by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Brian Sears drove five winners last year on Hambletonian Day — including Hambletonian winner Muscle Hill and Oaks winner Broadway Schooner — on his way to a single-day record $1.55 million in purses. It will be tough for any driver to duplicate that performance, but if there is one to keep an eye on Saturday, it might be Tim Tetrick.

Tetrick will drive Cassis in the Hambletonian and Bar Slide in the Hambletonian Oaks, and both are 7-2 in the morning line. He also has drives with favorites Buck I St Pat (Perretti Matchmaker), Put On A Show (Mistletoe Shalee) and One More Laugh (Oliver Wendell Holmes division).

“I’ve got four or five really nice shots there,” said Tetrick, who leads all harness racing drivers in earnings, with $7.83 million. “It could be very good. Hopefully, I wake up on the right side of the bed and go at it the right way.”

Tetrick also has a 2-year-old filly trotter to watch in the Merrie Annabelle. Fitness Girl was second to Thatsnotmyname in her elimination race last week, but trotted 1:55.4 with a :28 last quarter-mile. It was her second start of the year; she was fourth in her debut, trotting 1:59.3 as the favorite.

Fitness Girl is by Muscles Yankee, out of the mare Marie E Hanover, who is a half sister to millionaire Like A Prayer. She is trained by Steve Elliott and is 5-1 in the morning line.

USTA photo

Tim Tetrick

“She had one little start and got locked in and shuffled way back; it looks worse than it was,” Tetrick said. “In the elimination, she raced really well and trotted home in :28.

“If they battle up too much early, she’ll be there late. Hopefully, we’ll get a good trip. If I’m second or third over following some of the better ones, I’d feel comfortable. She’s a big strong mare and stretching out last week is definitely going to help her. I really like her. She’s nice to drive and great gaited.”

Here is a preview of Saturday’s card at the Meadowlands, excluding the Hambletonian and Oaks, with races in order by purse (plus occasional comments):

$500,000 Peter Haughton Memorial — Leader Of The Gang, undefeated in four starts, is the 2-1 morning line favorite over stablemate Pastor Stephen, who is unbeaten in three races. Both horses are trained by Jimmy Takter, who has three Hambletonian finalists. Takter will be attempting to pull off a Haughton-Hambo double, like Greg Peck did last year with Holiday Road and Muscle Hill.

$437,000 Merrie Annabelle — Jimmy Takter’s Thatsnotmyname is the 9-5 morning line choice. She was beaten by a head by Angelette Hanover in her first lifetime start, then won the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship and her Merrie Annabelle elimination. She is a half sister to Hambletonian finalist Muscle Massive.

Hey Mister made her first career start in the Merrie Annabelle elims and was victorious. Her mom, Pick Me Up, was the 2002 Breeders Crown 2-year-old filly champ and Pick Me Up’s full sister, Flirtin Miss, was the 2004 Breeders Crown winner.

$300,000 Nat Ray — Enough Talk is the 3-1 morning line favorite in this invitational trot for older horses. Reven Damour, who was third-placed-second in the Maple Leaf Trot, also is in the field, as well as Southern Rocketop, who was second to Muscle Hill in last year’s World Trotting Derby and is coming off a 1:52.2 win at the Meadowlands for trainer Erv Miller, who has had the horse for four starts.

Defending Nat Ray winner Lucky Jim will sit this one out. Lucky Jim was fourth in the Maple Leaf Trot after finishing first or second in his other eight North American races this year.

“I could have raced him, but I’m not going to race him unless I think he’s a hundred percent,” trainer Julie Miller said about Lucky Jim. “He’s had a minor issue and I just don’t want to take a chance with him. I’m going to make sure he’s a hundred percent before he’s (entered) again. Of course, I hate missing the race, but I can’t let that cloud my judgment. I have to do what’s best for the horse.”

$275,000 Mistletoe Shalee — Put On A Show is the even-money favorite in this event for 3-year-old filly pacers. She has won seven of eight races this year (and is just a neck from being undefeated). She has won 14 of 17 lifetime starts and never finished worse than second.

“She’s been absolutely vicious,” Tetrick said. “She’s been raging with pace every time out. She’s definitely the one to beat. She deserves (her two first-place votes in the sport’s Top 10 poll). She’s the most overpowering of any division.”

$248,000 Lady Liberty — Pacing mares get the spotlight here, with Dreamfair Eternal and Tug River Princess battling for the limelight. Dreamfair Eternal is the slight 5-2 favorite over 3-1 Tug River Princess. The Princess beat Dreamfair Eternal by three lengths in the Roses Are Red at Mohawk. Dreamfair Eternal bested Tug River Princess in the Artiscape at Tioga Downs.

$182,500 U.S. Pacing Championship (division 1) — The sport’s No. 1-ranked horse, Shark Gesture, faces five rivals and is the even-money favorite. Shark Gesture is coming off a second-place finish to Vintage Master in the Ben Franklin Pace. He has won five of seven races this year, including the Bettor’s Delight, Graduate and Dan Patch Invitational.

$185,000 U.S. Pacing Championship (division 2) — Vintage Master appears here, but Won The West gets the morning line nod as the 9-5 favorite. Won The West was last season’s champion older male pacer. He comes into this race with three wins in nine starts and has not been off the board this year.

$115,500 Oliver Wendell Holmes (division 1) — Rock N Roll Heaven returns to action after his head defeat in the Meadowlands Pace. He is the 7-5 morning line choice among this group of 3-year-old pacers. Rockin Image, Fred And Ginger and BG’s Folly are among the challengers.

$115,500 Oliver Wendell Holmes (division 2) — One More Laugh starts from post eight; the same spot from which he won the Meadowlands Pace last month. He is 9-5. Trainer Ray Schnittker could become the first trainer to win the Meadowlands Pace and Hambletonian (Cassis) in the same year.

“He didn’t draw good, but he doesn’t have to deal with Rock N Roll Heaven, so that’s a plus,” Tetrick said about One More Laugh. “He’s a good horse and good horses overcome their problems. Ray says all systems are go. I expect good things out of him, too.”

Delmarvalous, who won the Delvin Miller Adios, is also in the field. As a side note, the top seven finishers in the Adios were separated by just 1-1/4 lengths. USTA researcher David Carr searched through computerized USTA records, which date back to 1992, and found no race with a purse of at least $250,000 has produced a tighter finish among the top seven.

$100,000 Perretti Matchmaker — Buck I St Pat faces a field of eight other trotting mares and is the 7-5 favorite in the morning line. She has won four of 10 races this year, including the $340,470 Armbro Flight at Mohawk. She is coming off a fourth-place finish behind Elusive Desire, Windsong Soprano and Autumn Escapade in the Miss Versatility at the Meadowlands. All three of those rivals also are in this field.

“She had a no-cover trip,” Tetrick said about Buck I St Pat in the Miss Versatility. “When they go down there (to three-quarters) in 1:26, it’s hard to make up much ground, and she still made up two lengths. She trotted home in :26; how much faster can she trot home? It was just bad position on my part; we had no flow.

“When the money is down, she’s very tough to beat among the mares.”