by Keith Gisser, assistant publicity director, Northfield Park

Northfield, OH — Fresh from a couple weeks of R & R, World Champion Cambest Prince made a shambles of Saturday’s $10,000 Invitational Pace field at Northfield Park.

He overcame a three-wide opening panel of :27² and then came flying home with another :27² quarter to stretch a one and a half length lead at the 1:25³ three-quarter pole to seven at the wire, with the mile timed in 1:53.

Four Starzz Fella and Chris Crombie challenged the Prince through the opening quarter and that forward position turned out to work to their advantage.

Four Starzzz Fella got the place spot with a pocket-sitting effort, while Chris Crombie, forced to move up from $15,000 claimers when the top claiming event was not offered, was shuffled back late in the mile, but had pace around the final turn to get the show spot.

Greg Grismore, who leads all of North America in UDR at .402 and is second in the dash-winning derby behind Brett Miller, drove the winner. Cambest Prince is an eight-year-old bay gelding by Cambest from the Raven Hanover mare Last Lark. He has missed the board just once in three years at Northfield and posted his eighth win in 19 seasonal starts for the Delaware partnership of Sam Jacobs and Charles Burris, Jr. Cambest Prince has earned $92,160 of his career $662,563 this year.

HAMBLETONIAN, JUG LAST CHANCE: Time is running out on your chance to win all-expense paid trips for two to the Hambletonian or Little Brown Jug.

On Saturday, July 17 the track, in conjunction with the Ohio Lottery, brings to a close its month-long Win a Trip to the Hambletonian contest. The winners will be drawn in the winner’s circle prior to that night’s third race.

Entry forms are still available for this contest. The $1,500 top prize includes airfare for two, hotel accommodations and a Hambletonian Day meal at the Meadowlands’ luxurious Pegasus Restaurant.

The $500 Jug trip includes hotel for two, Delaware Fair admission, tickets to the fair’s Hospitality Pavilion and gas money.

Third prize is a Northfield Park/Ohio Lottery Track Pack with all kinds of goodies.

MILLION DOLLAR LAST CHANCE: Northfield’s preliminary leg of the $1 million Coast Casinos Horseplayer World Series is Sunday, July 18.

The real-money tourney is limited to the first 150 entrants paying their $50 entry fee and is filling up fast. The entry fee gets each participant a television carrel, programs and a $10 concession voucher.

On the day of the tourney, a $200 buy-in is required, but ALL contestants keep the balance of their bankroll at the end of the contest, which features tracks available on Northfield’s simulcast menu and all races that go off between noon and 6:00 p.m.

The top three finishers win all-expense paid trips to Las Vegas to compete in the $1 million final at the Orleans Hotel in January. In addition, $1,500 in vouchers will be shared among the top five finishers.

Contact Dave Bianconi at (330) 467-4101, extension 213, for more info.

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY: Northfield presents a special night of live racing on Sunday, July 25, featuring the $200,000 Summit County Fair Buckeye Super Stakes.

Post time along the simulcast network will be 7:00 p.m. as always.

The evening also features the Billings Amateur Series (and your humble scribe in the sulky). Northfield’s Director of Racing Greg Keidel is once again a contender for the top Billings prize and will compete Sunday. There could be as many as 20 races, so make your plans to attend now.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?: Over the weekend, a first time patron asked how Standardbreds are named, so here’s an answer for everyone.

Names are subject to approval by the U.S. Trotting Association and are limited to four words and 18 letters, characters and spaces. Names cannot be duplicated unless 15 years have elapsed from the first horse’s last activity and names of outstanding horses may not be reused.

Often the name is a combination of the sire and dam’s name. The name may include the breeding farm, such as Hanover or Armbro or it may be another combination.

For instance, Northmedo Tam, who won her second straight Ohio Sires Stakes event Friday, is named for a combination of Bob Sidley’s Northern Farms and Skip Hoovler’ “Medoland” nom de course. Tam comes from Hoovler’s wife, Tamara. Longtime Hoovler trainer Mike Medors is also a partner on the talented daughter of Stand Forever. Medo-Medors. Get it?