EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Perfect weather and perfect conditions couldn't prevent an imperfect result in harness racing's most storied stakes event.
Trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt and his horse, Perfect Spirit, were second across the wire, beaten a half-length, in Saturday's 92nd edition of the $1,000,000 Hambletonian for 3-year-old trotters at the Meadowlands, but were placed first in the official order of finish, giving Svanstedt his first Hambo trophy.
Thus, for the first time ever, a Hambletonian winner was declared as the result of a disqualification.
What The Hill, who was first across the wire in 1:52.3, bothered Guardian Angel AS (placed eighth) in deep stretch as he squeezed his way out of the pocket and sent that one off stride, causing the DQ. What The Hill was placed ninth by the judges.
The official order of finish was Perfect Spirit first, 2-1 favorite Devious Man second and Enterprise third. Perfect Spirit paid $17.00 to win and now has seven wins in 16 lifetime starts and sports a bankroll of $646,419.
Ice Attraction wins Duenna Stakes
Ake Svanstedt followed his win in the Hambletonian with a come-from-behind triumph with Ice Attraction in a $30,000 division of the Duenna Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies, the 14th race on Saturday at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
She won by a nose in 1:53.1, with Glitzey Gal second and Broadway Concert third.
Ice Attraction, a daughter of Muscle Hill-The Ice Queen, is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc., Douglas Sipple, Mal & Janet Burroughs LLC and Little E LLC. She has won two of nine races this year and five of 18 lifetime. She pushed her career earnings to $162,602.
Ice Attraction, sent off at 9-1, paid $21.40, $9.40 and $3.80. Glitzey Gal paid $4.00 and $2.60. Broadway Concert paid $5.60.
Ariana "Grande" In Oaks
Ariana G brought her "A" game in the Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old trotting fillies, and as a result, the rest of the field had no chance.
The daughter of Muscle Hill toyed with nine overmatched foes in the $500,000 sister event to the Hambletonian, putting on a dazzling display as she sped clear of the field through the stretch to win by 43/4 lengths over Magic Presto. Dream Together was third.
As the heavy favorite, Ariana G returned $2.40 to win and upped her lifetime stats to 15 wins in 18 starts, good for earnings of just over $1.2 million.
For the team of driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Jimmy Takter, it marked their fourth consecutive victory in the Oaks.
2018 Hambo Hopeful showcased
In what amounts to an early look at next year's Hambletonian, You Know You Do made his way into contention after vacating the rail at the five-eighths and went first over from there, eventually wearing down leader Samo Different Day inside the eighth pole before going on to an easy 21/4-length victory in the Peter Haughton Memorial for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters. Farsetti Hanover was third.
You Know You Do, a son of Muscle Hill, stopped the clock in 1:54.2 and paid $5 to win as the public choice for the team of Gingras and Takter.
Blazin Britches Sets Stakes Record In Shady Daisy
Blazin Britches' performance was record-smashing.
Blazin Britches cruised home in 1:48.4, breaking the stakes record of 1:49.1 set last year by Darlinonthebeach, with an impressive four and three-quarter length victory over Caviart Alley to capture the $113,950 Shady Daisy for 3-year-old fillies, the third race on Saturday at the Meadowlands.
Driven by David Miller, the 1-5 favorite, went three-wide prior to the half-mile pole, taking control, and coasting to the her fourth straight victory, paying her backers $2.60, 2.40, and 2.10.
The 13-1 longshot Caviart Alley, driven by Andrew McCarthy, paid $4.40 and $2.60 for second and 2-1 second-choice Idyllic Beach, last year's Dan Patch Award winner for best two-year-old female pacer, completed the payouts, with $2.10 for third, five and three-quarter lengths back.
"We thought she was a really nice filly right along," said trainer Brian Brown. "We had to wait on her a couple times. Got started this year, we were ready to go to the Fan Hanover and she popped a gravel (in her foot). I give credit to her groom Kim Carruthers and the grooms at Bruce's farm, they got her finally to pop it. That took two weeks and took us right out the Fan Hanover and the Lynch. We thought she was a good horse, but I can't tell you I thought she was this good. "
The 1:48.4 clocking matched the track record for three-year-old fillies shared by Dancinwiththestarz [2010] and Agent Q [2017].
Awash, Ella Christina, and Sister's Delight rounded out the field of six.
Pasithea Face S Snags Dr John Steele Memorial
Pasithea Face S and Tim Tetrick won the $176,250 Dr. John Steele Memorial for trotting mares in 1:51.2 by two lengths for her first United States win.
Emoticom Hanover, driven by Daniel Dube, got to the lead in a time of 27.3 for the first quarter but were soon overtaken by Hannelore Hanover (Yannick Gingras), who had the lead at the 54.4 half, before Pasithea Face S came up to challenge at about the five eighths mile mark. Those two trotted together around the final turn and in to the stretch, with Emoticom Hanover looking to squeeze up the rail.
Pasithea Face trotted on to the wire with mild urging for the win by two lengths, paying $9.60, $6, $15.20. Caprice Hill ($15.60, $41.60] got up for second and Emoticom Hanover ($23) was third.
"This horse is really strong," said Anders Strom, who races the five-year-old mare under his stable name of Courant, Inc. "I thought she would do great by the mile track and so did her trainer, Lutfi Kolgini in Sweden. We are friends with Jimmy (trainer Takter), so of course this is a great option to come over and try to get a big record for her before she goes to the breeding barn."
Pasithea Face races in the red and gold silks of her owner, designed for a simple reason, said Strom, "It's because my mom can't really find my horses in the race, so that's why we wear this color for the horse."
"I got to drive her two weeks ago (in a second place finish in the Ms. Versatility) and I just loved her," said Tetrick. "It was her first start here and thought we'd go nice and easy with her and she trotted strong to the wire. She did her job today. Hannelore Hanover was the one to beat today. She didn't have the best day, but take nothing away from my mare, she was awesome."
Odds on favorite Hannelore Hanover faded to fourth.
Jimmy Takter trains the winner for owners Courant, Inc. of Delray Beach, FL
Heavy-Favorite Manchego Stays Undefeated, Capturing Jim Doherty Memorial
The 1-2 favorite Manchego added another win to her resume, winning by two and a quarter over a closing Phaetosive, to capture the 35th edition of the $330,800 Jim Doherty Memorial Final for two-year-old trotting fillies.
It was trainer Jimmy Takter's third win on the day and Manchego, driven by Yannick Gingras, improved her lifetime record to five straight wins in as many starts.
It was Gingras' second straight win on the card and second Doherty win of his career, having won his first with Mission Brief in 2014.
Manchego, the daughter of Muscle Hill, took control just prior to the half-mile mark and came home with a lifetime-best time of 1:52.4. She paid $3.00, $2.10, and $2.10 to her backers.
Phaetosive, trained and driven by Trond Smedshammer, paid $2,60 and $2.20 for second.
Lily Stride with Tim Tetrick at the lines, was third by six and a half lengths, paying $3.00.
Vivacious Allie with David Miller driving finished fourth.
"She is a really special girl. We liked her from the get go and she keeps developing and certainly has a very effective way of going and has a tremendous inner-strength that few horses have," said Takter, who recorded his fifth win in the Doherty, formerly named the Merrie Annabelle.
Pure Country Scores In Lady Liberty Stakes
Pure Country faced pressure for the final quarter-mile from Nike Franco N but fended off the challenge to win Saturday's $200,400 Lady Liberty Stakes for older female pacers by a head in 1:50.
Nike Franco N was second and fast-closing Penpal finished third.
Shesjustadelight N led the field to the first quarter in 27.2 before Pure Country made a move on the backstretch and claimed the lead at the half, which was reached in 55.2. Nike Franco N started a first-over drive prior to three-quarters and was alongside Pure Country when they hit the marker in 1:22.2.
The two mares raced side-by-side the rest of the way, with Pure Country putting her head in front at the wire.
"She's a really good mare, I'm very fortunate to pick up the drive," said winning driver Mark MacDonald, who sat behind Pure Country for the first time in her career. "That was a really brave, courageous effort down the stretch to fight off (Nike Franco N). She was actually beat. Halfway down the stretch Nike Franco had her headed. She's just so game and gutsy that she dug back in and stuck her head out and got there for me."
Pure Country, a Dan Patch Award winner at ages 2 and 3, won for the first time in seven races this year, although she had three second-place finishes.
"She's a fantastic filly," winning trainer Jimmy Takter said. "We ran into a lot of problems with her. She got sick and stuff like that."
Takter credited former driver Brett Miller for suggesting a driver change.
"He's such a class guy," Takter said.
"This filly fits Mark's style. He drove a great race. I was very happy for Mark."
Pure Country is owned by Diamond Creek Racing. She has won 21 of 38 career races and earned $1.9 million.
Pure Country paid $10.40, $3.20 and $2.60. Nike Franco N, the 2-5 favorite, paid $2.10 and $2.10. Penpal paid $3.20.
Check Six Scores In Sam Mckee Memorial
Check Six was charging hard in the lane, propelling the four-year-old stallion to a 38-1 surprise in Saturday's $224,400 Sam McKee Memorial for older male pacers by two lengths over Mel Mara in 2:02.1 for the extended distance of 1-1/8 miles.
Mach It So finished third.
Mel Mara was sent to the early lead, with All Bets Off second and Rock N' Roll World third. He led the field to the opening quarter in 26.2, half in 54.1 and three-quarters in 1:21.1. Mach It So launched a first-over bid for the lead as the group hit the mile in 1:48.1, with Check Six following his cover.
In the stretch, Check Six and driver Yannick Gingras fanned three-wide and powered to victory.
Check Six has won two of 12 races this year and 17 of 45 in his career, with earnings of $1.38 million. The son of Somebeachsomewhere-Southwind Vanna is trained by Ron Burke and owned by Burke Racing, the partnership of Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi, Bill Switala, and Jim Martin.
"I thought I had a chance to get a good piece," Gingras said. "I thought this horse has a lot of bad luck. The last time he raced here he had post 11 and he never saw daylight. I was running over top of horses in the stretch. He's had a lot of troubled trips, but I thought he was sitting on a big one and he was."
Check Six paid $79, $23.80 and $8.60. Mel Mara paid $3.20 and $2.60. Mach It So paid $3.
The McKee Memorial, formerly the U.S. Pacing Championship, honors the late Meadowlands Racetrack announcer and Communicators Hall of Fame member Sam McKee, who passed away earlier this year.
Two Am Upsets Yes Mickey In Townsend Ackerman
Two Am wore down Yes Mickey in the stretch to capture the $50,000 Townsend Ackerman by two and a half lengths.
At odds of 7-1, Two Am, driven by Tyler Buter, caught 3-5 Yes Mickey with Ake Svanstedt driving, at the top of the stretch in 1:52.2, paying his backers handsomely at $17.20, $5.80, and $3.80, his third straight win and fourth in his last five starts.
Yes Mickey paid $2.20, $2.10, and $3.40 for second and Fly on with Andy Miller finished third, paying $3.40 to show.
Two AM, three-year-old gelding by Muscles Massive, is trained by Todd Buter.
Resolve wins John Cashman Memorial
Resolve, driven and trained by Ake Svanstadt, won the $303,050 John Cashman Memorial for open trotters by four-and-a-quarter lengths in a time of 2:04.2 for the mile and an eighth race.
The mile time in the sixth race distance event was 1:50.1.
Resolve is owned by Hans Enggren of Abbottstown, Pa.
The victory was the third in 18 starts for the year for earnings of $335,995 toward $2,544,429 for the career of the six-year -old son of Muscle Hill.
The 12- horse field was led to the first quarter by Resolve, who hit the first quarter 26.3, with Crazy Wow (Yannick Gingras) behind them. Those two led the field to the 55.1 half when Marion Marauder (Scott Zeron) came up to challenge on the outside, just before the 1:22.3 three quarters, around the final turn, and took the second spot away from Crazy Wow. Resolve trotted away from the field in the homestretch for the win.
Resolve returned $7, $4 and $3.80. Marion Marauder, paying $4, $3, was second and Lookslikeachpndale returned $14.20 in third with Daniel Dube driving.
"[Marion Marauder] was the horse to beat before the race," said Svanstadt. "But Resolve was good enough."
Asked if Resolve was as good as Sebastian K, "Not yet, It's hard to beat [1]:49," he said.
Hambletonian Eve At The Meadowlands
Jimmy Takter and Yannick Gingras tuned up the night before the Hambletonian Oaks by partnering to win the $50,000 Townsend Ackerman with 7/5 wagering choice Sir John F in a lifetime-best 1:53.4.
Gingras, who won four races on the card, steered the Donato Hanover colt to a textbook second-over trip while Snowstorm Hanover cut out the fractions of :27.1, :56.3, and 1:25.3.
In deep stretch, Sir John F struck the front while longshots Simply Volo and Thisguyisonfire gave chase.
Sir John F hung on with a :28.1 final quarter mile to score his fourth lifetime victory and raised his career bankroll to $108,242 for owners Christina Takter, John & Jim Fielding, R A W Equine, and Kevin McKinlay.
In the $30,000 Duenna, Evelyn was aggressively moved to the front by Andy Miller. The Muscle Hill filly, who finished sixth in her Oaks elimination last week, held off the pocket-sitting Decadence (Corey Callahan) to win in 1:52.3. It was her first win of 2017 in eight starts and third lifetime. She has earned $124,666 for trainer Ake Svanstedt who shares ownership with Little E LLC, B Nasstrom, and Silva Stable 45.
The ladies starred in two divisions of the Hambletonian Amateur Drivers as Sarah Svanstedt and Hannah Miller scored wins with Real DJ Hanover and Danish Durango, respectively.
Total handle on the 12-race card was $2,629,799
Attendance for the Hambletonian Day card was 18,356. All-source wagering totaled $5,788,870.
Live harness racing returns to the Big M on Sept. 8 for an abbreviated four-day September meeting. The other dates are Sept. 9, 15 and 16. Post time is 7:15 p.m.
For more information, visit www.playmeadowlands.com.
Submitted by Dave Little, Lou Monaco, Ken Weingartner and Ellen Harvey
Horse News covers everything equestrian in the mid-Atlantic area and can be reached at horsenews@hcdemocrat.com
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