall, co-owned by legendary announcer Tom Durkin and Joe Spadaro, finished second in the Empire Breeders Classic for trainer/driver Phil Fluet, and won a NYSS division at Tioga in 1:55.4.

Prestidigitator is a son of Kadabra that broke and finished ninth in the Canadian Breeders Championship on July 21 at Mohawk after winning his elimination in 1:54.3. Romped in an OSS Gold Final in 1:54 at Georgian Downs on July 7 with Sylvain Fillion driving after grinding out an elimination in 1:55.2. Capped his freshman season by winning the OSS Super Final for trainer Dustin Jones.

Vic Smith disappointed again, making breaks and finishing seventh in the first Dancer division after an inspiring qualifier (timed in 1:54.3) behind Invitational trotter Hot Shot Blue Chip. The freshman NJSS champion broke and finished ninth in the NJSS final on June 2. The son of Yankee Glide won his 2012 NJSS debut in 1:55.3, then lost by a nose to Little Brown Fox in 1:54.1 for Andy and Julie Miller.

From Above faded to sixth behind Riccolo in a 3-year-old Open on July 21 after finishing fourth behind Uncle Peter in a Dancer division. The Donato Hanover colt has offered some encouraging qualifiers, but hasn’t quite measured up to the top colts yet. Trainer Greg Peck (Muscle Hill) was expecting big things from this son of Donato Hanover, who won back-to-back Grand Circuit stakes at The Red Mile at two.

Flyhawk Jester won a qualifier at Vernon Downs on July 20 in 1:58.2 after being scratched sick out of a NYSS division there. Recently switched to trainer Tracy Brainard and finished a well beaten fourth in a NYSS division at Yonkers on July 3. Fifth in the Empire Breeders Classic after setting the pace and second in his elimination as the beaten favorite. The son of RC Royalty also posted a second to Archangel in NYSS action at Tioga Downs.

Gym Tan Laundry remains winless in eight starts this season. Finished a nonthreatening fourth behind Riccolo in a 3-year-old Open on July 21 after a seventh to Little Brown Fox in a Dancer division. Those two starts came after 28 days off. The son of Yankee Glide set a strong pace from post nine and finished a surprising solid third in the Goodtimes final at 99-1, beaten only a half-length for trainer Noel Daley.

Big Chocolate broke for the third time in his last four starts, faltering in a Dancer division right after winning an overnight at Vernon Downs on July 4 in 1:55.2 for Homer Hochstetler. The son of Chocolatier won a division of the NJSS in 1:54.3.

American Gangster finished fourth in an overnight at Pocono Downs on July 20 after fading to fifth in the stallion series there. The son of Andover Hall made breaks in his first two starts of the year. As a freshman, he set a Mohawk track record of 1:54.4 in his William Wellwood elimination for trainer Chris Oakes.