Tag: Ken Weingartner

When Nancy Takter thinks about her three horses heading to Saturday’s $668,000 Meadowlands Pace, she also remembers the days that led to the achievement. Takter’s three Pace finalists are Cannibal, who won the first of last week’s two eliminations, Christchurch and Save America.

Tony Alagna will send two horses to Saturday’s $668,000 Meadowlands Pace, and although neither of his 3-year-old colts has posted a win this season, the trainer is happy with the way El Rey and Hungry Angel Boy have raced heading into the weekend.

The first time driver Dexter Dunn sat behind 4-year-old female trotter Jiggy Jog S this season he was amazed by her transformation. “I couldn’t believe how much she filled out,” said Dunn, who was the regular driver behind the Ake Svanstedt-trained mare last year when she finished no worse than second in 11 of 13 races, winning eight and earning $924,319. On Saturday, she will attempt to push her win streak to eight when she competes in the $230,000 Graduate Series Open Trot final for 4-year-olds.

Ron Burke has had a limited amount of time to get to know Gung Ho, but the trainer is enthusiastic about the recent addition to his stable. A 3-year-old male pacer, Gung Ho joined the Burke Brigade on June 18, a day after the horse’s third-place finish in the consolation event for the North America Cup. Three weeks later, the colt makes his debut for his new connections as Burke’s lone starter in Saturday’s eliminations for the Meadowlands Pace at The Meadowlands.

Based on his progression in terms of finishes, French Wine looks to be maturing nicely this summer. The 3-year-old male trotter won his most recent outing, a division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes this past Sunday at Harrah’s Philadelphia, after being third to start his campaign in late May and then second in his only race in June. On Saturday, the Hambletonian-eligible colt will make his fourth start of the season when he meets eight rivals in the $350,000 Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial for 3-year-old trotters at Vernon Downs.

Test Of Faith, whose multiple Dan Patch Awards include the trophy for 2021 Horse of the Year, will begin her final season of racing Saturday when she joins 10 mares in the $142,260 Perfect Sting Stakes for older female pacers at The Meadowlands.

Linda Toscano will send out highly regarded contenders in Friday’s two stakes races for 3-year-old fillies at MGM Yonkers Raceway with trotter Sadie Hanover looking to remain undefeated this season and pacer Ucandoit Blue Chip, who holds a special connection to the trainer’s heart, aiming to continue her own winning ways.

American Fling has shown the ability to step around a half-mile track, so the defending New York Sire Stakes champion earned the chance to step out Friday in the $250,000 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes for 3-year-old pacers at MGM Yonkers Raceway.