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Sunday,
March 4, 2012
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Are Added Distance Racing Supporters On To
Something?
I was surfing the internet a few years ago when the
debate in thoroughbred racing about Polytrack was at its
zenith. The anti-poly forces were unhappy about having to
change the way they handicap, and the pro-poly forces
were happy about the uncertainty the surface change
brought. The people who disliked the surface vastly outnumbered their opponents, and it was a pretty stout brawl.
One reply I read on a chat board during the debate was
from Dick Powell of Brisnet. Dick noted that in the 1970's
harness handicappers were up in arms about the Meadowlands when it opened. He said that 20 or so years later, the
Meadowlands was the staple for the sport and he felt that
given time, Polytrack would be viewed the same way.
I think he was right on with that comment.
Before the Meadowlands opened, half-mile track racing
ruled the land. Analyzing harness racing on a half oftentimes involved trip handicapping, with a little bit of a pace
adjustment. For example, if you felt the rail horse had
supreme speed, and he was a decent enough sort, you
began to ask yourself some questions.
Questions like, "who'll fill the hole behind him?," "will
anyone even try to leave?", will the three be first up in slow
enough fractions to give him a strong chance of completing
the exacta?"
These were the days of 1,3 with 1,3 with 2,9 tri's and 1,3
with 1,2,3,9 exacta part wheels. It was how a lot of people
learned harness racing, and with 15% or lower takeouts it
allowed people to grind out a little bit of scratch if they
were correct.
W hen the Meadowlands was opened this all changed.
Horses came from everywhere. On the Road Again could
be parked three high in the Meadowlands Pace surging to
the lead and Guts could be coming "relentlessly on the
outside" from 9th, for an impossible-to-trip-handicap result.
Nihilator could set a world record for 2 year olds from third
over. The classic Meadowlands shuffle took its bite out of
the 1/8th pole leader on a nightly basis.
Over time though, a funny thing happened. People grew
to love it. The deep fields and uncertainty brought prices
up, allowed some sharp handicappers seeking an edge a
way to find one, and it put on an excellent show for
racefans. W e were now betting the horse more than the
The Sport’s Young Guns...p2
R. Peter Heffering Dies...p5
Ooh’s n Aah’s Milestone...p5
Letters...W e Get Letters....p.6
trip and it became a brand-new way to play, and enjoy,
harness racing.
Today however, with speed so prevalent and with the
Meadowlands' (slotless) fields smaller and less contentious than they were only five or six years ago, we've lost
quite a bit of that. The prices are sinking. There is less and
less chaos. It's not the same Meadowlands.
Currently, we see the fine folks at the Big M trying to
meet this challenge head-on. They've tried to card better
races, they've alerted the drivers that being half in and half
out waiting for cover is not acceptable. They've even,
without very much success, tried some distance racing.
Distance racing is not very well liked in our country.
Some drivers have publicly stated they don't feel safe
competing in them. In a 2011 Horseplayers Association of
North America survey, adding distance and upping field
size was liked about as much as going to the dentist.
W hen we run them, handles are not great.
(Cont. P. 2)
Out of this world: Rapide Lebel making his first start
since his race against San Pail in the Breeders Crown, won
the Prix de l’Union Europeene at Paris-Vincennes
yesterday over nine others and the outcome was never in
doubt.. Click here for the video. .
HarnessRacingUpdate.com
• 3/4/12 PAGE 2 of 9
Dean Towers, cont.
One might wonder why we'd even bother trying them if
both our participants and current bettors don't like them. I
think we bother, because if we stick with it, with a plan,
distance racing may give our sport what the Meadowlands
gave us 35 years ago--more chaos and higher prices.
Each year I attend Xtreme Racing at Georgian Downs. Not
only is the day fun, it is also very exciting to handicap. By
far the most interesting races for me to bet are the
added-distance trots These races, with 18 trotters covering
some serious ground, might seem like crap-shoots, but if
you really analyze them, they can be formful and profitable. Each year you will see people going through their
programs looking at more than just running lines.
I have heard these comments from friends and customers while handicapping these races:
"The 18 is French bred and raced twice at this distance
overseas."
"The 8 is driven by Tomas Dalborg and he's been in these
races before."
"The 4 is trained by a trainer from Sweden and he's got
horses ready for these races."
"I have looked at post position stats for this type race and
the outside five posts are not the handicap that people
think they are."
Invariably, because of lots of choices and plenty of angles, we see a very good odds board. The favorite is usually no less than 4-1 and probably a severe underlay,
making a lot of horses overlays. This opens up exotics as
well. For large bankrolled players, playing "alls" in superfecta ticket slots can be a gold mine (if the pool is large
enough). For the casual player, or a group of them in the
dining room, boxing up five or six horses can pay tremendous dividends.
There's a lot to like.
The cynics will point to the fact that handle on these
races is low. That's true, but Georgian Downs is not a high
handle track to begin with, and having a race like this once
or twice a year can't build any momentum anyway. Rome
wasn't built in a day either. Just like the Meadowlands took
years to become the flagship track for bettors, any change
will take time.
I believe if we had a track with enough trotters in the
area to try this on an ongoing basis, that had slots cash
backing them so they could increase purses for the event,
there is some opportunity to grow. If they did a few other
things, like guaranteeing a big superfecta pool for the race
each week, promoting it as a race of the week on TVG or
HRTV and generating some buzz, we might make it successful. As well, Betfair might be coming to New Jersey in
the near future, and world punters love big fields. Harness
racing at a 2 mile distance would allow for some interesting
in-running betting for the people who enjoy playing the
sport that way on a betting exchange, too.
Distance racing is a tough sell and any change in racing
is difficult to achieve in the first place. However, the folks
who are proponents of distance racing have some facts on
their side. Just like the Meadowlands 35 years ago,
changing the way we bet harness racing might not sound
overly palatable on the surface, but it may work.
Victor and the Youth Movement
By Lucas Marquardt
Most 13-year-olds spend their free time on Xbox or
playing pick-up games at the gym. Adam Victor Jr., on the
other hand, was handling phone calls from trainers and
scanning condition books.
And while most
16-year-olds are flirting on
Facebook and worrying
about driver’s permits, Victor was helping manage a
multi-million dollar harness
racing operation.
Now 25, Victor and his
father, the energy mogul
Adam Victor Jr. USTA
who runs TransGas Energy
Systems, have been one of
the true success stories in racing over the past decade.
Together, they built Adam Victor & Son Stable from a
single-horse operation into a racing powerhourse. Among
other star performers, the stable has campaigned, alone
or in partnership, the likes of $3.5 million earner and 2005
Trotter of the Year Mr. Muscleman (Muscles Yankee),
two-time Dan Patch award winner My Little Dragon
(Dragon Again), and reigning Breeders Crown Filly Trot
heroine and champion Cedar Dove (Andover Hall).
Victor is still young enough to be considered one harness racing’s young guns, and spearheads a group of
up-and-comers that in all likelihood will help direct where
the sport goes in the future. That's a good thing, as Victor
represents the demographic that racing desperately needs
to attract--young, hip, and affluent. Victor and others like
him are embracing the role of ambassadors for the sport,
and hope to bring harness racing--viewed by many in the
general population as a sport for old men and past its
THE EMPIRE BREEDERS CLASSIC
EARLY CLOSING EVENT FOR NEW YORK SIRED THREE YEAR OLDS 2012
Sponsored by:
The Agriculture & NY State Breeding and Development Fund,
New York Stallion Owners, Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs
Raced at Tioga Downs
(#1) THREE YEAR OLD COLT PACE
(#2) THREE YEAR OLD FILLY PACE
$12,500E Eliminations:
$250,000E Final:
$12,500E Eliminations:
$250,000E Final:
Sunday, August 5
Sunday, August 12
(2011 Purse $289,925)
Sunday, August 5
Sunday, August 12
(2011 Purse $279,175)
Raced at Vernon Downs
(#3) THREE YEAR OLD COLT TROT
(#4) THREE YEAR OLD FILLY TROT
$12,500E Eliminations:
$250,000E Final:
$12,500E Eliminations:
$250,000E Final:
Friday, June 1
Friday, June 8
(2011 Purse $235,900)
Friday, June 1
Friday, June 8
(2011 Purse $234,900)
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
MARCH 15
SUPPLEMENTAL
ENTRY FEE
$1,000
$6,000
$2,500
(#5) TWO YEAR OLD PAYMENT FOR FOALS OF 2010
(This payment must be made for nominees to be eligible as three year olds in 2013)
MARCH 15, 2012
IN-LIEU-OF-FEE
$350
$1,000
________________________________________________________________________________________________
KINDERGARTEN TROTTING CLASSIC
Event (#6 - Colts) // Event (#7 - Fillies)
OPEN EVENT FOR TWO YEAR OLD TROTTERS / Separate Colt & Filly Divisions
Five $10,000G Legs with $175,000E Finals & $10,000 Consolations
Actual Purse for 2011 Finals:
Colts $200,500
Fillies $180,500
(Horses must start in a minimum of two legs of the series to be eligible for the finals)
RACING SCHEDULE
Thursday, July 26
Thursday, August 2
Thursday, September 13
Thursday, September 20
Friday, October 19
@ The Meadowlands
@ The Meadowlands
@ The Red Mile
@ The Red Mile
@ Vernon Downs
FINALS & CONSOLATIONS
Friday, October 26
@ Vernon Downs
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
March 15
$600
April 15
$600
ENTRY FEE OF $250 FOR EACH LEG IN WHICH THE NOMINEE RACES/NO FEE FOR FINAL
OPEN EVENTS FOR OLDER HORSES & MARES
#8) THE BETTOR’S DELIGHT
#9) THE ARTISCAPE
(OPEN PACE)
Sponsored by: Blue Chip Farms
Sunday, June 10
(MARE PACE)
Sponsored by: Brittany Stallion Management
@ TD Purse $200,000E
Sunday, June 10
@ TD Purse $200,000E
2011 Purse $208,000
($60,000 Added)
2011 Purse $178,000
($60,000 Added)
#10) THE CREDIT WINNER
(OPEN TROT)
#11) THE MUSCLE HILL
(MARE TROT)
Sponsored by: The Credit Winner Syndicate
Friday, Sept 7
Sponsored by: The Muscle Hill Syndicate
@ VD Purse $200,000E
2011 Purse $218,000
Friday, Sept 7
($60,000 Added)
@ VD Purse $200,000E
2011 Purse $164,000
($60,000 Added)
PAYMENT SCHEDULE EVENTS 8 – 11
March 15
April 15
Entry Fee
$2,000
$2,000
$3,000
Racing Conditions for Events #8 – 11
The Bettor’s Delight & Artiscape will be limited to the ten (10) highest money winning horses in 2011/2012 combined, amongst those that enter, as of the entry date for that race. The Credit Winner & Muscle Hill will be limited to the ten (10) highest money
winning horses in 2012 amongst those that enter, as of the entry date for that race. USTA records shall be accepted as official. In the event of more than ten (10) but fewer than sixteen (16) entries, a horse that is declared for these events but does not draw into
the event due to the above condition (including a horse drawn as also eligible that does not draw into the race) and meets the qualifying standards for the host track will have their nomination and sustaining fees refunded in full and shall not be liable for the Entry
Fee. If sixteen (16) or more horses declare for any event, those horses that do not draw into the main event will be drawn into a consolation race for a purse of $60,000 that carries an Entry Fee of $1,000.
#12) THE MISS VERSATILITY* (MARE TROT)
Sunday, May 20
Sunday, July 1
Friday, August 17
Sunday, August 26
Thursday, September 20
Sponsored by: Allerage Farms & The LBJ Society
@ Mohawk Racetrack
@ Mohawk Racetrack
@ The Meadowlands
@ Tioga Downs
@ Little Brown Jug
Leg #1 $40,000E
Leg #2 $40,000E
Leg #3 $40,000E
Leg #4 $40,000E
Final $100,000E (2011 Purse $96,000)
Must start in a minimum of two legs to be eligible for Final
*Connections of those mares participating in the Miss Versatility Final will receive a
hospitality package from the Little Brown Jug including tent access and seating
PAYMENT SCHEDULE EVENT 12
March 15
$1,500
April 15
$1,500
Entry Fee (Payable only once)
$2,000
EVENT
HORSE
GAIT
SEX
SIRE
All owners, trainers and drivers of nominated horses must be approved to race or entry may be denied.
DAM
AMOUNT
TOTAL
Nominator:___________________________________ Trainer:_________________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone:_______________________________________Email:__________________________________________________
Race Office:
Phone: (607) 699-7688
Fax: (607) 699-3901
Complete conditions for all stakes, nominee & stallion information available at www.tiogadowns.com
Checks Made Payable to Tioga Downs
Send to: Racing Office c/o Tioga Downs 2384 West River Road, Nichols, NY 13812
HarnessRacingUpdate.com
• 3/4/12 PAGE 3 of 9
prime--back into the mainstream.
“W e have a majestic animal and an amazing product, but
the gambling experience needs to catch up,” Victor opined
this week. “We also have way too many races, and care
too much about what's going on on a W ednesday night.
W e need to focus on 20 or 30 big racedays a year--make
them exciting events that are a lot of fun. That's important.”
Harness racing was very much in Adam Victor Jr.'s
blood. His father, Adam Victor Sr., attended the races with
his own father, and put himself through college by working
as a groom in the summers. As Adam Sr. became a player
in New York State--his company operated a major power
plant in Syracuse--he carried on the tradition. Nearly every
Friday and Saturday night for five years, he and Adam Jr.
attended the races at Yonkers Raceway. Adam Jr. was
only seven or eight when they started, but he immediately
fell in love with the sport. Father and son were soon making trips across the Hudson to The Meadowlands.
"W e were passionate spectators at that point," Adam Jr.
said.
Since his his father's occupation demanded time and
energy, Victor was immediately tasked with helping run the
stable after its inception. He relished the opportunity. "I
would track the horses, I talked to all the trainers, I wrote
out all the checks and
bills," he explained. At
first, Victor did the bookkeeping by hand. Later,
he learned how to use
QuickBooks. "I learned a
lot from the experience,"
he added.
The rise of the stable
was meteoric. W ithin five
Mr. Muscleman Big M photo
years, the stable grew to
over 110 horses, and included over two dozen ownership partners.
“[They] made some big strides in a short amount of
time,” Victor Leonardis, a partner and co-owner of the New
Jersey-based D’Elegance Stable, was quoted in The New
York Observer in 2005. “[Adam] and his son and Noel
Daley, their trainer, they do a lot of homework and research. They run a good program. They spare no expense.
They go after the best horses and the best care and the
best driving."
In addition to Mr. Muscleman, whom Daley trained, the
stable sent out horses like the claim-to-fame pacer E
Dee’s Cam (Cam Fella), Explosive Matter (Cantab Hall),
an earner of over $1.5 million, and the first-class filly Little
Miss Dragon (Dragon Again).
During it all, Victor never took any flack because of his
young age. "Unlike other aspects of my life, where age has
been an impediment, never once has it been in the horse
business," he commented. "People in this business love
people who are passionate about the sport--we don't have
the luxury to have age discrimination. The trainers I talked
to, the owners I talked to, we all had a common bond, and
they wanted us to do well."
As the stable’s honor roll grew, the Victors began to
stress quality over quantity. They now have roughly 50
horses, about half in training.
And though he still has a major say in purchases and
high-level decisions, Victor's role in the day-to-day operations has also lessened. Much of that has to do with the
fact that he's parlayed his early success in the sport into a
promising young career on Wall St. After graduating from
the University of Pennsylvania in 2008, he took a position
at Goldman Sachs, and today is an international equity
associate.
Make no mistakes, however--Victor has no intentions of
abandoning the sport he loves. "It's just fun," he said.
"Some of the best times of my life have been being around
horses, especially those horse like Mr. Muscleman--it's
been beyond special," he said.
Victor says it isn't just about the fun. Over a decade in
the business taught him plenty of lessons that he applied
to his life away from the track. "On an emotional level,
dealing with disappointment often, dealing with things
going wrong, dealing with owners who demand a lot--there
are dozens and dozens of things the horse business has
taught me, and dozens of things it can teach young people
about life," he said. "A lot of guys helped me growing up,
and I hope to help a lot of the young guys behind me."
Youth Brigade…
So who are some of those guys behind Adam Victor,
Jr.?
Two names that come to mind are Philip Antonacci and
Nate Grossman, both shy of 20 years old by a ways, but
both already with plenty of experience in the sport.
Antonacci, 17, is the son of
Frank Antonacci, Sr., one of the
patriarchs of the famed Lindy
Farms. Philip’s brother Frank
Antonacci, Jr. is, at 29, already a
top trainer in the sport, with horses
like champion Crazed (Credit W inner) on his scorecard, while numerous other family members are
involved.
"It's been great growing up
around the sport," said Philip, a
junior at W ilbraham and Monson
Philip Antonacci
Academy, located not far from the
family farm in Connecticut. "Every
summer, going to the barn and following my brother
around, and following the horses around. It's a lot of fun.
It's really hooked me."
W hile Antonacci is too young to remember many of the
exploits of Lindy Farm's great mare Moni Maker (Speedy
Crown), he said watching Crazed (Credit Winner) do his
thing as a 3-year-old in 2008, when the trotter ran second
to Deweycheatumnhowe in the Hambletonian, was an
"awesome" experience. "It was my brother's first big
HarnessRacingUpdate.com
• 3/4/12 PAGE 4 of 9
break, and we got to travel around to Canada, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, just following him around," said
Antonacci. "Crazed was truly a special horse. It was very
exciting."
Antonacci said he's already planning a career in the
sport. Having grown up in one of the most fertile environments for learning about harness racing you could ask for,
Antonacci's career could go in any number of directions,
and he appreciates the different challenges each discipline
of the sport carries with it. "The breeding game is a
puzzle, and you have to figure the equation with mares
and stallions," he said from school last week. "Training's
the same thing--you have to figure out the horse, you have
to teach him good habits, and hope you can turn him into
the next world champion."
Right now, however, it might be driving that most interests Antonacci. For the last two years, he has taken part in
a few amateur series races, including a strong runner-up
effort in his debut at The Red Mile back in October of
2010. "It was pretty nerve-wracking, especially the first
time during grand circuit week--everybody was there," he
said of competing in the Gentlemen's Driving Trot. "The
winner sprinted off to win by seven lengths in :55 or something, and I think we clocked in at :56 and change. Last
year, I had three or four seconds, as well."
Antonacci has plenty of time to figure out what path he'd
like to take. Like his brother Frank, Jr., he plans to attend
college for four years before making a decision. "I've been
looking at BC [Boston College], UPenn, maybe even
Duke," he said. "The tough thing is that I'd still like to be
involved with the horses even while I'm still going to
school, so I'm trying to figure out what schools are around
racetracks so I can easily access the. I've been around it
my whole life, and it would be tough not to be."
A shrinking racing industry is a major concern for youngsters dedicating their time and passion, but Antonacci is
hopeful of a renaissance. "I think our sport has a lot of
potential with the younger crowd," he said, adding that
tracks need to take a different approach to marketing
racing to his generation. "You have to make a spectacle
out of it. Kids these days like events--they like concerts,
they like premier events. You can't have 20 minutes between races with nothing on the screen--when need to
have concerts, celebrity appearances, that kind of thing.
My friends that I've taken to the track were very interested
in it. Nobody hates horses--everybody love horses, and
just have to make that connection."
Blue Chip Prospect...
Another upstart you're likely to hear from in the future is
Nate Grossman, who at 15 is already thinking about ways
to gain an edge on guys four times his age. Grossman is
the son of Blue Chip Farms owner Tom Grossman, and
grew up not far from the farm's base in W allkill, New York.
After studying statistics in high school, Grossman got the
idea of employing data-driven information in Blue Chip's
breeding decisions. "So I talked to my dad about it, and we
reached out to a guy named Dr. Ron Groves, who is a
professor in Australia," Grossman explained. "Ron developed a program, ClassicFamilies.net, which is a tool that
helps make breeding decisions.
“Everybody talks about what makes a great racehorse--what breeds through--and a lot of people say time
and earnings. W hat we found with Ron was that, with time
and earnings, both change dramatically in time. W hat this program does is that it takes a few
Classic races--in North American
the Triple Crown races, the
Breeders' Crown races--and the
horses that won those races goes
into the program, and they make
up the best maternal families.
W hen we were sitting around
booking meetings, it was another
tool, and for once I was able to
add something new."
The service can be found and
used free of charge at
www.bluechipfamilies.com.
Blue Chip is coming off a big
Nate Grossman
year as co-owner--along with Stephen Demeter, Not to W orry Stable and breeder W inbak
Farm--of the 3-year-old Male Pacer of the Year Roll With
Joe (Cam's Card Shark). The Ed Hart-trained colt won,
among others, the $1 million Meadowlands Pace. He
retired to stand alongside the aforementioned Crazed for
the 2012 season with over $1.8 million in earnings. "That
was a once-in-a-lifetime thing," Grossman said of Roll
W ith Joe's sophomore campaign. "It was the most fun,
following him around the country and watching him race."
Grossman said he hopes to major in business and engineering in college before deciding what path to take in life,
but said that racing will always be something he's involved
with. "It's a great business, and I love it," he said.
Grossman is actually a fan of both of the major race
breeds--Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds--but his business sense already tells him which one he prefers. "I like
to watch Thoroughbreds, but as a game, harness racing
just makes more sense," he said. "Thoroughbreds run
once a month, and unless you have a top one, they don't
earn any more. The Thoroughbreds can bring millions as
yearlings; you can get a really nice harness horse for a lot
less. People compare it to Thoroughbreds, and a lot of the
Thoroughbred guys disrespect us, but the truth is you can
buy a horse for a much smaller investment, have that run
horse run more frequently, and who makes relatively the
same amount of earnings. I think it's a great business, and
I'd love to stay involved."
As for Adam Victor Jr., he sees plenty of promise in both
Antonacci and Grossman.
"Both of their fathers have been beyond instrumental in
my life as mentors," he said. "In life, they're certainly two
of my best friends and two people I love, and it's amazing I
HarnessRacingUpdate.com
• 3/4/12 PAGE 5 of 9
see now to see their two sons and how incredibly intelligent both of them are. And how much they both do for their
fathers' businesses is unbelievable. Both Frank and Tom
are very successful, busy people, and for example, a guy
like Nate Grossman who knows every single mare on Blue
Chip Farm. He knows the pedigrees going back 20, 30
years. At 15, it's just sensational. And a guy like
Phil--who's an amateur driver already--no one knows the
business better. No one is more humble in victory or polite
in defeat as he is. The guys know the game, they have
respect for the game. The sky's the limit for what those two
can do both in the business, and outside of it."
Tara Hills’s Heffering Passes Away
R. Peter Heffering, the owner of
Canada’s Tara Hills Farm, passed
away Saturday. He was 80 years old.
A Canadian Horse Racing Hall of
Fame and Canadian Agriculture Hall
of Fame inductee, Peter was also a
breeder of champion Holstein cattle.
His Hanover Hill Holstein herd was
arguably the most famous Holstein
herd in the world for many years.
R. Peter Heffering
In 1989, Heffering made his enTara Hills photo
trance into harness racing and enjoyed great success. He owned, either in whole or in part, an impressive list of horses that
included Precious Bunny, Riyadh, Pacific Rocket,
Kadabra, Strong Yankee, and Majestic Son. His champions won the most coveted races in the sport, including the
Little Brown Jug, North America Cup, Meadowlands Pace,
Canadian Trotting Classic, Kentucky Futurity, Breeders
Crown and numerous Ontario Sires Stakes events.
In 1996, he and his son David opened Tara Hills Stud in
Port Perry, Ontario, that is today one of North America’s
premier Standardbred breeding operations. In 2012, 11
stallions stand in their state-of-the art stallion barn.
Heffering bred a number of elite Standardbreds, including 2001 U.S. Horse of the Year Bunny Lake, a winner of
over $3 million as well as $1.3 million-winner Precious
Delight. Born in the state of New York to Canadian parents, Peter earned a degree in Animal Husbandry at the
State University of New York (Canton). In 2004, he re-
ceived the first ever honourary doctorate awarded by
SUNY Canton in Animal Science.
Peter is survived by his wife, Apryll; son, David and his
wife, Nora; and granddaughters Taylor and Abbie. He was
predeceased by his son, Richard, who passed away last
year.
There will be an announcement of a celebration of
Heffering’s life later this spring.
Ooh's N Aah's Achieves Major Milestone
W hen Omen Hanover (W estern Hanover-Ooh's N Aah's)
$1,001,569 1:50, won the 7th race at Yonkers Raceway
on March 2, 2012; she established a major milestone in
harness racing history. W hile achieving millionaire status,
Omen Hanover vaulted Ooh's N Aah's as only the third
pacing mare ever that earned over a million dollars who
has also produced a millionaire daughter. The other two
mares to achieve this distinction were Stienam's Place-Put
On A Show and Town Pro-Darlin's Delight. Additionally,
there are only six other pacing mares that have earned
over a million dollars and produced a millionaire foal:
Ooh's N Aah's (Albert Albert-This Year Kisses)
$1,139,429 1:51.1s won 44 races in her career. She was
first, second or third 109 out of a total of 177 races. Ooh's
N Aah's won most of her races in Ontario and became a
Canadian favorite during her exceptional racing career.
She achieved her record 1:51.1s as an eight year old in
2000. Later that year, she was purchased and retired as a
brood mare. Since then, she has produced six foals that
have earned in excess of $1.5M in earnings. Ooh'a N
Aah's was bred by Robert A. Tucker, Glen Gardner, NJ.
She is owned by Badlands Racing, LLC in Chadds Ford,
PA and resides at W inbak Farms, Chesapeake City, MD.
She is currently in foal to Badlands Hanover.
Omen Hanover, was bred by John Celii in conjunction
with Hanover Shoe Farm. She is owned by Kdm Stables,
Corp. and trained by Nicholas Surick.
Seasons & shares available to top stallions
like Muscles Yankee & Rock n Roll Heaven.
Call Geoffrey Stein or Liza Norcross at 914-773-7777
or email lizanorcross@ preferredequine.com
P.O. Box 2200 • Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510 • www.preferredequine.com
Does anyone have a clue about our modern race bikes?
W hy don’t we bring pay telephones to the track and lock
them during racing so no one can call their bookies?
David Haaker, Livingston NJ
HarnessRacingUpdate.com
• 3/4/12 PAGE 6 of 9
After reading the comments from horseman about the
idea of going back to heat racing for The Hambletonian, I
could only shake my head in disbelief with the consensus
feeling it's the best thing to do. Most horseman acknowledged how breeding has put an emphasis on speed and
not durabilitym, yet they want to go back to heat racing in
likely 90-degree temperatures in August. Along with this,
everyone is on board with the ban on sires retiring after
their 3-year-old season and not having their first crop
available for the major stakes. On one hand, we keep
pushing the emphasis on 2- and 3-year-old stakes racing
and now wanting to make it even more difficult on them
physically, and on the other hand, we want to bring them
back at 4 and 5 to develop future "stars" to attract new
customers. Just look in your 2012 stallion registry and see
the success rate of top 3-year-olds trying to come back at
4. Already, it's not very good and yet the sport now wants
to add heat racing for its 3-year-old old major trotting race,
only making it more difficult. It's hypocrisy at its best.
--Ken Tucci
I'd like to respond to Mr Guagliardo's comments of my
letter "brushing off" the integrity issue. My whole point of
the letter was to try to focus the attention on issues that
are within OUR control. I am reminded of Mark Twain's
quote: "everyone complains about the weather but nobody
ever does anything about it." The fact is the enforcement
of our sport has always been relegated to state agencies
and mostly beyond our control. I would be the first one to
decry the "Keystone Cop" approach they have taken and
criticism of their incompetence is richly deserved, but
there's apparently not much we can do about it. There's
been some talk of subsidies coming from horsemen's
purses to improve the testing but most horsemen's associations feel they are not willing to set a precedent and take
responsibility in what they feel is the state's and management's obligation. Some managements have instituted
policies to exclude certain trainers at the expense of fairness and due diligence. Meanwhile, vilification and defamation of your own industry in my opinion is not a promotional policy. The fact is we need to look within ourselves
and find ideas that can transform this business and look at
this process from the standpoint of the consumer/gambler,
not from the same incestuous perspective that's been
prevalent the last 60 years or so since the states awarded
us this monopoly on gambling which has summarily been
taken away. Jeff Gural has been on the forefront of this
ideology and horsemen have done everything in their
power to look after their own vested interests with a shortsightedness that boggles the mind. Things that need to be
seriously looked at like shortening of meets, reducing the
takeout, non-compete strategies, distance racing, lotteries,
horsemen investment in their own promotion and many
more, are ideas that have all received a very cold shoulder
from breeders, trainers & owners. W e prefer to complain
about the weather.
–Gaetan "Gates" Brunet
P.S. I believe Charles Dudley W arner should be correctly
attributed for that quote but everyone likes to give Mark
Twain the credit :>)
Yes Bill, I would like to receive your publication, some of
the ideas were good, but when a horse runs off in a race,
its not the sulky, or the distance, or the harness, it’s the
illegal drugs the horse is getting that the commission can't
seem to find a test for that come from France or other
countries that gives the unfair advantage over the rest.
That’s what’s wrong with our industry. The bettors are sick
of the favorites always winning, The trainer that can take
millions of dollars in purses per year and can claim your
horse and improve it four seconds in one week, that’s not
training, believe me. I have been in this business all my
life and it sickens me to see what has happened to it. If it
meant that we could go back to the way it was before all
the chemistry became what it means to be a good trainer,
I would be glad to give up the slot money, because then
people could bet on a horse and everyone would be on an
even playing field.
On distance racing, tell Peter it’s hard on the horses to
go the distance when they're trained for going only a mile.
They break down, especially the older cheaper claimers.
Also the super trainers that are using ITPP, which is short
for Myo-inositol-trispyrophosphate (NormOxys), would still
keep winning all the races. So that really won't help our
business either.
--Karen Fread, in PA racing at the Meadows
Bill,
I'm writing you this letter because, for starters, we both
have three things in common;
1) we both love horse racing
2) we are both members of the Bourbon Slush Stable and
3) we both worked for The New York Times (I for 41 years
in various non-news departments, until my retirement in
2008).
My love for harness racing dates back to 1968, when I
first went to Yonkers Raceway with some colleagues from
work. Throughout the '70's, I worked full time during the
day and, at night, attended Queens College to pursue my
BS in accounting. Several times during the school term, I
would pass the exit for QC on the Grand Central and head
straight to Roosevelt Raceway. I was a $2 bettor and
would have to stand in separate lines to bet win or show
and then go around back to cash. I credit this "therapy" for
getting me through eight years of night school successfully.
For the past four years, I have co-owned several
standardbreds racing at Yonkers, although not currently. It
seemed to me that the playing field there was not level. I
was hopeful that would change when Yonkers requested
Lou Pena to stay away indefinitely. However, in his place,
his "beards" continued to win races at a pace above the
norm. Now that Pena is back, his 41% win rate
(Trackmaster program of 3/1/12) equals that other icon of
HarnessRacingUpdate.com
• 3/4/12 PAGE 7 of 9
horse racing, Richard Dutrow (wasn't he suspended for ten
years?). Mark Kesmodal gets suspended and his beard,
PJ Fraley, steps in and wins at a 25% clip. (Fraley trains
Tracy Brainard's horses--what happened to her??).
The NYSRW B fined and suspended 16 harness trainers
last year for using Afrin, an over-the-counter bronchial
dialator. But they can't seem to come up with a drug test to
catch some of the most serious offenders (see above
paragraph). I remember an article you wrote in The Times
about the dispute between the NYSRW B & Cornell about
the cost of the drug testing program and the fact that no
tests were being performed on NYS blood samples despite
the installation of the $10 starting fee to fund said testing.
There are "clean" trainers that are successful in the
sport. Ray Schnittker, Frank Antonacci and Mark Ford
come to mind. I once read that Allen Jerkens, the "giant
killer," never had a positive test.
Here is my suggestion to clean up the sport. There appears to be three types of illegal drugs in horse racing.
Those that mask pain, those that improve breathing and
those that enrich the red blood cells. There seem to be
tests that detect the first two, but not the third kind. From
what I understand, an EPO test costs around $800 dollars.
Instead of trying to detect the cause, why doesn't the
NYSRW B look for the result--an elevated red blood cell
count above the norm.
I've attached a blood test from one of my horses. (Click
here to download.) Note the middle section bordered in
black. The RBC is the red blood cell count. In this case, it
is 10.31, which falls within the range noted to its right (6.8
to 12.9). I propose that blood samples be taken from each
horse in the paddock prior to racing. The inexpensive
blood test could be done by the NYS vet on the premises
immediately and any horse that has an RBC greater than
12.9 be scratched from his race. The transgression would
be that no horse could attain this level legally or that this
high level is not good for the long-term health of the horse.
The vets and judges can come up with whatever level
and/or combination of results they deem appropriate.
This procedure would eliminate the need for post-race
disqualifications due to positives (which doesn't happen
enough anyway), suspensions and lawyers. The offending
trainer would be fined and the owner would not get his
horse raced, even though he would still have to pay the
trainer his shipping and paddocking fee! After a couple of
scratches, I think the owner would shop around for a new
trainer.
I'm sure the racetracks would complain that this would
lead to many scratches on the program and result in
smaller fields. Initially, this would be true. However, the
bettors would have more confidence that the remaining
horses in the race are more evenly matched and the playing field more level. Legitimate trainers would fill the void
left by the "vacated" trainers. More competitive racing
would lead to higher handles. (By the way, the record
handle at Yonkers Raceway for a race card was
$3,220,686 in December 15th, 1969. Adjusted for inflation,
that amount would be almost $20 million, according to US
Dept Of Labor CPI Inflation calculator! The SBOA brags
whenever the handle reaches a million).
I hope you will make these suggestions in your columns,
only after investigating if they have not been proposed
previously and rejected by the racing authorities. And I
look forward to the success of BettorwithBourbon and Lil
Miss Bourbon in 2012 (I think the filly will be a good one).
--Regards, W illiam Daniti
Saturday’s Results:
5, M, $22,500, Pace, N/W $22,500 in Last 5 Starts or N/W
$10,000 in 2012 AE: N/W $150,000 Lifetime AE: 4 Year
Olds, 27.2, 55.4, 1:24.1, 1:51.0, FT
Great Vintage (h, 4, American Ideal--Art's Vintage, by
Artsplace), $65,000 2009 LEX-SEL O-Christina Takter &
John D Fielding, CA & Goran N Anderberg, SD &
Falkbolagen Ab. B-Brittany Farms & Brian P Monieson
Revtrust. T-Jimmy Takter. D-David Miller, $11,250, Lifetime Record: 21-7-6-1, $278,248
To view replay click here
10, M, $22,500, Pace, FOUR LEAF CLOVER 5 Year Olds
& Under N/W 6 Extended PM Races or $200,000 Lifetime
Up to & Including 12/10/2011 1st Leg, 26.4, 56.3, 1:26.2,
1:52.4, FT
1-Risk Management (g, 4, Western Hanover--Catch A
Wish, by Jenna's Beach Boy) O-Burke Racing Stable
LLC & W eaver Bruscemi LLC & Jjk Stables LLC. B-Millar
Farms, CA. T-Ron Burke. D-Yannick Gingras, $11,250,
Lifetime Record: 37-6-6-7, $121,279
2-Fools Gold (h, 5, I Am A Fool--Trinketsntreasures, by
Artiscape), $25,000 2008 LEX-SEL O-Daryl Scott Bier &
Glenn F Del Russo & Charles A Dombeck. B-James G
W ilhite Jr. T-Daryl Bier. D-Daryl Bier, $5,625
3-Art Z (g, 4, Artiscape--Celebrity Ball, by Presidential
Ball) O-Richard M Lombardo. B-Robert McIntosh Stables
Inc, CA & C S X Stables. T-Jordan Rubin. D-David Miller,
$2,700
Calls: 1T, 1H, 1, H, NK
Finish Order: I W anna Go Fast, Intrigued Royally, Touch
The Rock, Boi, Freddy Day Hanover, Master Of Desire,
Southern Sport
To view replay click here
Risk Management ($13.60), a 4-year-old gelding by Western Hanover, picked up his first win of the season after
scoring in the opening leg of the Four Leaf Clover Series.
Driven by Yannick Gingras, Risk Management left from
post eight and took command before the first quarter.
HarnessRacingUpdate.com
• 3/4/12 PAGE 8 of 9
They set the pace from that point on under no real threat
and then dug in gamely to hold off the late closing rally of
Fools Gold (Daryl Bier) at the wire by a neck in 1:52.4. Art
Z (David Miller) finished third after sitting a perfect pocket
trip. Risk Management, trained by Ron Burke, was part of
the Burke Racing LLC/W eaver Bruscemi LLC entry. JJK
Stables LLC share ownership in Risk Management, who
now has $121,279 in career earnings.
Saturday’s Results:
2, Wdb, PACE, $40,000. CAM FELLA - 2ND LEG - 4 & 5
YEAR OLDS. NW $150,000 LIFETIME AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2011. 27.1, 55.1, 1:23.2, 1:51.4, FT
1-Modern Legend (b,g,4 - Modern Art-Ruby
Cam-Camluck) O/B-Dave Drew Associates Inc,ON TDavid Drew D-Jack Moiseyev
Lifetime Record: 14-10-2-0, $161,085
2-Rock Me Amastreos (b,h,5 - Astreos-Queens
Arms-Armbro Emerson) O-David W Snowden B-David W
Snowden,Bowmanville,ON T-Arthur Balson D-Scott Zeron
3-Red Bugler (b,g,5 - Cammibest-My Friend Flicka-Firm
Friend) O-Donald F & Sheila M Anness B-Donald F
Anness,Emo,ON T-Matthew Dupuis D-Keith Oliver
To view replay click here
Modern Legend ($3.30) and driver Jack Moiseyev cruised
to victory once again in the second round of the Cam Fella
Pacing Series. It was his seventh straight for trainer David
Drew. Jack Moiseyev pulled Modern Legend off the rail
from third position and brushed to command past the half.
The 4-year-old gelding had things his own way from that
point on and pulled away 2-1/2 lengths clear in 1:51.4.
Rock Me Amastreos (Scott Zeron) who rallied on the far
outside down the stretch was second while Red Bugler
(Keith Oliver) finished third. Modern Legend is a homebred
son of Modern Art-Ruby Cam with career earnings now of
$161,085.
3, Wdb, TROT, $27,000. NW 4 (FM 6) RACES OR
$105,000 (FM $125,000) LIFETIME. AE: 4 YEAR OLDS,
CLAIMING $75,000. 28, 57.3, 1:25.3, 1:55.4, FT
Lakefield (br,g,4 - Striking Sahbra-Flores-Balanced
Image) O-Andrea Lea Racingstables Inc, Asa Farm BW estwind Farm Canada Ltd,ON T-Richard Moreau DSylvain Filion
Lifetime Record: 34-10-5-5, $182,138
To view replay click here
5, Wdb, PACE, $50,000. OPEN. 27.1, 55.2, 1:23.1, 1:51.3,
FT
1-Bay Of Sharks (b,h,6 - Cams Card Shark-Whitley
Bay-Tylers Mark) O-Michael J Sergi B-W inbak Farm,MD
T-Corey Johnson D-Paul MacDonell Lifetime Record: 7117-8-8, $416,007
2-Upfront Hoosierboy (b,g,6 - Western
Hanover-Artaffection-Artsplace) O-Richard Berthiaume BHanover Shoe Farms Inc,PA T-Benoit Baillargeon D-Mario
Baillargeon
3-Camaes Fellow (b,g,4 - Mach Three-Camae-Camluck)
O-Frank J Bellino B-Larry J Murrell, Mcmaster Stable TTony O’Sullivan D-Doug McNair
W inning Margin: 1H
To view replay click here
9, Wdb, PACE, $40,000. CAM FELLA - 2ND LEG - 4 & 5
YEAR OLDS. NW $150,000 LIFETIME AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2011
1-Reibercrombie (b,g,5 - Cheyenne Rei-Abso
Skippy-Abercrombie) O-Casie Coleman Stables Inc,
Steve W Calhoun B-Bonley Farm Inc,MI T-Casie Coleman
D-Jody Jamieson
Lifetime Record: 45-17-9-3, $187,559
2-Mach Wheel (b,g,4 - Mach Three-Armbro Reno-Dexter
Nukes) O-Joseph P Hudon Jr, Karen R Hudon B/T/DJoseph Hudon Jr., Acton,ON
3-Audreys Dream (br,g,4 - Rocknroll
Hanover-Belovedangel-Artsplace) O-Bradley J Grant BSusan E GrangeLothlorien Eque T-Benjamin W allace DScott Zeron
To view replay click here
Reibercrombie ($6.20) and driver Jody Jamieson took the
other Cam Fella division when they scored in 1:53.1. It
was the second victory this year in seven starts. Jody
Jamieson left for the early lead with Reibercrombie but
was eventually pushed back in the three hole nearing the
half. They pulled first over from that spot at three quarters
and swarmed in on the pacesetting Guns An Roses (Jack
Moiseyev) entering the stretch to draw clear 1-1/2 lengths
to the wire. Mach W heel (Joseph Hudon Jr.) followed the
winner’s cover to rally up for second while Audreys Dream
(Scott Zeron) finished third after a pocketsitting trip.
Reibercrombie is a 5-year-old gelded son of Cheyenne
Rei-Abso Skippy that has now won 17 career races in 45
starts with earnings of $187,559 for trainer Casie
Coleman, who also owns a piece with Steve Calhoun.
11, Wdb, PACE, $27,000. NW $25,000 LAST 5 STARTS.
AE: NW $160,000 LIFE. 27.1, 56.1, 1:23.2, 1:52.4, FT
Hare Craft (b,g,4 - Yankee Cruiser-Hare Trigger-Jennas Beach Boy) O-Steve L Heimbecker, Aaron
Byron B-Schare D Adams,KY T-Ryan Maxwell D-Randall
W aples. Lifetime Record: 34-13-8-2, $249,602
To view replay click here
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HarnessRacingUpdate.com
• 3/4/12 PAGE 9 of 9
Saturday’s Results:
5, YR, $20,000, Pace, NON-W INNERS OF $18,000 IN
LAST 6 STARTS, 27.0, 55.1, 1:22.4, 1:51.4, FT
Big Bay Point (g, 5, Camluck--Great Memories, by
Apaches Fame), $30,000 2008 CAN-OPEN O-Lightning
Lane Stable. B-W arrawee Farm, CA. T-Lou Pena.
D-George Brennan, $10,000, Lifetime Record: 63-17-10-9,
$403,021
To view replay click here
6, YR, $33,000, Pace, OPEN HANDICAP POST POSITIONS 1-3 ASSIGNED POST POSITIONS 4-8 DRAW N,
27.0, 56.0, 1:23.3, 1:52.3, FT
1-Tobago Cays (h, 5, Rocknroll Hanover--Bunny Lake,
by Precious Bunny), $45,000 2008 SHS-HBG O-Brian
Nixon. B-W Springtime Racing Stb & John W Stark Jr.
T-Ross Croghan. D-Jim Pantaleano, $16,500, Lifetime
Record: 76-15-9-10, $501,288
2-Rock To Glory (g, 4, Rocknroll Hanover--Faded Glory,
by Laag), $25,000 2009 LEX-SEL O-Mac T Nichol, CA.
B-Emerald Highlands Farm & W James Sprow III. T-Casie
Coleman. D-Eric Goodell, $8,250
3-Real Nice (g, 7, Real Artist--Dreamland's Jo Jo, by
W estern Hanover), $25,000 2006 SHS-HBG O-Beverly &
Gary R Paganelli & Anthony C Scussel. B-Dreamland
Farms. T-Richard Banca. D-Jason Bartlett, $3,960
Calls: 5T, 2, 1H, 1H, 3H
Finish Order: Code Word, Jerry's Brown Gold, Gallant
Yankee, Fitz's Z Tam, Sea Venture
To view replay click here
7, YR, $25,000, Pace, NON-W INNERS OF $32,000 IN
LAST 6 STARTS, 27.3, 57.1, 1:25.0, 1:53.1, FT
Andy Roo (g, 7, The Panderosa--Shelly's Smile, by
Cambest), $30,000 2006 SHS-HBG O-Baron Racing
Stable. B-Frederick W Hertrich III & Lewis Arno. T-Pj
Fraley. D-George Brennan, $12,500, Lifetime Record:
124-29-24-18, $604,763
To view replay click here
8, YR, $27,000, Pace, W INNERS OVER $25,000 IN LAST
6 STARTS HANDICAP POST POSITION 1 ASSIGNED
POST POSITIONS 2-7 DRAW N POST POSITION 8 ASSIGNED, 27.2, 56.3, 1:24.3, 1:53.1, FT
Wayne The Lefty (g, 5, Allamerican Ingot--Camiana, by
Camluck), $12,000 2008 LEX-SEL O/T-Lester Gelardi Jr.
B-Anvil Hill Farm LLC. D-Larry Stalbaum, $13,500, Lifetime Record: 56-14-14-7, $282,906
To view replay click here
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9, YR, $20,000, Pace, NON-W INNERS OF $18,000 IN
LAST 6 STARTS, 28.0, 57.3, 1:26.0, 1:54.3, FT
Hypnotist (g, 8, Astreos--Elanthropist, by Cam Fella)
O/T-Ettore Annunziata. B-Roger F Mayotte, CA & Ross
W arriner, CA & Stavros Kourgiantakis. D-Jason Bartlett,
$10,000, Lifetime Record: 156-25-24-15, $432,569
To view replay click here
10, YR, $20,000, Pace, NON-W INNERS OF $18,000 IN
LAST 6 STARTS, 28.2, 58.3, 1:26.3, 1:54.1, FT
Emjayem Grand A (g, 7, Bettor's Delight--Queen Xena,
by Silent Spring) O-R.B.H. Ventures Inc & Gerrie S
Tucker, CA. B-Brooklyn Lodge Aberdeen Pty LTD, AS.
T-Lou Pena. D-George Brennan, $10,000, Lifetime Record: 86-22-21-11, $304,380
To view replay click here
11, YR, $20,000, Pace, CLAIMING ALLOW ANCE $50,000
W INNERS OVER $65,000 IN LAST 6 STARTS NOT
ELIGIBLE. 3 YO 50%, 4 YO 25%, F&M 20%, 28.0, 56.2,
1:24.1, 1:53.0, FT
Report For Duty N (g, 10, Washington Vc--Aerospace,
by Sokys Atom) O-Gilberto Garcia-Herrera & Michi
Yvette Abday & Barbara D & Donald G Arnstine. B-B D
W est, NZ. T-Gilbert Garcia-Herrera. D-Tyler Buter,
$10,000, Lifetime Record: 105-30-9-15, $562,452
To view replay click here
12, YR, $23,000, Pace, NON-W INNERS OF $25,000 IN
LAST 6 STARTS, 27.1, 55.1, 1:24.1, 1:53.3, FT
Lucky Man (g, 7, Camluck--Under Her Spell, by
Artsplace), $90,000 2006 LEX-SEL O-Thomas Hill, EN.
B-Brittany Farms & Daisy Acres. T-Casie Coleman.
D-Mark Macdonald, $11,500, Lifetime Record:
103-22-19-15, $892,039
To view replay click here
3-3, Aversa. Premio A. Andreani (G2), $55,000. 1,660
meters. Auto start. 2:00.1 (mile rate)
Obama Gar (h, 4, S.J.'s Photo - Fancy Gar) O-Elena
Villani Orlando. B-All. Garigliano. T-Pasquale Palumbo.
D-Enrico Bellei, $27,500
3-3, Axevalla. Flerklasslopp. $60,000. 2,640 meters. Volt
start. 2:01.2 (mile rate)
Belgrado (h, 5, Pine Chip - Donna Degato) O-Boko
Stables Holland BV. B-Broline International AB. T & D-Per
Lennartsson, $30,000