from Meadowlands Media Relations

Twenty colts and geldings are now in contention for the $1.2 million Hambletonian, harness racing’s ultimate prize, while the same number of fillies will pursue the $550,000 Hambletonian Oaks.

The top three-year-old trotters were divided between two $100,000 eliminations, slated as races three and six on Saturday’s card. The top five finishers in each elimination advance to the $1 million Hambletonian Final on Saturday, August 7. Similarly, the fillies were split among two $25,000 eliminations for the Hambletonian Oaks, races two and five, with the top five in each advancing to the $500,000 final, also on August 7.

Post time is 5 p.m. for Saturday’s card, which also features $1.9 million in Breeders Crown Championships. Paid admissions will receive a John Campbell mug, honoring his status as the leading driver in Breeders Crown history.

Local rock favorites will perform in Paddock Park with The Benjamins from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Undisputed, which will take over from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Horsepower, in the form of Harley Davidson motorcycles, will be on display in Paddock Park all evening.

Windsong’s Legacy, the Stanley Dancer champion, and Tom Ridge, the Dancer runner-up, will tangle in the first of the two Hambletonian eliminations. Trained and driven by Trond Smedshammer, Windsong’s Legacy recorded his fourth win in five starts this season with a commanding 1:53 victory in the Dancer. The Conway Hall colt is rated at 5-2 on the morning line from post four in race three. Smedshammer is in search of his first Hambletonian victory. He finished fifth in 2003 with the favorite, Power To Charm.

Tom Ridge, the Dancer runner-up, drew post six in their elimination with driver Ron Pierce at the lines and rated at 5-1 on the morning line. The Jimmy Takter trainee has been first or second in 10 of 11 career starts.

Cantab Hall, the 2003 Trotter of the Year, will try to bounce back from a case of anhydrosis, the inability to sweat in response to an increase in exertion, in the second Hambletonian elimination, race six.

He is rated at 5-2 from post position 10 and will be handled by driver Mike Lachance, a four-time Hambletonian winner.

The son of 1999 Hambletonian winner Self Possessed suffered his first career defeat when he came up short in the Stanley Dancer Final two weeks ago. Trainer Ron Gurfein seeks a fourth Hambletonian winner ride with Cantab Hall. Gurfein won in 1994 Hambletonian with Victory Dream, 1996 with the filly Continentalvictory and 1999 with Self Possessed.

In his elimination, Cantab Hall will face Eilean Donon for the first time this season. Eilean Donon pulled away to an impressive 1:54 victory in a three-year-old open on July 23, just two weeks after undergoing surgery for a scrotal hernia and testicle removal. The son of Angus Hall has a record of two wins and a third in three starts this season for trainer Bob Stewart. He will start from post three as the 3-1 second choice with driver John Campbell in Saturday’s elim.

After crushing her foes by more than six lengths in the Del Miller Memorial, Peaceful Way is the prohibitive pre-race favorite for the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks. With her 1:52.3 Del Miller score, the daughter of Angus Hall became the season’s fastest three-year-old trotter. Trained by Dave Tingley, Peaceful Way has won 10 of 13 career starts for earnings of $924,976. She is the 6-5 morning line favorite from post seven in the fifth race Oaks elimination.

The Jimmy Takter trained entry of Self Indulgent and Have You Ever gets the 5-2 favorite’s role in the second race, the first Oaks elim.

2nd Race Saturday — $25,000 Hambletonian Oaks Elimination [post time 5:21 p.m.]

Hd # PP Horse Driver Trainer ML
1 1 Self Indulgent David Miller Jimmy Takter 5-2
1A 7 Have You Ever Ron Pierce Jimmy Takter 5-2
2 2 Mrs Rincon D Rich Silverman Earle Greenlaw 20-1
3 3 In The Shell Cat Manzi Jonas Czernyson 10-1
4 4 Blossom Seelster Mark Etsell Mark Etsell 9-2
5 5 Sea Urchin Hanover Cat Manzi Steve Elliott 20-1
6 6 Tag A Victory Stephen Smith Karen Garland 6-1
7 8 Mystical Sunshine Mike Lachance Chris Ryder 3-1
8 9 Funny Malentine David Miller Linda Toscano 5-1
9 10 Celebrity Demi Dan Daley Dan Daley 15-1

3rd Race Saturday — $100,000 Hambletonian Elimination [post time 5:43 p.m.]

Hd # PP Horse Driver Trainer ML
1 7 Cash Hall John Campbell Robert McIntosh 2-1
1A 10 Show Me The Monet Brian Sears Jim Campbell 2-1
2 1 American Mike No Driver Charlie Norris 10-1
3 2 Justice Hall Jim Morrill Jr. C. Kevin Thomas 15-1
4 3 Hurri Kane Billy G Daniel Dube John McDermott 10-1
5 4 Windsong’s Legacy Trond Smedshammer Trond Smedshammer 5-2
6 5 Al Dente Hanover George Brennan Joe Caraluzzi 12-1
7 6 Tom Ridge Ron Pierce Jimmy Takter 5-1
8 8 Rocky Balboa George Brennan Charles Sylvester 8-1
9 9 Blushfire Jim Morrill Jr. Paul Jessop 20-1

5th Race Saturday — $25,000 Hambletonian Oaks Elimination [post time 6:27 p.m.]

PP Horse Driver Trainer ML
1 Three Little Words Ray Paver Jr. Ray Paver Jr. 8-1
2 Ladylind Cat Manzi Larry Rathbone 10-1
3 Gildone John Campbell Jim Arledge Jr. 15-1
4 Olympics John Campbell Charles Sylvester 5-1
5 Housethatruthbuilt Brian Sears Trond Smedshammer 4-1
6 Ivy Swinger Stephane Bouchard Jonas Czernyson 20-1
7 Peaceful Way John Campbell David Tingley 6-5
8 Silver Springs David Miller Jan Johnson 20-1
9 Beignet Hanover George Brennan Roland Mallar 10-1
10 Invincible Dream Jim Morrill Jr. Jimmy Takter 20-1

6th Race Saturday — $100,000 Hambletonian Elimination [post time 6:49 p.m.]

PP Horse Driver Trainer ML
1 Lantern’s Law David Miller Jim Campbell 5-1
2 Solomon Blue Chip Brian Sears Trond Smedshammer 12-1
3 Eilean Donon John Campbell Robert Stewart 3-1
4 Coventry Doug R. Ackerman Doug Ackerman 10-1
5 Sand Vic David Miller Jim Arledge Jr. 8-1
6 Cincinnati Kid Mike Lachance Anne Schlichtig 12-1
7 Castle of Fortune Jim Morrill Jr. Charlie Norris 20-1
8 Classical Man Luc Ouellette Dave Sabatelli 10-1
9 Southwind Elian Catello Manzi Kevin McDermott 15-1
10 Cantab Hall Mike Lachance Ron Gurfein 5-2