by Rich Fisher, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — When trainer Bill Zendt saw that Upfront Billy drew post 10 for last week’s Oliver Trotting Classic at Indiana Downs, he was pretty disappointed.

That was until he realized that even though Indiana Downs is a mile oval, the No. 10 post is in the second tier behind the horse in post one. Upfront Billy and driver Trace Tetrick made good use of the starting spot, posting a half-length win over Uncle Peter in 1:55 in the $260,500 event.

On Saturday, Upfront Billy again will start from post 10 — this time in the $235,000 American-National Stakes for 3-year-old male trotters at Balmoral Park. This time, the starting position is on the outermost point of the gate.

“We drew the 10 hole last week and I was crying the blues, but at Indiana Downs the 10 hole is the trailing position and he got a perfect trip there,” said a laughing Zendt, who owns Upfront Billy with Ed Mullinax. “It doesn’t look so good this week. We don’t follow the one Saturday.”

Hambletonian champion Market Share, who leads all harness racing horses in earnings this year with $1.83 million, is the 8-5 morning line favorite in the American-National, followed by Money On My Mind at 3-1. Upfront Billy is 10-1.

Coady Photography

Upfront Billy was a half-length winner over Uncle Peter in the Oliver Trotting Classic at Indiana Downs.

Upfront Billy has won nine of 21 races and $293,291 this year. He has won three consecutive starts, including the Oliver and, a week earlier, a division of the Circle City in a career-best 1:53.3.

“(The Oliver) was a nice win,” said Zendt, who is based at The Meadows in western Pennsylvania. “I didn’t expect that. Uncle Peter is an awful nice horse. (Upfront Billy) has been a nice horse for us this year, but couldn’t quite compete at that (stakes) level. He just couldn’t quite beat them. We changed a few things on him and he won an overnight here (at The Meadows) and then he won the Circle City and the Oliver.

“I think the changes have helped. Don’t get me wrong, he raced good all year, but he was going (1):54 to (1):55 and change. That trip at Indiana two weeks ago in (1):53.3 with the last quarter in :28 was pretty impressive. Indiana’s track is not that fast. If you look at their times, they don’t have many crazy miles for a mile (sized) track.”

Upfront Billy is a son of Andover Hall out of the mare Angel Pie and was purchased for $57,000 under the name Anglo Hanover at the Standardbred Horse Sale. His family includes 1993 Hambletonian champ American Winner.

Last season as a 2-year-old, Upfront Billy won two qualifiers, but never raced.

“He sored up a little bit,” Zendt said. “I liked him enough that I figured we were just going to quit with him and not push him. He grew right out of it and came right back and we’ve had no problem with him.”

Upfront Billy is the first horse Zendt and Mullinax have owned together. Mullinax, a car dealer who puts the prefix “Upfront” in his horses’ names because his dealerships are known for their trademarked “Up front pricing,” renamed the horse in honor of Zendt.

“That was pretty neat, and he’s turned out OK,” said Zendt, who is probably best known for his work with the pacing mare Always Cam and whose stable has earned a career-best $1.02 million this year. “He was in Ohio when I was driving at Northfield way back. About four or five years ago, he wanted to know if I was interested in training any for him.”

Zendt and Mullinax bought two trotters at this week’s Standardbred Horse Sale, a Donato Hanover-sired colt named Whiselstop Hanover for $17,000 and an Andover Hall-sired colt named Echols Hanover for $30,000.

“Maybe it’s something we can keep going,” Zendt said. “It’s worked out good.”