by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — If Tim Tetrick can drive Market Share to victory in Saturday’s C$1 million Canadian Trotting Classic for 3-year-old trotters, he will feel like a million bucks. Again.

Tetrick has already won two million-dollar races this season, the $1.5 million Hambletonian with Market Share and the $1.01 million Metro Pace with Captaintreacherous. If he can add the Canadian Trotting Classic to his list of accomplishments, he will join Bill O’Donnell and John Campbell as the only drivers in harness racing history to win three million-dollar races in a single year.

O’Donnell accomplished the feat in 1985 with Nihilator in the Meadowlands Pace, Barberry Spur in the Governor’s Cup and Prakas in the Hambletonian. Campbell did it ten years later with David’s Pass in both the Meadowlands Pace and North America Cup and Tagliabue in the Hambletonian.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Market Share has earned $1.24 million in 2012.

“Well, that would be all right, wouldn’t it,” Tetrick said about joining the two Hall of Fame drivers on the list. “We’ve got a shot. We got lucky with the draw and (Market Share) was awesome last week. He was parked every step of the way, pretty much first up with no cover. He raced really good. He’s just getting tougher as the year’s gone on.”

Market Share finished second to Little Brown Fox in his Canadian Trotting Classic elimination, beaten by a head in 1:53 while racing outside for the entire mile. He will start the final from post one.

For the year, Market Share has won six of 14 races, finished in the top three a total of 12 times, and earned $1.24 million. His earnings rank No. 1 among all harness racing horses in North America. He is trained by Linda Toscano and owned by Richard Gutnick, TLP Stable and William Augustine.

In addition to winning the Hambletonian, Market Share won the $350,000 Zweig Memorial on August 26 at Vernon Downs and was second by a neck to Googoo Gaagaa in the $500,000 Colonial at Harrah’s Philadelphia on August 19.

Knows Nothing won the other Canadian Trotting Classic elim, edging Gym Tan Laundry by a nose in 1:52.4.

“There are some good horses in there,” said Tetrick, who leads all drivers in North America in both wins (514) and purses ($12.63 million). “I think you’ve got to respect my horse off his elimination. I can do whatever I kind of want with him.”

Five Hambletonian winners have won the Canadian Trotting Classic over the last 12 years: Yankee Paco in 2000, Windsong’s Legacy in 2004, Donato Hanover in 2007, Deweycheatumnhowe in 2008 and Muscle Hill in 2009.

Following is the Canadian Trotting Classic field in post position order, with listed drivers and trainers: 1. Market Share, Tim Tetrick, Linda Toscano; 2. Solvato, Trond Smedshammer, Smedshammer; 3. Little Brown Fox, Yannick Gingras, Jimmy Takter; 4. Knows Nothing, Jody Jamieson, Jeff Gillis; 5. Money On My Mind, Andy Miller, Julie Miller; 6. Gym Tan Laundry, Jack Moiseyev, Mike Vanderkemp; 7. My MVP, Mike Lachance, Tony Alagna; 8. Guccio, Takter, Takter; 9. Prestidigitator, Sylvain Filion, Dustin Jones; 10. Appomattox, Scott Zeron, Frank Antonacci.