With a year of seasoning against the sport’s best older male pacers under his belt, Lou’s Pearlman is set to begin his 2023 campaign Saturday (April 8) in the $36,000 Open 2/Open 1 Handicap at The Meadowlands.
Tag: Ken Weingartner
Racing reflections with Yannick Gingras
When a 21-year-old Yannick Gingras moved from his native Quebec to the U.S. in the summer of 2001, he had no idea what his future held. The young driver, who launched his career in 1998, arrived with 72 career wins and fewer than 400 starts. Two years later, Gingras was named the sport’s Rising Star, and his trajectory continued upward from there.
Beyer sees numbers increase, even if he doesn’t look
Troy Beyer is not one to keep track of his stats, preferring to wait until the end of the year to check his numbers. When the time has come to look, it’s been a pleasant sight. Two years ago, Beyer won 96 races and drove horses that earned $1.02 million in purses. He surpassed those figures last year, registering 148 victories and $1.62 million in the money column.
Kakaley looks for big points in Borgata round 3
Matt Kakaley will enter Monday’s third round of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series with three horses within nine points of the top eight in the standings — None Bettor A, American Courage, and Backstreet Shadow — and an eye toward enhancing their chances of qualifying for the lucrative April 24 championship.
McLenaghan ready for spring at Shenandoah
Shenandoah Downs might not be home for Stacey McLenaghan, but it’s close. McLenaghan moved with her family from Canada to Virginia when she was 12 and grew up in New Kent, about three hours southeast of Woodstock, Va., where Shenandoah is located. Until this year, Shenandoah Downs raced only in the fall. On Saturday, the track will open for its first-ever spring pari-mutuel meet. McLenaghan will be there with a stable of a dozen horses, with six entered to race over the weekend.
Family ties make ‘Cookie’ a treat
Given her pedigree, female pacer C Is For Cookie is good enough for Seth Rosenfeld. Her performances in the next several weeks might provide an idea whether “Cookie” could develop into a monster on the racetrack. Bred and owned by Rosenfeld’s Birnam Wood Farms, C Is For Cookie is the 13th and final foal from retired Hall of Fame broodmare Sweet Future. C Is For Cookie’s siblings include 2014 Pacer of the Year Sweet Lou, two-time Breeders Crown champion Bettor Sweet, and the dams of Dan Patch Award winners Youaremycandygirl (Sweet Lady Jane) and Captain Crunch (Sweet Paprika).
Page flies high with ‘Jet’
Chris Page got to watch Smoking Jet’s 2022 season from multiple vantage points, but whether he was in the sulky or on the sidelines, Page enjoyed the view. Page, along with Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, purchased Smoking Jet in March 2022. Last season, the now 6-year-old gelding won 16 of 38 races, earned $245,685, and was named Ohio’s Older Trotter of the Year. He tied for the second-most victories by any trotter in North America.
Crooked Smile brings grins to owners’ faces
Rhys Helt has known Tim Wilson Jr. for as long as he can remember. Their families have shared a connection going back to the 1970s. Over the ensuing years, their passion for racing never waned. Tim Jr. embarked on his own career as a trainer and driver while Helt followed in family footsteps on the breeding and racing side. They continued to remain connected, though, by sharing ownership in horses, now most notably with 6-year-old male pacer Crooked Smile.
Boyd and ‘Lucky’ aim for ‘Roarin Grand’ winner’s circle
Braxten Boyd and Lucky Artist A came a head short of collecting their first Grand Circuit victories in last week’s opening round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series, but the driver and mare will get another chance Friday as the six-weeks event for older female pacers continues at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
The Mighty Hill looks to stay on top
Trevor Smith thought highly of The Mighty Hill even before the 4-year-old male trotter joined his father’s stable earlier this year. The gelding’s performances in three starts since then have only solidified Smith’s opinion. The Mighty Hill, who was Ohio’s champion 2-year-old male trotter in 2021, has posted two wins and a second at Miami Valley Raceway since owner Bet The House purchased the horse Feb. 11 and returned him to the Buckeye State after stints in New York and Pennsylvania.