After taking the long way home from post 10 in his Hambletonian Stakes elimination last week, Winner’s Bet will attempt to cash in on a more advantageous starting spot in Saturday’s $1 million final at The Meadowlands. Ben Baillargeon gets the feeling that if it weren’t for bad luck, Ghostly Casper might not have any luck at all.
Tag: Ken Weingartner
Hambletonian Day undercard: Sylvia Hanover looks to stay hot in Shady Daisy
Sylvia Hanover seems to have two particular traits. The first is to make almost every race an adventure, much to the consternation of trainer Shawn Steacy. The second is to find a way to win, much to Steacy’s delight. On Saturday’s Hambletonian Day undercard, Sylvia Hanover will compete in the $100,000 Shady Daisy at The Meadowlands.
Hambo Notebook: Looking like a million
Oh Well aims to add another big payday in Hambletonian for Melander, who also sends out three in Oaks; Svanstedt duo hopes to return to top form; Burke eyes something extra from Railee Something.
Celebrity Bambino favored in Hambletonian
Elimination winner Celebrity Bambino drew post one for Saturday’s $1 million Hambletonian Stakes final at The Meadowlands and was established as the 2-1 morning-line favorite as he seeks to give trainer Ron Burke and driver Yannick Gingras their first wins in the trotting classic for 3-year-olds.
Matt Bax seeks rare Hambletonian, Oaks double
Four trainers will head into Saturday’s Hambletonian Day card at The Meadowlands with the opportunity to win both the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks, a feat accomplished previously by only three conditioners. Just one trainer in Saturday’s group is in his first year at the helm of a stable, Canadian Matt Bax. The 34-year-old, who has taken the leading role with the family stable from his father John, will send out Southwind Coors in the $1 million Hambletonian, the sport’s premier event for 3-year-old trotters, and Righteous Resolve in the companion $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks for sophomore female trotters.
Oaks hopeful ‘Something’ from the beginning
From early on, breeder Ron Mersky had a really good feeling about Railee Something. Ever since then, the 3-year-old trotting filly has done nothing to change Mersky’s opinion. Railee Something has won 11 of 19 career races, hit the board an additional five times, and earned $332,636 for Mersky, who retained ownership of the daughter of International Moni-Railee Priti. She is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the first of Saturday’s two $40,000 Hambletonian Oaks eliminations for sophomore female trotters at The Meadowlands.
Winner’s Bet, Gaines Hanover look to get in from outside in Hambletonian eliminations
Domenico Cecere might not be thrilled with the post position for Winner’s Bet in Saturday’s second of two $100,000 Hambletonian Stakes eliminations at The Meadowlands, but the trainer is quite pleased with the way his colt has returned to action this season as he heads to the sport’s premier event for 3-year-old trotters.
Canadian standouts set for Scioto visit
So Much More is another year older, and perhaps even another year better. Already a two-time O’Brien Award winner, the 7-year-old female pacer went the quickest mile of her career — 1:49.1 — just a month ago to win a Preferred for fillies and mares at Woodbine Mohawk Park. She has nine victories in 19 starts this season after winning 16 times in 2022, a total that tied for second most among all pacers in North America. On Saturday, So Much More will race outside of Canada for the first time in her 144-race career when she competes in the $100,000 Cleopatra Invitational for older female pacers at Scioto Downs in Ohio.
Elims set for Hambletonian and Oaks
MGM Yonkers Trot winner Up Your Deo was among 20 horses entered Tuesday in the $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes for 3-year-old trotters at The Meadowlands, which attracted an all-male field for the 98th edition of the event.
Family finds its ‘Prince’ has come
When 3-year-old male trotter Prince Henry set the all-age track record at the Newton County Fair in Kentland, Ind., last week, he did more than put his name in the history book. He continued his leading role in a fairytale.