from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Village Jate N will be one of the five pacers with the intent of stopping the five race winning streak of Nuclear Breeze in a $35,000 winners over conditioned pace, the fifth race on Saturday night (Dec. 23) at the Meadowlands.

Whether he can catch the speedy “Breeze” will be in the hands of driver Cat Manzi and the 6-year-old’s trainer, Kelvin Harrison.

“I got him two years ago, and he was second here (at the Meadowlands) on Hambletonian Day in 1:49,” said Harrison. “A couple of times he was second in 1:49 miles. Then he went to Freehold and won the feature there, beating Timesareachanging. Then he cracked a sesamoid. At first, you couldn’t see it. It was ever so slightly cracked. Initially we didn’t see anything but I was suspicious of the area, and we eventually saw it and gave him six months on the shelf.

“He came back slowly and won an invitational at Freehold (on November 11),” noted Harrison, who is, like the pacer, a New Zealand-bred. “He’s the type of horse who needs to be covered up and is always going to get you something, always get a piece.”

In the United States, Village Jate N has eight wins, six seconds and six thirds from 30 starts. Overall, he has 13 wins and earnings of $132,124, nearly $100,000 for Harrison, who is the co-owner with Joseph Alflen of Redondo Beach, California.

Harrison, who calls Clarksburg, New Jersey home, returned on Thursday from a two-week visit to New Zealand, visiting with his parents.

The Meadowlands Best of 2006 video now on sale

Relive the most exciting racing moments of the season with the Meadowlands Television Department’s Best of 2006 video.

Hosted by Dave Brower and Bob Heyden, the hour-long special features 16 of the greatest races of 2006, from Glidemaster’s Hambletonian rally to Artistic Fella’s Meadowlands Pace masterpiece.

The video, which costs $20, is available on DVD or VHS and will begin shipping on January 1. To order, call (201) 460-4191.

Around the Meadowlands for December 22, 2006

The live racing schedule at the Meadowlands for the next three weeks is Fridays and Saturdays only. The track resumes a Wednesday through Saturday night schedule on January 10.

Artistic Fella, who strung together a 10-race winning streak and was ranked among the nation’s top 3-year-old pacers this year, has been selected New Jersey Sire Stakes Horse of the Year for 2006. The award, which is voted on annually by the New Jersey Sire Stakes Board of Trustees, is based only on performances in races for New Jersey-sired horses, including New Jersey Sire Stakes events and other major stakes for New Jersey-sired horses. In addition to the top honor, Artistic Fella, a son of Pacific Fella, was chosen New Jersey Sire Stakes 3-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year.

Other 2006 divisional winners are: Passionate Glide (3-year-old trotting filly), Ideal Weather (3-year-old pacing filly), Enough Talk (3-year-old trotting colt), Olay Olay (2-year-old pacing colt), Artcotic (2-year-old pacing filly), Bamboo Yankee (2-year-old trotting colt) and Possess the Magic (2-year-old trotting filly).

Trophies will be presented at the New Jersey Equine Awards dinner on January 28, 2007 at the Freehold Gardens Hotel.

Congratulations to trainer Jacob Hartline. He and his wife, Vanessa, welcomed twin sons, Justin and Jonathan, to join older brother Tyler. The twins were born on Monday, December 18, 2006 at the Reading (Pennsylvania) Hospital and Medical Center.

While 25-year-old Jonathan Roberts has seven driving assignments on Saturday night, the one that got away is Nuclear Breeze, an even money favorite to extend his five race winning streak in the fifth race.

“I actually dropped the ball a bit on that one,” Roberts conceded. “I’ve driven him pretty much most of his career. When he came here (to the Meadowlands) to race November 25, I wasn’t planning on coming up. But then I got the drive on Bay Sign here the same night. I saw Roger Hans (trainer of Nuclear Breeze) in the paddock, and he said that if he knew I was going to be here, I would have driven him (instead of Brian Sears). So I kind of kicked myself. I guess I just should have said after he came back off the layoff so well, ‘Wherever he goes, I go, too!’

“At 2, Nuclear Breeze was faster than he was able to handle. At three, he won in 1:50.4 at Rosecroft, that’s a big mile for a 3-year-old there. Now at 4, he’s come back strong, a gorilla. He hurt himself breeding (and did not race from April 22-November 7). He stretched a ligament in his stifle. He’s 100 percent now, not hot at all. You ask him to go, and he goes. You take back with him, no problem. He has big time speed. He’s very tough, too, tough to get by.”

While Nuclear Breeze is not on Jonathan Roberts’ dance card for Saturday night at the Meadowlands, he spoke about three of the seven he will be driving.

“Mata Harry (third race) is a nice little horse,” he said. “I won with him in 1:50.3 at Rockingham this summer (July 29). I drove him his last start at Chester. He was second off a layoff, a good second. This is a step up for him in just his second start back. Bay Sign (race seven) is a very good horse, maybe quicker than Nuclear Breeze but not as tough. Both he and Nuclear Breeze showed it right from the start. Bay Sign was a good horse early on and he picked things up very well. Crazy For Ever (race 10) was voted the Maryland Horse of the Year. He was razor sharp this summer. I don’t think he’s as sharp now as he was then. He dominated the open there. I think he won seven in a row. I am happy people are showing confidence in me. I didn’t realize I was driving a bunch until a friend of mine called me earlier in the day (Thursday) to tell me, putting me down to drive. Now I have to try and do some good for them.”

“I just got 10 horses from New Zealand, and I have 27 yearlings in Florida,” reported trainer Ross Croghan. “Easton Alliance N is in the barn. She came up sick at Dover. She’ll be back. On the trotting side, Lhasa Muscles will continue to race in the overnights. Corleone Kosmos will have a shortened season just like he did this year, the next year or two. He’s still green. By the time he’s seven (in 2009), he’ll be ready to win the Breeders Crown. He’s probably the fastest trotter I’ve ever trained. Lawman goes in the Su Mac Lad.”

Croghan has Rair Earth, who has banked more than $1.3 million, in Saturday’s tenth race for a $100,000 claiming tag.

“He’s a tough old veteran,” Croghan said of the 9-year-old. “I’ve had him for about six weeks. He qualified back twice and raced once at Chester. Mr. Nixon (owner Brian Nixon) and I have had horses for about eight to nine years together. I think B J’s Whirlwind might have been the first one. Rair Earth is a tough old horse. He’s gone in 1:48.2 at age 9. Once he’s done competing at a high level, Mr. Nixon will retire him. He won’t be dropping into cheaper claimers.”

Stonebridge Regal will be back to race in 2007, according to trainer Bob McIntosh.

“He was a horse who I’ve always said was a year behind the others,” said McIntosh. “He didn’t race at 2 and was still green at 3 and 4. The time off will help him. He paced in 1:47.1, finishing second to Holborn Hanover. Look for him in April or May this upcoming season. I also think the free for allers are the most entertaining division to watch. Even if I’m not in the race, I enjoy watching the older pacers going at it.”

Hall of Famer Bob McIntosh has had his share of top horses in his care, including a trio of Breeders Crown winners who went on to become top sires — Artsplace, who passed away this year, Artiscape and Camluck. Artsplace won all 16 of his starts when McIntosh trained him as a 4-year-old.

“He won all over with different drivers and set a world record,” McIntosh recalled. “He was a great horse and his passing this year is definitely going to impact the breed. It has been very satisfying to see Artiscape do this well (as a stallion). What a trooper he was, a great little horse. I’ll never forget the effort he gave to win the (1998) Breeders Crown at Colonial. I bought Camluck as a yearling and had him every step of the way. As a sire, he started at a time when the other sons of Cam Fella hadn’t distinguished themselves. No one knew whether his sons were going to be top sires or not. But he has been so consistent.”