2021 Hambletonian

by Bob Heyden for the Hambletonian Society

This is the first Hambletonian — or Hambletonian Day — where Joe DeFrank is no longer with us. The Hall Of Famer passed away Dec. 12, 2020. I didn't want to say "race secretary;" that would be like calling Wayne Gretzky a capable skater.

Joe did it all. Another Hall Of Famer, Bob Quigley — the very first general manager in Meadowlands history — said, "Hiring Joe DeFrank was the greatest hire I ever made."

There can hardly be an easier assignment than to ask someone to do a story on Joe DeFrank. The enormity of his accomplishments are all still evident today. Nobody's DNA is in more places than Joe's this coming Saturday (Aug. 7).
 
I am very proud to say I knew the man, but more from a distance. Joe had this way of letting people do their jobs. And if you did it well and really worked, there was nobody better to have in your booth — in the corner — than Joe. But, then again, he demanded that — in mostly a quiet way. The majority of those I talked to were either flat-out intimidated by him — some made sure they tiptoed quietly through the night — but all got the job done. He was a man you very much wanted to please.

In the almost 45-year history of The Meadowlands, nobody had a bigger presence than Joe.

Joe was the recruiter of the stars. The Meadowlands opened with names like Greg Wright, Ben Webster, Buddy Gilmour, Mike Gagliardi, Ted Wing, Jim Doherty. And that's to say nothing of the biggest names in the sport like Dancer, Haughton, Miller, Garnsey, and, well, you name it. Bill O'Donnell was denied stalls in New York in the winter of 1979 and quietly made his way to The Meadowlands. Joe was more than happy to have him.

One of the first things he insisted on was the 10-horse starting gate. And he demanded action. You came here to race, not to watch. If you worked hard and showed up, Joe was with you.

Joe was part of a dynamic team that included Sonny Werblin, public relations maven Allen Gutterman, and general manager Sam Anzalone. Bob Mulcahy came a bit later, and so did paddock judge Teddy Crowl and Joe Toscano. Everywhere you looked, there was a cohesive part of this machine in motion.

Right from the start, Joe envisioned big-money races — and everyone was on board. He got the ball rolling for the first Woodrow Wilson in 1977, which carried a then-record $280,000 pot and which No No Yankee won. (How proud would Joe be today that the six richest harness races ever held were all Woodrow Wilsons!) When Escort won the 1977 Meadowlands Pace — with $425,000 on the line, and in the wheelbarrows in the winner's circle — helicopters circled above to capture it for the news outlets. Even if you weren't yet a racing fan, you were quite aware that The Meadowlands was here — it wasn't just Giants Stadium anymore.

Series cropped up. The New Faces was the very series that gave Cam Fella his first ever stakes win in 1982. Hot Lead parlayed that into Pace glory in 1996. The Su Mac Lad, for free-for-all trotters, allowed us to see a superstar like Magician win it three straight years. The Presidential started in 1978 and provided a stage for the best older pacers to battle through the winter months. Red Bow Tie, Tune Town, Falcon Seelster — simply the best were on display. The Trendsetter allowed for potential late-blooming stars, and the Comforter did the same for the ladies. The Four Leaf Clover gave 4-year-olds who may not have been among the super elite a chance to shine on their own stage. Even those series that didn't last long — like the Skyline Series — had their memorable moments, like when Vanston Hanover ended Tuff Choices' record 13-race win streak in May 1985.

DeFrank's vision led to marquee events throughout the 1980s as well. The inaugural 'Million Dollar Babies' card, in July 1986, offered over $5 million in purses, and was renewed for each of the following three years. The World Cup attracted the world's best pacers from 1982 to 1985, including San Simeon, a Down Under pacer who may have set the all-time record for press coverage for a horse who did not win a race at The Meadowlands. Genghis Khan and Beatcha fiercely defended their home turf, and after yielding to Toughkenamon in 1984 with a nod to Down Under excellence, On The Road Again said enough of this in 1985 and swept the series. From 1985 to 1989, the Statue Of Liberty attracted the best of the trotting world. The only reason we saw Meadow Road race twice — and set two Big M track records — was because of this series, which also attracted the great Mack Lobell.
 
Let's move on to those who worked with and knew Joe the best.
 
Mike Lachance: "I knew Joe from 1968 at Batavia. To me — like, when I think of Keith Waples or Buddy Gilmour, I think of Joe DeFrank. One of a kind. Totally unique. He touched everyone's life who has ever set foot on a racetrack in his or her life. He would talk to everybody — owners, you name it. I knew Don D'Andrea through Joe too. A truly great man who helped me whenever he could. In 1976 he wanted me there at the Meadowlands full-time ... I won a race with Tenacious Chip on the second night (Sept. 2, 1976). At the time, I had the best stable at Brandywine. So my brother Pierre went to the Meadowlands for, maybe, a month. But my horses were tired. After I left with them and came back home, Joe told me I should have seen him first. Anytime I would want to come back, he was all for it. One time, after I returned in 1988, a paddock judge was giving me some trouble, singling me out for no reason. Uncomfortable. Joe talked to him and took care of it immediately. He had your back. He had powerful respect all over."

Rod Allen: "A visionary that exceeded horsemen's wildest dreams. He created races that overshadowed the Grand Circuit. He made The Meadowlands the place to be without slot machines. He brought in young drivers and catapulted them to superstars. He brought together a team that promoted racing like the sport had never seen. There were race cards that were big-money eliminations where, out of 10 races, you likely had to win to make the final. It meant bringing in foreign horses to compete with a dominant horse to put on a show. That's what he did. He treated owners, trainers and drivers like royalty. Draws for big races were celebrated. Trophies were grand."

Veteran photographer Hugh Ducey: "Joe always gave a 'good job' when he thought you did something special. A great guy to know and to work for. But he didn't like helicopters. We had a draw for a big race one year in the helicopter and Joe was scared. We couldn't use any of the photos because the whites of his eyes were as big as saucers!"

JoAnn Looney-King, the first female driver in East Rutherford: "He was a true leader. Prominent. Open-door policy to all horsemen. The word 'great' would definitely encompass this man. They just don't make 'em like Joe anymore."

Ginny Whipple Berkner, one of the first two women hired to work in the offices in 1975, prior to the opening of The Meadowlands: "Yes, Eileen Barrett (later Quigley) and I worked at the Landmark, where we had the offices while the track was still being built. We wore hardhats every time we went over to the facility. Joe was larger than life. Dynamic. Everything got done. A monumental task to do so — remember Joe had to uproot to come to New Jersey. Beryl joined us shortly thereafter. Joe's office — I can see it now — had aluminum foil all around — a bridal suite. But things got done, no two ways about it."

Linda Toscano: "I was intimidated by him early on. I felt like I was going to the principal's office. I remember I had a trotter named Hornby Duke. We paid around $60,000 or a little more for him, but there was no class to race him in. There was a $50,000 claimer. I went to Joe and asked him if he could make it a $60,000 handicap also. He did. 'I can do that for you,' he said. He would write the class to fit your horse. The late closers that we know today were basically invented by Joe."

Dave Palone: "I remember talking to Joe about coming up to The Meadowlands with a few. I might have been 22 years old. I was terrified. He couldn't have treated me nicer. I was a young kid from Washington, Pa., with no real stock to speak of. Sure didn't need me. The first time I went into his office, he knew my name and he plugged me in with Magic (Bill O'Donnell) and John (Campbell). Starstruck."

Rick Kane: "I wish I had the opportunity to have worked in his company."

Blair Burgess: "I only dealt with him from afar. He was a legend. I feared the few times I had to call the Big M race office. I was a young trainer intimidated by the aura of the track, and he was its persona. The Meadowlands Pace was definitely its signature race. The Pace epitomized the track — a million dollars on the line, and the very best assembled to do battle. It really was bigger than the Hambletonian at the time, in my opinion. The race of the summer. He recruited all the great drivers that came there — even if they weren't great when they got there."

Bruce Riegle: "Joe was the race secretary in Cleveland when I first knew him through my father. Great guy. If he liked you, fantastic. If he didn't, well ... The first year at The Meadowlands, my brother Alan drove most of the horses. Joe wanted me to stay there full-time, but I was working with my father and I had an allegiance there. But he always welcomed me whenever I was there."

Joe Pavia Jr. "I was young, and he had the big office and the big desk in the back office. He was like the President. You didn't really see him without an appointment or unless he wanted to see you, and most of the time, you didn't want that to happen. You dealt with his people in the front, who were all very good to deal with. He was 'the boss;' he had a presence."

Mark Jordan: "A great race secretary. I raced under Joe at Windsor Raceway."

James Bernstein, who won a couple dozen races in the first couple years The Meadowlands raced in the late 1970s: "I met Joe in 1976. I had two horses racing at Yonkers, (including) a horse named Royal Spectator, who I claimed at Hazel Park. He couldn't handle the turns at Yonkers, and one night, Joe Marsh Jr. said to me I ought to see Joe DeFrank at The Meadowlands to see if he would let you race there. I drove over and walked into Joe's office. He was totally gracious. He said, 'Drop him in the box, Jim.' I was so impressed that he would just treat a two-horse stable trainer-driver so well. A great human being."

Historian John Berry: "In my eyes, Joe DeFrank played the most powerful role in the success of every single owner, trainer, driver in our grand sport. His only 'favorites' were the ones on the tote board. He gave us all an equal opportunity for success. Just a giant in our grand sport."

Steve Katz, from The Meadowlands, Lana Lobell, Sports Eye and Walnut Hall: "Joe and The Meadowlands were synonymous. He established the first-class culture that established the track as the sport's leader from the get-go. He ran the greatest race office in history. He was a man of vision and was still able to focus on the details. He was very award of all the aspects of the track operations."

Bob Boni, Northwood Bloodstock: "The expression was not yet in vogue, but Joe was truly a game-changer and definitely the right man at the right time. He knew what he was doing, what he wanted, and how to get it done. The elements of many of today's stakes bear his footprints."

Tony Ventriglio, owner of horses which have competed at The Meadowlands: "Always good with me. Classy man."

Peter Blood: "The best race secretary, promoter and organizer the sports business has ever seen."

Larry Rolla: "The man that was given a big job and did it well. He recognized the right people for every position and put them there. He also knew the good guys from the bad ones, but he always gave you a shot to redeem yourself. He was a fair and principled man."

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.--CBS Sports Network will present a 60-minute telecast of the $1 million Hambletonian, live from The Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J., on Sat., Aug. 7, from 5:30–6:30 p.m. (EDT). The Hambletonian is the richest race in the world for 3-year-old trotters. 

The broadcast will re-air a few hours later at 12 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 8.

CBS Sports Network has been the broadcast home of the Hambletonian since 2012, and will also showcase the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, the filly division of the Hambletonian.

 “The Hambletonian is one of the most important international trotting events in the sport of harness racing,” said Hambletonian Society president John Campbell, the organization that owns and administers 133 of racing's most important events. “The Society and its host track partners have secured national television for the Hambletonian for more than 40 years, and with the continued support of the Meadowlands and the U.S. Trotting Association we are proud to extend that record.”

Co-hosting this year's show are a pair of racetrack television veterans, Greg Blanchard and Emily Gaskin.

Blanchard, who will be making his third consecutive appearance on the Hambletonian broadcast, is the host of COSA TV, a digital platform that produces content and live race broadcasts from racetracks across Ontario. Over his career in racing that spans more than 30 years, Blanchard has served as the TV host and manager of media communications at Woodbine Entertainment, host of Bet Night Live, a weekly show broadcast nationally in Canada on The Score and as part of broadcasts on Sportsnet and TSN. Blanchard is currently the director of sales and retail operations for the Western Fair Association in London, Ont.

Gaskin is familiar to racing fans as the on-air racing analyst and race marketing manager at Harrah's Hoosier Park. Gaskin, part of the Hoosier Park broadcast team when the Indiana track hosted two Breeders Crown championship nights in 2017 and 2020, will be making her debut on the Hambletonian broadcast. The daughter of Indiana Hall of Fame horseman Ernie Gaskin, she has held various roles throughout the industry after graduating from the University of Kentucky with a degree in agricultural communications. The winner of the 2014 Breakthrough Award by the U.S. Harness Writers Association also serves on the board of trustees for the Harness Horse Youth Foundation.

Meadowlands TV personalities Gabe Prewitt and Jessica Otten will also provide analysis and interviews as part of the broadcast as segments of the racetrack's presentation will be interwoven into the one-hour show. Meadowlands announcer Ken Warkentin will provide his racing expertise and race call.

Emmy Award winner Mike Trager and the Trager Group have been executive producers of the Hambletonian broadcasts for the past 25 years. The award-winning team will be led this year by producer Peter Lasser, also a veteran of Hambletonian and harness racing broadcast.

CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, is available across the country in more than 99 million homes nationwide. CBS Sports Network televises nearly 600 live events and over 3,000 hours of live programming every year including live college football, college basketball, and more from the MW, AAC, Big East, C-USA, A-10, Army, Navy, and the Patriot League. CBSSN is also the home to Professional Bull Riding and Big3 Basketball. For more information, and to access the CBS Sports Network channel finder, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

August 4, 2021, by Rich Fisher, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Trenton, NJ — When Sonofamistery gets behind the gate for Saturday’s $1 million Hambletonian at The Meadowlands, co-breeder Christine Cone feels he will have an angel on his back.

He also has a heart on his head and, in a cool but somewhat mysterious way, the two are nicely interwoven.

The angel is Christine’s late mom, Claudean, the founder of Millstream Farm, who bred Sonofamistery with her daughter and Aldebaran Park Inc. The heart, according to the word around Millstream, is Claudean’s way of telling everyone this horse has what it takes.

The discoverer of this phenomenon was Christine’s fiancé Michael Midford, who also works at the Cream Ridge, N.J., breeding farm. The two are getting married next May in the ski town of Whitefish, Montana.

“A couple weeks after my mom had passed (in September 2019), my fiancé was driving around the farm and he noticed this heart shaped puddle — it was kind of eerie,” Cone said. “After someone passes you look for signs around you and he came to me and said, ‘Chrissy, I think you need to come and look at this.’ So, we went out, I looked at it and said, ‘OK, that’s a little strange.’”

It gets stranger.

“The puddle dried up,” Cone continued, “but it just kept coming back and coming back and it kept coming right up to a week prior to the Harrisburg sale (in 2019) when Sonny had sold. And it never showed up again. Looking at the puddle, it was exactly (the same shape of) Sonofamistery’s perfect heart on his head. I mean, it comes down to one size is bigger than the other. It’s just an eerie little thing.”

So, this was Claudean at work?

“I think so,” Christine said. “My mom and life and death work in mysterious ways. This was one of them and certainly her trying to tell us ‘You know what, he’s going to be OK.’”

He’s a bit more than OK at this point. A son of Muscle Hill out of Mistery Woman, Sonofamistery is one of Saturday’s favorites on the morning line at 4-1. Owned by S R F Stable and Holly Lane Stud East LTD, he will start from post six with three-time Hambletonian-winning driver Brian Sears and has been improving throughout the season.

After going winless in his first three starts, the horse has won twice in his last five. He has three seconds and a third and has earned $142,132 after a 2-year-old season in which he won three times for $27,500 in eight starts.

Asked if Sonofamistery has picked it up lately, Cone said, “I think absolutely. He’s got freakish speed just like his dam. Mistery Woman is a world champion in her own right. With that being said, he definitely has both mom and dad’s freakish speed. He needed to figure it out and mature and it seems that he has done so.”

Much of that has to do with the work of trainer Marcus Melander, driver Sears, and caretaker Elise Tillerflaten.

“You can’t have a better team,” Cone said. “Having those three is a dream team going into the Hambo. When we sold him and he got into Marcus’ hands, I knew that he would excel to the best of his ability.”

She credits Sears for much of the recent success.

“I think he’s become versatile,” said the recent birthday girl. “Brian has done a fantastic job of kind of teaching him more this season how to come from behind and how to chase a target. I think that’s extremely important, especially in the Hambletonian. I think Brian is going to have the ability to do what he needs to do and hopefully get there at the end.”

The Millstream gang will be at The Meadowlands to watch it play out, after spending a nervous weekend in Cape May, N.J., to celebrate Christine’s 40th birthday. Cape May’s neighboring south Jersey shore resort, Wildwood, is usually known for being the more rowdy of the two towns, with the Cape having a somewhat serene atmosphere.

But the Cone entourage flipped the script on that one while watching last Saturday’s elimination race at the oceanfront La Mer Hotel. When Sonofamistery qualified for the final by finishing fourth, the noise in the room drowned out the waves crashing on the beach.

“Shockingly enough, we were not told to be quiet,” Cone said with a laugh. “I thought we would definitely get a phone call saying we needed to keep it down. Our mantra has been ‘Top five, just get into the finals.’ And we were just ecstatic to have that top five happen.”

The explosion came after holding in a lot of angst for 24 hours.

“We’re here for my 40th birthday; you’ve got to do something big right?” said Christine while sitting on the beach Tuesday. “We came on Saturday and went to dinner. Mike and I were looking at each other just not wanting to talk about it being elimination night. It was one of those feelings we just kind of had knots in our stomach. It couldn’t come soon enough but at the same time it was a big relief to be top five.”

And while there is still work to be done, Sonofamistery is proving to his breeders that their early opinions of him are correct.

“I knew from day one he was something special,” Christine said. “When he was born, he really just kind of ruled the roost on the farm and he kind of had that look in his eye where you knew this colt was a little bit different. My mom saw him, and she completely fell in love with him and said, ‘I do think this guy is something.’

“I think my mom would be over the moon about this; and I know she still is. He has an angel on his back every time he races.”

For those who believe in omens, that angel has had no problems sending down positive re-enforcement.

By Lisa Harkema for the Hambletonian Society

Both Hambletonian fields are high in quality this year, but from a breeding and pedigree perspective they are very dissimilar. Although nothing significant in itself can be deduced from two fields of 10 trotters, it is interesting to compare and contrast the two fields and ponder the question: Is the breeding of trotters in North America going to continue along the lines of what we see in the Hambletonian Oaks – or will North American breeders more be more inspired by what we see in the Hambletonian final?

From a pedigree perspective, the Hambletonian Oaks field is, more or less, as one could have guessed a year ago. Chapter Seven has three finalists (Contested Hanover, Darlene Hanover and Iteration), while seven other stallions (Bar Hopping, Cantab Hall, Donato Hanover, Father Patrick, Muscle Hill, Southwind Frank, Trixton) have one finalist each. One would normally expect Muscle Hill to produce more than one finalist, but three of his sons are also on that list. Muscle Hill is also the broodmare sire of You Ato Dream, and is thus represented in many ways. Even though SJ’s Photo and Majestic Son are on the list of broodmare sires, the pedigrees of the Hambletonian Oaks finalists are, to simplify slightly, quite typically North American; a mix of Valley Victory and Garland Lobell with the occasional appearance by American Winner, Kadabra, Balanced Image, SJ’s Photo, Pine Chip and a few others.

The field of 10 in the Hambletonian, however, is quite historic from a pedigree perspective. Most of the finalists have a pedigree that can be classified as “typically North American,” but certainly not all. For the first time, you have a French sire, a French broodmare, and pacing blood represented at the same time.

By themselves, none of those elements are new.

French sires have been represented before. If we ignore Market Share, which is “only” one-quarter French, International Moni paved the way for French sires by winning his elimination four years ago. Last year Ready For Moni duplicated that feat, and then he and Back Of The Neck represented their sire Ready Cash very honorably in the final, finishing second and third, respectively.

French mares have also been represented before, though only on one single occasion. In 1983, Doug Ackerman drove Brittany Bay to a ninth-place finish in the first heat won by Joie de Vie. The son of Speedy Somolli and French mare Bretagne was a nice horse, but no champion, and played no part in the outcome of the 1983 Hambletonian.

Pacing blood has also been represented before. 1976 heat winner Zoot Suit was out of pacing mare Glad Rags, while 1984 finalist Sandy Bowl was out of a trotting, though pacing-bred, mare. In earlier times, it was not uncommon for quite a few horses to have some pacing element relatively close up in their pedigree, though not recently.

This year, for the first time ever, all of those elements are represented.

Love You is the sire of two horses in the eliminations. Rattle My Cage broke in the final stretch and missed out on a spot in the final. Venerate, on the other hand, put in a good race and finished third in his elimination. Love You is a fascinating stallion. Now 22, he is still one of the best stallions around. He combines the characteristics of French super stallion Coktail Jet, the legendary Italian super stallion Sharif di Iesolo and Howard Beissinger’s old star Speedy Somolli in a potent high-quality mix. Ever since his first crop born 2004, he has produced stars. Love You has produced winners of the almost every top race in Europe.  Through International Moni, he was not too far away from producing a Hambletonian-winning son. Can Venerate pull it off this year for this aging French stallion? Only a decade ago, the thought seemed ridiculous. Now, however, the idea of a French stallion producing a Hambletonian-winner seems a very real possibility.

Love You & Jean Pierre DuBois photo (Gerard Forni)

In France, Love You has been surpassed by Ready Cash. The two lines combine excellently, as illustrated by Bold Eagle and Face Time Bourbon. Both are the result of Ready Cash bred to a Love You daughter. Ready Cash is also present in the pedigrees on Hambletonian day through Cuatro de Julio. The son of Trixton is out of French-born broodmare Clarabelle, a daughter of Ready Cash. Clarabelle was a nice trotter in France, though not good enough to compete with the best in the 2012 crop. After finishing her career on Jan. 5, 2017, Clarabelle was flown to the US and bred to Trixton. The resulting foal, Cuatro de Julio, is an exciting outsider for this year’s Hambletonian trophy. While longshot Brittany Bay’s possibility of winning the 1983 Hambletonian surely was seen as an impossible proposition, the fast Cuatro de Julio has shown that he is a horse to be respected.

Cuatro De Julio (Deuce Photo)

There could so easily have been another Ready Cash representative, but Dancinginthedark M broke in the last turn in his elimination and thus missed out a spot in the final. Dancinginthedark M is a son of Readly Express, the blue-blooded Swedish-born winner of the 2018 Prix d’Amerique. Readly Express’ maternal pedigree goes back to Matina Hanover, dam of Mack Lobell, and features European elite stallions Viking Kronos and Sugarcane Hanover. Had Dancinginthedark M qualified to the final, he would have been a candidate to become the third winner in only four years to have a pedigree completely void of Valley Victory (Forbidden Trade and Perfect Spirit are the other two).

As mentioned above, in earlier times it was not uncommon for trotters to have some pacing element relatively close up in their pedigree. One curious example is the legendary Greyhound, whose both paternal and maternal grandmother were pacers (and oddly enough, both with a p2:04 ¼ record).

In the last 50 years, few North American breeders have been willing to experiment by crossing the two gaits. Norman Woolworth had no qualms about experimenting, and the 1976 heat winner Zoot Suit was one such trotter. In recent years, Richard Hans in Maryland has bred numerous mares to his pacing stallion Cam’s Rocket. The best one to emerge from these experiments, the world champion Googoo Gaagaa, was a spectacular trotter when he was sound. The now 12-year-old Googoo Gaagaa was exported to Sweden two years ago, but not before producing Captain Corey. The 3-year-old colt won his elimination heat in impressive fashion, and will be one of the favorites in the final. He could be the first Hambletonian-winner to trace his paternal pedigree to Meadow Skipper.

Though North American breeders are skeptical, European breeders are not scared of mixing pacers and trotters. In Europe, Zoot Suit was tremendously popular, and had close to 1,500 foals. In Sweden, Googoo Gaagaa’s book is full and closed, while Hayden Hanover – a pure-bred pacing son of Somebeachsomewhere – has been a relatively popular stallion in his first year at stud. Several breeders have also imported pacing mares and bred them to trotting stallions. This year’s winner of the Elitlopp, Don Fanucci Zet, is a son of Hard Livin and pacing mare Kissed By The West – a daughter of Western Terror out of a Jenna’s Beach Boy mare.

Googoo Gaagaa winning 2012 Colonial at Harrah's Chester (World Wide Racing Photo)

Many of the best European trotters are Franco-American pedigree crosses, and many European breeders focus on finding optimal such crosses. For many years, it made absolutely no sense for North American breeders to even considering mixing French and North American bloodlines, since the North American trotters had a lot more speed than their French counterparts. Today’s French trotter, however, is nothing like the big, bulky and considerably slower French trotter so typical in earlier times.

A few breeders have dared to think outside the box in the last decade or two, and used European stallions like Revenue S, Love You and Ready Cash – or even Infinitif, Daguet Rapide or Kaisy Dream. As the results with Revenue S clearly show, when you use outcross stallions, things are a bit more hit and miss. But, when it’s a hit, it can pay off spectacularly. To illustrate: Ready Cash had six North American foals born 2017 – and two made it to the 2020 Hambletonian, where both finished in the top three. What are the odds?

In short, the 10 starters in the Hambletonian Oaks, where the bloodlines are dominated by Valley Victory and Garland Lobell, with a few other bloodlines making cameo appearances here and there, can easily be seen to represent the status quo. The 10 starters in the Hambletonian are much of the same, but include examples of pacing bloodlines and French bloodlines on both the paternal and maternal sides. The interesting question from a pedigree perspective is if this is a sign of things to come in North American breeding, or if this is an anomaly?

In Europe, these diverse kinds of pedigrees are much more common, but will North American breeders follow suit, or will they stick to the same old formula?

August 3, 2021, by Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager

 East Rutherford, NJ — Elimination winners Captain Corey and Delayed Hanover will start Saturday’s $1 million Hambletonian Stakes final for 3-year-old trotters from posts four and one, respectively, at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

Captain Corey was made the 3-1 morning-line favorite. Delayed Hanover is the 7-2 second choice.

The elimination winners were guaranteed posts within positions one through five. The remaining eight horses in the field received their post in an open draw following the draw for the elimination winners.

The Hambletonian and $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old female trotters will air live from 5:30-6:30 p.m. (EDT) on CBS Sports Network. First-race post time on Hambletonian Day’s stakes-filled card is noon.

Ake Svanstedt trains both Captain Corey and Delayed Hanover, as well as Hambletonian finalist Ambassador Hanover, who will start from post nine. Svanstedt won the 2017 Hambletonian with Perfect Spirit.

Captain Corey won his July 31 elimination by 1-1/2 lengths over Really Fast in 1:51.2. Svanstedt drove the colt, a son of Googoo Gaagaa-Luv U All bred by Carter Duer. He has won two of four races this year and seven of 11 in his career, with earnings of $415,333. He is owned by S R F Stable, Knutsson Trotting Inc., Midnight Sun Partners Inc., and Ake Svanstedt Inc.

“He was good,” Svanstedt said. “We had a little problem with him this spring, but I think he was still growing a lot. I think that was his problem. He didn’t have the same gait. He has a long stride, but he didn’t have that. (Last Saturday) it was the old Corey again. Now, he has his long stride again. I think he can be even more sharp this week.”

Delayed Hanover won his elimination by two lengths over Cuatro De Julio in 1:51.1. The son of Southwind Frank-Don’t Wait Up has won three of five races this year and four of 12 lifetime, earning $259,318. He is owned by Mellby Gard Inc. and Ake Svanstedt Inc. He was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms.

In his start prior to the Hambletonian eliminations, Delayed Hanover finished second in a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial. He was timed in 1:50.3.

“He was good (in the Dancer), and he was maybe even better in his elimination,” Svanstedt said. “He is a very nice racehorse. He is good gaited and has a very good head. He is very serious when he gets behind the gate.”

Really Fast is one of three Hambletonian finalists for trainer Nancy Takter. He will start from post seven and is 5-1 on the morning line. Really Fast, a son of Muscle Hill-Stubborn Belle, was unraced at age 2 and has won four of eight starts this year. He is owned by Brixton Medical Inc., Hatfield Stables, Marvin Katz, and Al Libfeld, who bred the colt.

The most recent unraced 2-year-old to win the Hambletonian was Tagliabue in 1995.

“(Really Fast) didn’t race at 2, so you’re trying to teach how to be a racehorse while you’re competing at the absolute highest level,” Takter said. “That’s not your ideal situation. He’s obviously a very nice horse, just to be able to make up all the ground that he’s made up from not racing last year. He seems to put it together when it counts. Maybe his pedigree shines through and he knows it’s a big deal that day.”

Dexter Dunn drove Delayed Hanover and Really Fast in their eliminations. Driver changes will be finalized by 11 a.m. Wednesday.

“Obviously, it’s a tough decision for Dexter,” Takter said. “He doesn’t have much history with either one of the horses. The seven hole is a good spot, you know you’re going to get involved in the flow. I like my chances. I think I have a really good horse going in, and he’s getting better and better. So, it’s going to be up to Dex to make the right choice.”

Takter said Yannick Gingras would drive Really Fast if Dunn picked Delayed Hanover.

Her remaining finalists are Locatelli (post five, 15-1) and Spy Booth (post three, 15-1).

Venerate, the 2020 Dan Patch Award winner for best 2-year-old male trotter, will start the Hambletonian from post eight for trainer Julie Miller and is 8-1. Sonofamistery, the field’s fastest trotter with a mark of 1:50.2, will leave from post six for trainer Marcus Melander and is 4-1.

Following is the field for the $1 million Hambletonian final, with listed drivers and trainers.

PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-ML
1-Delayed Hanover-Dexter Dunn-Ake Svanstedt-7/2
2-Take All Comers-David Miller-Jim Campbell-12/1
3-Spy Booth-Tim Tetrick-Nancy Takter-15/1
4-Captain Corey-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt-3/1
5-Locatelli-Andy McCarthy-Nancy Takter-15/1
6-Sonofamistery-Brian Sears-Marcus Melander-4/1
7-Really Fast-Dexter Dunn-Nancy Takter-5/1
8-Venerate-Andy Miller-Julie Miller-8/1
9-Ambassador Hanover-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt-15/1
10-Cuatro De Julio-Lucas Wallin-Marie Ortolan Bar-10/1

July 31, 2021, by Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager

East Rutherford, NJ — Ake Svanstedt trainees won both of Saturday’s $50,000 Hambletonian Stakes eliminations for 3-year-old trotters at The Meadowlands Racetrack, with Delayed Hanover capturing the first division and Captain Corey taking the second.

Svanstedt saw three of his four elimination starters advance to the $1 million Hambletonian final on Aug. 7 at the Big M, as Ambassador Hanover joined his winning duo.

The top-five finishers from each elimination moved on to the final.

Nancy Takter also had a trio of finalists. Really Fast was second to Captain Corey while Locatelli and Spy Booth were fifth-place finishers in their respective elims.

Completing the group of 10 horses advancing to the final were Cuatro De Julio, who was runner-up to Delayed Hanover, plus Sonofamistery, Venerate, and Take All Comers.

Elimination winners will draw for post positions one through five. The remaining finalists will go in an open draw after the elimination winners receive their post.

Post positions for the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks finals will be drawn at 1 p.m. Tuesday (Aug. 3) on Meadowlands Facebook live. Both finals will air live from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Hambletonian Day (Aug. 7) on CBS Sports Network. First-race post time on Hambletonian Day is noon.

In the first elimination, Delayed Hanover won by two lengths over Cuatro De Julio in 1:51.1. Ambassador Hanover, Sonofamistery, and Spy Booth completed the top-five finishers advancing to the Hambletonian final.

Dancinginthedark M, the 4-5 favorite, went off stride on the final turn. Zenith Stride, last year’s Peter Haughton Memorial winner, also made a break. On A Streak, the 2020 O’Brien Award winner from Canada, was scratched sick.

Ambassador Hanover led to the first quarter in :27.2 before Cuatro De Julio was put in motion and grabbed the lead in a :55.1 half. Cuatro De Julio stayed on top through three-quarters, reached in 1:22.4, but was unable to hold off Delayed Hanover in the stretch.

Dexter Dunn drove Delayed Hanover, who was third for most of the mile, for trainer Ake Svanstedt. Ambassador Hanover also is trained by Svanstedt, who handled the driving behind that colt.

“The pace was strong enough; I was happy where I was, we had a good spot there,” Dunn said. “(Dancinginthedark M) was outside of us on the last turn and made a break, so we had clear air. We followed (Ambassador Hanover) out in the straight and it felt like he was full of trot. When I moved him over, he certainly was. He showed a lot of speed.”

Delayed Hanover has won three of five races this year and four of 12 lifetime, earning nearly $260,000. He is owned by Mellby Gard Inc. and Ake Svanstedt Inc. He was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms.

Sent off at 6-1, Delayed Hanover paid $14.80 to win.

In the second elimination, Svanstedt-driven Captain Corey got the lead from stablemate Johan Palema in a :27.3 opening quarter and never looked back. He set fractions of :55.3 and 1:23.4 on his way to victory in 1:51.2. Really Fast, the 7-5 favorite, was second followed by Venerate, Take All Comers, and Locatelli.

“I didn’t pull up and everybody knows I have a good horse,” Svanstedt said about setting the tone with Captain Corey. “He raced (1):50.3 his last start, so he’s a good horse. He was the same today. I hope he can be even better with week-to-week races.”

Captain Corey is owned by S R F Stable, Knutsson Trotting Inc., Midnight Sun Partners Inc., and Ake Svanstedt Inc. The son of Googoo Gaagaa-Luv U All was bred by Carter Duer. He has won two of four races this year and seven of 11 lifetime, with career earnings of more than $400,000.

Sent off at 6-1, Captain Corey paid $15.40 to win.

July 29, 2021, by Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager

After each going winless in 2020, colt Johan Palema and fillies Bella Bellini and Piper Hanover have totaled 14 victories this season and are three of the four morning-line favorites in Saturday’s Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks eliminations for 3-year-old trotters.

Johan Palema, who earlier this month won the Yonkers Trot, is 5-2 on the morning line in the second of Saturday’s two $50,000 Hambletonian eliminations for the boys at The Meadowlands while Bella Bellini is 5-2 and Piper Hanover is 3-1 in the two $35,000 Hambletonian Oaks elims for the ladies.

Last year, the trio combined to go 0-for-20 with nine top-three finishes. This season, the three are 14-for-20 with no off-the-board finishes.

For trainer Richard “Nifty” Norman, who conditions Bella Bellini, the change in his filly has been remarkable. Bella Bellini has won six of nine races this year and finished second in all three defeats.

“It’s the biggest shock to me,” Norman said. “I’ve never had a horse improve so much from (age) 2 to 3. She’s a good horse, but you couldn’t tell that last year. Normally, you can tell something. She had speed, but that was it. She just struggled the whole time. But she matured, is sound, and is good now.”

Bella Bellini is owned by David McDuffee, who also bred the filly. She is by Bar Hopping out of Bella Dolce. Last year, Bella Bellini had a second-place finish in seven starts.

“If she hadn’t been a homebred, Dave probably would have sold her,” Norman said. “There was no clue she was going to turn out like she has.”

Bella Bellini heads to her Hambletonian Oaks elimination off a second-place finish behind Johan Palema in which she was timed in 1:50.4. Her final quarter-mile was :26.2 as she missed by a half-length despite a three-wide move around traffic on the last turn.

“She’s got a fantastic attitude and high speed,” Norman said. “She can catch them in three steps. When she makes her move, it’s a pretty undeniable move. She can go to from fourth to first like that.

“We’ll see (how good she can be). The next couple weeks are going to tell us. It’s easy to be confident now, but you’ve still got to get there. You’ve got to show up two weeks in a row and be really good two weeks in a row.”

The top-five finishers from each of the two Hambletonian Oaks eliminations advance to the $500,000 final on Aug. 7 at The Meadowlands. Norman won back-to-back Oaks with Personal Style in 2012 and Bee A Magician in 2013. McDuffee was part of the ownership group of Bee A Magician.

Over the past 40 years, only two fillies have won the Hambletonian Oaks after going winless at age 2: Jalopy in 2005 and Worldly Woman in 1992.

Piper Hanover, trained by Tony Alagna, was winless in seven races last year but hit the board four times, including in a division of the International Stallion Stakes and two legs of the Kentucky Sire Stakes. This season, she has four victories in six starts.

“She was a filly that had a lot of talent last year, but she was just immature,” Alagna said. “A lot of it was just her mental focus. She’s got that (focus) this year. We brought her back at 3 because we thought she would transition well from 2 to 3. She’s progressed even more than we anticipated. She’s been great.”

Piper Hanover, by Father Patrick out of Norman’s aforementioned Oaks winner Personal Style, won a division of the W.N. Reynolds Memorial on July 10 at The Meadowlands. Last week, she finished third in a division of the Arthur Tompkins Memorial at the Big M.

“The other day she was flat,” Alagna said. “We scoped her, and she had some mucous. We treated her, cleaned her up, and she scoped back good (Wednesday), so I hope she fires right back to where she had been up until then. She had no fight in her the other day, and that’s not her at all.”

Piper Hanover was bred by Brittany Farms and Mel Hartman. She is owned by Brittany Farms, Marvin and Lynn Katz, and Al Libfeld.

Alagna also has a starter, Beltassima, in the other Oaks elimination. She is the 3-1 second choice behind Bella Bellini. She has won three of six races this year, including the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship. The Trixton-Beltane Hanover filly raced for Jan Johnson last season but was purchased in April by Crawford Farms Racing.

“One of the reasons we bought her was because she was second in the (International Stallion) race when Piper was third in Lexington,” Alagna said. “I thought, if I like Piper enough to come back at 3, this filly is worth buying as well. She’s been very solid.

“She never raced anywhere but the Red Mile last year, so when she first came out of Florida (this spring) it took her a little while to transition to the limestone, but after that she’s been lights out.”

As for Hambletonian contender Johan Palema, he was winless in six races last year. He is 4-for-5 this season, with the first jewel in the Trotting Triple Crown, the Yonkers Trot, among his victories. The Hambletonian is the second jewel followed by October’s Kentucky Futurity.

“Last year, he was pulling all the time,” trainer Ake Svanstedt said. “When the gate opened, you couldn’t do anything else than leave fast with him. Now, he’s nice. We have trained him behind horses and raced him from behind. We couldn’t do that before because he was pulling so hard, he was so grabby. He’s a totally different horse this year.”

Johan Palema, owned by Bender Sweden Inc., is by Bar Hopping out of Sobti Hanover, who is a half-sister to near-millionaire Spellbound Hanover, the dam of 2016 Trotting Triple Crown winner Marion Marauder.

The colt is one of four Svanstedt horses in the Hambletonian elims. Captain Corey (5-1) is in the same elimination as Johan Palema while Ambassador Hanover (9-2) and Delayed Hanover (5-1) are in the other.

Dancinginthedark M, trained by Marcus Melander, is the remaining Hambletonian elimination favorite, at 2-1. The top-five finishers from each elim advance to the $1 million final on Aug. 7 at The Meadowlands.

The last Hambletonian winner who was winless at 2 was Tagliabue in 1995. He qualified once as a 2-year-old but never started a race.

Racing begins at 6:20 p.m. Saturday at The Meadowlands. For complete entries, click here.

The Big M and TrackMaster have teamed to regularly provide free past performances for each race card. Past performances can be found here on The Meadowlands website.

by JAY BERGMAN for the Hambletonian Society

In 1975, Joe DeFrank was hired by the NJ Sports and Exposition Authority to shape the future of harness racing in the multi-million sports complex planned for the swamps of Jersey. DeFrank stayed in that position for 30 years until his retirement. He passed away in 2020, and the Meadowlands management and Hambletonian Society honored DeFrank by titling the summer Grand Circuit meet that culminates in Hambletonian Day the Joe DeFrank Championship Meet.   Beryl DeFrank and family will be in attendance Hambletonian Day for a special presentation. – Editor’s Note.

 History depends a lot on who tells the story. In the case of the origin of The Meadowlands Racetrack, which opened on September 1, 1976 much has been dramatized in a “Field of Dream” scenario. “If you build it they will come,” is a glorified way of looking at it since the crowd that evening was enormous and stretched the limits of expectations.

The back story of history is far different than the one portrayed and one needs to look at the larger landscape that surrounded a barren area of New Jersey at the time great minds came together and imagined a New Jersey Sports and Exposition Complex. From strictly a harness racing perspective those who envisioned a “one-mile” track located close to metropolitan New York, anticipated dual use of the surface putting a course in that thoroughbreds would use as well. There was certainly enough land to fit the larger scale track but the wisdom of opening to harness racing at a time when half-milers at Yonkers and Roosevelt were the standards for the industry, came with great risk.

History never quite fully sees the big picture as specific events, such as the amazing first night, lay the foundation for tales large and small of how things first got started.

Joe DeFrank may have been a lot of things to a lot of different people but above all he was a dynamic visionary and a leader of men and, yes, horses too. The celebration of his life and legacy currently underway at The Meadowlands Championship Meet extends from his passion to bring the best horses to East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Inclusive among the many stakes events he added to his program is the 96th Hambletonian that will be contested on August 7 and of course The Meadowlands Pace, a signature event that he constructed by convincing horse owners to pay a series of escalating fees for nomination and then sustaining fees to help create a larger purse.

In today’s vernacular it was a “Go Fund Me” page contributed to by owners hungry to race for purses formerly unknown to this industry.

While all of the stakes races DeFrank helped conceive and flourish are certainly enough to put him in the harness racing Hall of Fame they pale in comparison to the actual work he and his intense and devoted staff put in to overcome extraordinary obstacles and create something magical. What has been forgotten to many is not lost on this observer who attended the opening night and fell in love with a new and exciting racing product that carried with it endless betting opportunities.

The half mile track racing at Yonkers Raceway not only drew strong crowds as they offered a winning product with just eight horses in a race and easy viewing of the entire field with or without binoculars. Gambling to those who made it a regular thing was then a science of understanding the movements of the regular driving colony as well as the nuances of ABC class racing. It was simple and easy to digest for regulars since the racing secretary determined the class and the betting public didn’t have to factor it in. Racing on half-mile tracks at the time was patterned far differently than we see today with fields generally four-in-four-out with a half a mile remaining. The challenge DeFrank and his associates faced at the time was somehow getting people to travel cross state lines number one, then convince them to wager on mile track racing, which before DeFrank’s Meadowlands typically featured eight horses following single file into a quarter-mile stretch before any actual activity took place.

 “Product” familiarity was another serious issue on DeFrank’s plate and he clearly recognized that while he couldn’t duplicate the exact scenario Yonkers and Roosevelt regulars had become accustomed to, he could create something bigger and better. The track itself would be a larger scale and many of the drivers and trainers that first came to The Meadowlands would be unfamiliar to many locals.

That DeFrank was somehow able to convince a broad swath of North America’s top training and driving talent to ship large stables to New Jersey was no small feat. Most of those successful stables were leaders in their own states and provinces and were venturing to new territory with expectations may not necessarily be fulfilled.  

The Meadowlands had to be a racing/gambling success in order to fund the promised overnight purses promised. Had DeFrank failed to attract a large ontrack audience, one that was not just willing to show up at the track, but also had to wager heavily -- then the powers at Yonkers and Roosevelt would still be laughing today.

 That turned out not to be the case, yet it wasn’t just about new drivers and new trainers and new horses at a new racetrack. That was just a mirage to what was really going on behind the scenes and more specifically on the racetrack. DeFrank appealed to horsemen on one end of the equation but also appealed to gamblers by increasing field size from eight over the half mile track to 10 at The Meadowlands. He knew in 1976 that larger fields offered more variables and eventually would lead to better prices.

While Yonkers and Roosevelt held the stage prior much of its nightly racing was patterned by speed tickets where the horses racing first and second from the start would finish that way. That’s why DeFrank’s abandonment of the ABC class system was revolutionary to many and ran the risk of asking too much from gamblers that lived and breathed it their entire careers. Yet that’s exactly where his true genius as a racing secretary comes in. In offering a system based on earnings DeFrank was appealing to horsemen from all parts to come to a track open to prosperity. The thought at the time was that many trainers would be able to show up with quality horses and have them primed to win at realistically reduced levels. It was all the inducement DeFrank needed to attract the horsemen who would provide the foundation for The Meadowlands.

With horsemen in place, it may look as if DeFrank’s job was successful just by putting together a few racing programs and of course the overwhelming presence of racing fans in the stands, but that’s only where he began the journey towards creating the most competitive brand of harness racing this country has ever seen.

DeFrank knew from day one that his mile track racing could not prove competitive at the highest level if horsemen proved reluctant to use their horses before the quarter-mile stretch run. He understood what he was facing in trying to capture and captivate gamblers to wager on larger fields if the bettors never got to see their horses in the picture contending for the win. DeFrank understood gamblers and gambling and he recognized he would lose more fans than gain them if the racing product was unnecessarily boring.

Word has it that DeFrank in his very first meeting with the horsemen let it be known that his mile track racing at The Meadowlands was going to be different. He told all drivers and trainers that he wanted to see movement and if horses were on the outside they best be moving forward. DeFrank was not the type to be “asking” any favors of anyone. His request to the drivers was a demand and over the course of the first years at The Meadowlands those who failed to follow his demands found themselves racing at other tracks. DeFrank held the keys to the stable area and if a particular driver or trainer failed to follow his strict racing guidelines there would be no rooms at the “inn” for their horses in the following seasons.

Of course, there was grumbling on the horsemen’s side at the time as many were not accustomed to being questioned about their behavior on the racetrack by anyone but the judges. In DeFrank horsemen quickly found out that he was someone who didn’t go home after the races were drawn. DeFrank watched the races and had his associates report to him about what they saw or didn’t see in each race every night. For some this would inevitably lead to being summoned to his office following a night’s work and being issued a stern warning.

DeFrank’s leadership may have been tough love to some, but it would lead to some core values that helped propel The Meadowlands brand as the ideal blend of opportunity for horsemen and gamblers alike. That’s not something that could easily be achieved without a stern force at the helm.

While there was certainly a learning curve for horsemen and gamblers alike adjusting to the conditioned racing program DeFrank was mindful of not being played by horsemen who might be looking for a drop in class of their own making. The nuances required to understand this dynamic are often missed by many in the sport, but DeFrank was sharp and simply would not allow a horse or horsemen entry into a particular race if he believed there was any kind of lack of effort involved in getting there.

What’s fascinating looking back in time at the early days of The Meadowlands is just how intuitive DeFrank and his staff were when it came to putting together a complete card of racing. This was not simply drop in the box and draw for DeFrank, as he meticulously went over all the entries. Over time there proved to be a “DeFrank effect” when there were two separate divisions of the same class on a given program. To understand the subtle nature of DeFrank’s impact say 20 horses that were all non-winners of $8,000 in their last six starts entered for a particular card. DeFrank and his associates would attempt to take the best 10 from the group and place them in one division and the other 10 in another race. In doing so DeFrank was assuring himself and the gamblers two solid competitive fields to wager on. His expertise was from years of experience and a keen eye. The horsemen would complain about this from time to time as not being fair, but for DeFrank the business of the Meadowlands and its ultimate success was more important than hurt feelings of a few.

When history judges Joe DeFrank’s Meadowlands legacy, it will recognize a strong personality with great conviction towards success. At times he led with an iron hand and while there may have been critics, his leadership was the single element in creating a brand of racing unseen before and in some ways missed today.

The 2021 Hambletonian will take place Saturday, August 7

East Rutherford, NJ – In Ken Warkentin’s final 2021 Road to the Hambletonian, elimination winners Delayed Hanover and Captain Corey are 1-2. Join in the Hambletonian discussion on twitter by using #hambo21. For all things Hambletonian visit TheHambo.com

1 | Delayed Hanover

Runner up to Dancinginthedark M in his Dancer division, rallied to a 6-1 upset with a new mark of 1:51.1 in his elimination, drew the rail in Hambo Final & picks up Yannick Gingras

| Hambletonian Elim |

2 | Captain Corey

PASS champion finished second (1:50.3) to Sonofamistery in a Dancer division, went all the way in a career best of 1:51.2 in his elimination, 3-1 ML favorite drew post four in Hambo Final

| Hambletonian Elim |

3 | Really Fast

Unraced at two, NJSS Final upsetter, 1:51.2 Tompkins-Geers division winner, first over runner up (1:51.3) to Captain Corey in his elimination, post seven in Hambo Final & Dexter Dunn’s choice

| Tompkins-Geers | NJSS Final |

4 | Take All Comers

1:52.3 Bluegrass winner at two, 1:53.2 PASS upset on June 23, second (1:52) in Reynolds division, rallied for fourth in :26.4 in his elimination, post two in Hambo Final

5 | Sonofamistery

Took a mark 1:50.2 from post seven in the slop in a Dancer division, finished fourth in his elimination, Brian Sears goes for a Hambo grandslam, post six in Hambo Final

| M1 Prep|

6 | Venerate

Dan Patch Award winner, 1:52.1 winner in the slop in the Reynolds, third (1:52.4) in a Tompkins-Geers division, rallied for third in the second elimination, post eight in Hambo Final

| Reynolds |

7 | Cuatro De Julio

1:53.1 NJSS division winner, second (1:52.2) in the NJSS Final, third (1:51) in a Dancer division, second (1:51.3) to Delayed Hanover in the first elimination, post ten in Hambo Final

8 | Ambassador Hanover

Empire Breeders Classic & Yonkers Trot elimination & Final runner up, 1:52.3 mark in a Tompkins-Geers division, third to stablemate Delayed Hanover in his elimination, post nine in Hambo Final & picks up two-time Hambo winner Scott Zeron

9 | Locatelli

NJSS division winner in 1:52.4 back on May 21, second placed first over Sonofamistery in 1:51.1 on June 25, finished fifth in the second elimination, post five in Hambo Final & gets Andrew McCarthy

10 | Spy Booth

Runner up to stablemate Really Fast in a Tompkins-Geers division, finished fifth in the first elimination, post three in Hambo Final & switches to Tim Tetrick

This season’s five fastest 3-year-old trotters – Dancinginthedark M, Sonofamistery, Johan Palema, Locatelli, and Really Fast – as well as 2020 award-winners Venerate and On A Streak were among 16 sophomore male trotters entered in the $1.1 million Hambletonian at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

Two eight-horse $50,000 eliminations will be contested Saturday, with the top-five finishers from each group advancing to the $1 million Hambletonian final on Aug. 7.

A total of 20 horses entered the filly companion event, the $570,000 Hambletonian Oaks, including 2020 O’Brien Award winner Donna Soprano and Breeders Crown champion Lady Chaos. The top-five finishers from Saturday’s two 10-horse $35,000 eliminations will meet in the $500,000 final, also on Aug. 7 at the Big M.

Elimination winners will draw for post positions one through five. The remaining finalists will go in an open draw after the elimination winners receive their post.

Post positions for the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks finals will be drawn 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3, on Meadowlands Facebook live. Both finals will air live from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Hambletonian Day, Aug. 7, on CBS Sports Network. First-race post time on Hambletonian Day is noon.

In Saturday’s second Hambletonian elimination, Yonkers Trot winner Johan Palema meets a field that includes 2020 Dan Patch Award-winning colt Venerate, 2020 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champ Captain Corey, 2021 New Jersey Sire Stakes champ Really Fast, and 2020 Breeders Crown runner-up In Range.

Ake Svanstedt, who won the 2017 Hambletonian with Perfect Spirit, trains Captain Corey and Johan Palema. The Yonkers Trot, held July 2, was the first jewel in this year’s Trotting Triple Crown, followed by the Hambletonian and October’s Kentucky Futurity.

Svanstedt also sends out two colts in the first elimination, Yonkers Trot runner-up Ambassador Hanover and Delayed Hanover.

The field also includes Stanley Dancer Memorial division winners Dancinginthedark M and Sonofamistery, both trained by Marcus Melander, 2020 O’Brien Award-winning colt On A Streak, and 2020 Peter Haughton Memorial winner Zenith Stride.

Dancinginthedark M won his Dancer division on July 17 in 1:50.1, this season’s fastest time, and Sonofamistery scored in 1:50.2. Melander also trains In Range in the other elim.

Really Fast is among three horses from the stable of Nancy Takter, along with Locatelli and Spy Booth. No trainers other than Svanstedt, Melander, and Takter have more than one entrant in the Hambletonian eliminations.

In the Hambletonian Oaks eliminations, Donna Soprano enters off a 1:51.3 win in a division of the Del Miller Memorial on July 17 at the Meadowlands for trainer Blais. The time is the fastest of the season by a 3-year-old filly trotter.

Her elimination, the second of the two, includes 2020 Indiana Sire Stakes champion Swift Swanda, Pennsylvania champ Flawless Country, New York-stakes standout Iteration, and recent Grand Circuit winner Piper Hanover.

The first elimination features Lady Chaos, You Ato Dream, Beltassima, Darlene Hanover, and Bella Bellini.

You Ato Dream, trained by Jeff Gregory, most recently won a Del Miller division by a half-length over Lady Chaos. Beltassima, from the stable of Tony Alagna, won the New Jersey Sire Stakes title in May and Brett Bittle-trained Darlene Hanover captured the 2020 Jim Doherty Memorial. Bella Bellini, a multiple winner this year on the Pennsylvania-stakes circuit for Nifty Norman, finished second to colt Johan Palema in her most recent start.

Racing begins at 6:20 p.m. Saturday at the Meadowlands.

Following are the fields for the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks eliminations.

Hambletonian Elimination One (Race 6)

PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-ML

1-Cuatro De Julio-Lucas Wallin-Marie Ortolan Bar-8/1

2-Zenith Stride-Andrew McCarthy-Mark Harder-15/1

3-Delayed Hanover-Dexter Dunn-Ake Svanstedt-5/1

4-On A Streak-Dan Dube-Luc Blais-8/1

5-Ambassador Hanover-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt-9/2

6-Sonofamistery-Brian Sears-Marcus Melander-3/1

7-Dancinginthedark M-Tim Tetrick-Marcus Melander-2/1

8-Spy Booth-Dexter Dunn-Nancy Takter-15/1

Hambletonian Elimination Two (Race 10)

PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-ML

1-Locatelli-David Miller-Nancy Takter-10/1

2-Rattle My Cage-Andrew McCarthy-Anette Lorentzon-12/1

3-Johan Palema-Yannick Gingras-Ake Svanstedt-5/2

4-In Range-Tim Tetrick-Marcus Melander-8/1

5-Really Fast-Dexter Dunn-Nancy Takter-3/1

6-Venerate-Andy Miller-Julie Miller-4/1

7-Captain Corey-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt-5/1

8-Take All Comers-David Miller-Jim Campbell-10/1

Hambletonian Oaks Elimination One (Race 5)

PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-ML

1-Contested Hanover-Scott Zeron-George Ducharme-15/1

2-Bella Bellini-Dexter Dunn-R. Nifty Norman-5/2

3-My Abigail-Dan Dube-Luc Blais-15/1

4-Lady Chaos-David Miller-Linda Toscano-5/1

5-Wet My Whistle-Yannick Gingras-Ake Svanstedt-12/1

6-Material Girl-Tim Tetrick-Lucas Wallin-15/1

7-You Ato Dream-Jeff Gregory-Jeff Gregory-9/2

8-Beltassima-Andrew McCarthy-Tony Alagna-3/1

9-Chablis-Todd McCarthy-Jonas Czernyson-20/1

10-Darlene Hanover-Scott Zeron-Brett Bittle-10/1

Hambletonian Oaks Elimination Two (Race 9)

PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-ML

1-Donna Soprano-Dan Dube-Luc Blais-7/2

2-Hot As Hill-David Miller-Ron Burke-8/1

3-Swift Swanda-Tim Tetrick-Erv Miller-9/2

4-Dutiful-Corey Callahan-Jonas Czernyson-8/1

5-Flawless Country-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt-15/1

6-Iteration-Brian Sears-Marcus Melander-10/1

7-Piper Hanover-Andrew McCarthy-Tony Alagna-3/1

8-Mazzarati-Tim Tetrick-Lucas Wallin-12/1

9-Awesome Trix-Brian Sears-Chris Beaver-8/1

10-Big City Pearl-Verlin Yoder-Verlin Yoder-20/1

Here are the 16 colts and geldings entered for the 2021 $1,000,000 Hambletonian. There will be two eliminations raced on Saturday July 31 to arrive at a field of 10 for Saturday, August 7.

The 2021 Hambletonian will take place Saturday, August 7

East Rutherford, NJ – Dancinginthedark M and Sonofamistery, both Marcus Melander trainees, are 1-2 in week 9 of the Road to the Hambletonian by Ken Warkentin. All things Hambletonian can be found at TheHambo.com #Hambo21

1 | Dancinginthedark M

Off an impressive 1:51.4 Reynolds division he reeled off the fastest trotting mile of 2021, a 1:50.1 Stanley Dancer division, Melander: “He’s really a super horse, very strong and really fast, but what makes him so great he can keep that speed a long, long time.”

| Stanley Dancer | M1 Prep | Reynolds |

2 | Sonofamistery

Wire-to-wire in a 3YO Open @ Big M in 1:51.2 on June 11, rebounded off late breaks in two consecutive starts & took a mark 1:50.2 from post seven in the slop in a Dancer division

| M1 Prep|

3 | Johan Palema

1:53.2 PASS winner in his 3YO debut @ The Meadows, won a Yonkers Trot elimination in 1:54.1, wire-to-wire in Final (1:55 in slop), took a mark of 1:50.4 in a Big M overnight on July 16

| MGM Yonkers Trot Final | MGM Yonkers Trot Elim |

4 | Venerate

Dan Patch Award winner rebounded with a gutsy post nine 1:52.1 score in the slop in the Reynolds, then broke in the first turn in the second Dancer division, post seven in Tompkins-Geers on July 24

| Reynolds | Qualifier | 2nd Qualifier |

5 | In Range

PASS winner in 1:52.3 @ The Meadows in his 3YO debut, third in Yonkers Trot elimination/Final, third to Johan Palema from post seven in a Big M overnight on July 16

| PA Sire Stakes |

6 | Captain Corey

2YO PASS champion took a new mark of 1:53 in his 2021 debut, rebounded off a break with a sharp 1:53 Big M qualifier on July 10, second to Sonofamistery in a Dancer division

7 | Delayed Hanover

1:53.4 Bluegrass winner at two, won his first two 3YO starts in PASS, 1:53 @ Pocono & 1:55 @ Phl, set the pace & finished second to Dancinginthedark M in the first Dancer division

8 | Take All Comers

1:53.2 PASS upsetter @ Phl on June 23, second (1:52) in a Reynolds division in rainy conditions on July 10, disqualified from third to sixth for interference in a Dancer division

9 | Cuatro De Julio

1:53.1 NJSS division winner in his 3YO debut, second (1:52.2) in the NJSS Final, freshened with a month off & finished third in the second Dancer division

10 | Ambassador Hanover

Won his 3YO debut @ Vernon Downs in 1:53, second in the EBC & Yonkers Trot elimination & Final, 1:55.3 NYSS winner @ Yonkers on July 13, post six in Tompkins-Geers on July 24

July 18, 2021, by Ray Cotolo, Meadowlands Media Relations

Lisa Photo

East Rutherford, NJ — Trainer Marcus Melander again heads toward the Hambletonian with a strong contingent as displayed by pupils Dancinginthedark M and Sonofamistery in the two divisions of the $273,500 Stanley Dancer Memorial on Saturday (July 17) at The Meadowlands.

In the first division, driver Tim Tetrick sat slightly off the wings at the field’s dispersal with Dancinginthedark M and settled into fourth while Delayed Hanover hustled to the lead around the first turn. Past the quarter in :27.2, Delayed Hanover asserted himself on the point when Take All Comers advanced first-over and dictated the tempo to a :54.4 half.

With Delayed Hanover speeding to the far turn, Take All Comers forced himself into a tight pocket as Brookview Bolt rolled up the inside but went off stride.

Meanwhile, Dancinginthedark M pulled first-over and ranged towards Delayed Hanover nearing three-quarters in 1:23.1. Dancinginthedark M continued to dig into a stubborn Delayed Hanover in the sprint down the straightaway and downed his rival in the final eighth to win by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:50.1. Take All Comers finished third, but was placed sixth for interference to Brookview Bolt in the backstretch. With the disqualification, fourth-place finisher Tangled Love assumed third.

“He matured a lot during the winter,” winning trainer Marcus Melander said after the race. “He’s really a super horse. He’s very strong — he can go really fast, but what makes him so great is (that) he can keep that speed a long, long time. That’s a big advantage.”

Collecting his seventh win from 12 starts, Dancinginthedark M has now banked $198,309 for owner-breeder Menhammar Stuteri Ab. The Readly Express colt paid $2.40 to win.

Sonofamistery sat off dueling leaders before launching to the center of the course and swooping to a 1:50.2 victory in the second Dancer division.

With 4-5 favorite Venerate losing stride into the first turn, driver Brian Sears sent Sonofamistery for the lead to a :27.3 first quarter before Captain Corey kicked out of the pocket and circled to the lead. Cuatro De Julio, racing third, angled first-over up the backside and matched strides with Captain Corey to a :55.3 half. The pair squabbled into the final turn while Sonofamistery lost ground to three-quarters in 1:23.1. But as the dueling duo grew leg weary in the straightaway, Sears fanned Sonofamistery off the pegs and soared to a 1-1/4 length victory over Captain Corey, with Cuatro De Julio finishing third and Rattle My Cage fourth.

Competing for S R F Stable and Holly Lane Stud East Ltd., Sonofamistery won his fifth race from 15 starts, banking $165,632. The Muscle Hill colt paid $11.00 to win.

The 2021 Hambletonian will take place Saturday, August 7

East Rutherford, NJ – Dancinginthedark M vaults to #1 in week 8 of Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Hambletonian.  Only two horses in Ken’s top ten are not racing this weekend – Locatelli and Ambassador Hanover.  The other eight are all racing at the Meadowlands Racetrack this weekend.  For all things Hambletonian visit thehambo.com. #hambo21.

1 | Dancinginthedark M

Won his 3YO debut in 1:52.3 in an overnight @ Big M on June 4, repeated in 1:52.1 on June 18, broke/distanced on June 26, took a mark of 1:51.4 in a Reynolds division in a driving rain on July 10, drew the rail in the first Stanley Dancer division on July 17

| M1 Prep | Reynolds |

2 | Venerate

Dan Patch Award winner won his first two qualifiers, broke in his 3YO debut @ Big M on June 26, rebounded with a parked out post nine 1:52.1 score in the slop in a Reynolds division on July 10, post three in the second Dancer division

| Reynolds | Qualifier | 2nd Qualifier |

3 | In Range

Won his 3YO debut in a career best of 1:52.3 in PASS @ The Meadows, broke/seventh in PASS @ Pocono, fourth placed third (1:52) @ Big M on June 11, third in a Yonkers Trot elimination, third in Final, post seven in a Big M overnight on July 16

| PA Sire Stakes |

4 | Johan Palema

Took a mark of 1:53.2 in his PASS 3YO debut @ The Meadows, second to stablemate Ambassador Hanover in a 1:53 PASS division @ Pocono, won a Yonkers Trot elimination in 1:54.1, wire-to-wire in Final (1:55 in slop), post five in a Big M overnight on July 16

| MGM Yonkers Trot Final | MGM Yonkers Trot Elim |

5 | Sonofamistery

Third in the NJSS Final, wire-to-wire in a 3YO Open @ Big M in a career best of 1:51.2 (:27.3) on June 11, lapped on break on June 25 & placed second (1:51.1), broke late again/second (1:52.1) in a Reynolds division, post seven in the second Dancer division

| M1 Prep|

6 | Locatelli

NJSS division winner in 1:52.4, fifth in the NJSS Final, a close second to Sonofamistery & placed first in 1:51.1 in an overnight on June 26, third (1:53) in a Reynolds division on July 10, not in to go

| NJSS | M1 Prep |

7 | Take All Comers

1:52.3 Bluegrass winner at two, followed up a 1:53.2 PASS upset @ Phl on June 23 with a second (1:52) in a Reynolds division in rain storm conditions on July 10, post five in the first Dancer division

8 | Captain Corey

2YO PASS champion romped to a new mark of 1:53 in his 2021 debut, then broke on June 23, rebounded with a sharp 1:53 Big M qualifier on July 10, post two in the second Dancer division

9 | Cuatro De Julio

Won 3YO debut in a 1:53.1 NJSS division, then second (1:52.3), second again (1:52.2) in the NJSS Final, won a Red Mile qualifier in 1:56.2 on June 30, post five in the second Dancer division

10 | Ambassador Hanover

Three-time NYSS winner at two, took a mark of 1:53 in his 3YO debut @ Vernon Downs on June 4, second in the EBC & Yonkers Trot elimination & Final, 1:55.3 NYSS winner @ Yonkers on July 13

Venerate photos by Ken Weingartner | Rattle My Cage by Lisa Photo

July 8, 2021, by Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager

Venerate entered this year as a horse everyone knew on the road to August’s $1 million Hambletonian Stakes final. Rattle My Cage? Perhaps not so much.

But those two colts are among 19 Hambletonian-eligible male trotters competing in Saturday’s W.N. Reynolds Memorial divisions at The Meadowlands as they embark on their last weeks of preparation for the sport’s premier event for 3-year-old trotters at The Big M.

Julie Miller-trained Venerate was the 2020 Dan Patch Award winner for best 2-year-old male trotter after winning five of 10 races, including the inaugural Mohawk Million and the Kentucky Sire Stakes championship. He is the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the second Reynolds division for the boys, leaving from post nine in an 11-horse field with driver Andy Miller.

Venerate has raced once this season, making his 3-year-old debut on June 26 against older rivals in a conditioned race at The Meadowlands. He went off stride on the last turn and finished ninth in a group of 10. Prior to that start, he won two qualifiers, including a 1:52.3 score on June 12.

“I’m pretty excited for him,” Julie Miller said. “He’s had a super week and he’s full of energy. I wasn’t too excited about post nine with a trailer (on Saturday), but you know what, they don’t hand it to you. You have to earn it.

“I think he can bring it. Carter (Pinske) and I have worked diligently, Andy as well, to get him to this point. Hopefully, we’re going to seal the deal these next couple months.”

Venerate, a son of French stallion Love You out of Peaceful Kemp, is owned by Pinske Stables and Andy Miller Stable Inc.

As for the colt’s miscue two weeks ago, Miller said, “It was just a hiccup. Andy went to move him and he got a little lost there. Let’s get the kinks out in those types of races and when the money is down, he’ll be there. I have all the confidence in the world in the horse and I look for a good race this weekend.”

Rattle My Cage, also a son of Love You, was lightly raced at 2, going winless in three starts. This season, he has won three of five races. He enters the Reynolds off back-to-back victories in conditioned events for 3-year-olds at The Meadowlands, with his most recent triumph coming in 1:52 on June 18.

The colt, out of the mare Caress The Senses, is the 7-2 second choice behind Venerate on Saturday. He will leave from post three with Tim Tetrick driving for trainer Anette Lorentzon.

“He showed promise last year, but it felt like he wasn’t really ready for the races we were aiming for, so we backed off a little,” owner Perry Soderberg said. “Instead of looking at the Grand Circuit, we wanted to get a few starts into him at the end of the year just for education before turning him out.

“Anette has done a heck of a job bringing him back, very nicely done. We’re happy. When I bought him as a yearling, he was phenomenal in the paddock, so I knew he had the gait and attitude. We just wanted to wait for him a little bit and put him on a different path for a while. It seems to have paid off.”

Soderberg, who bought Rattle My Cage under the name Lexingtonian for $40,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, hopes his colt’s path now continues to the Hambletonian.

“We paid him in, and I think he has the ability, but we just have to take it race by race and see what Anette and Tim think,” Soderberg said. “We’ll watch these (upcoming) races and see what happens.

“He doesn’t have the experience that some of the other ones have, but we gave him three weeks now and I think he’s fresh and sound and ready to go. Every race, I think he’s getting closer to the other ones in experience. I’m cautiously optimistic.”

The 3-1 morning-line favorite in the first Reynolds division for colts and geldings is Dancinginthedark M. Tetrick will drive the colt for trainer Marcus Melander.

Also on tap Saturday are two divisions of the Reynolds Memorial for 3-year-old female trotters. Lady Chaos, a Breeders Crown champ last season, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite for driver David Miller and trainer Linda Toscano in the first. Anoka Hanover, the 2-year-old filly Dan Patch Award winner, is the 3-1 choice in the second for driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Noel Daley.

Seventeen of the Reynolds fillies are eligible to the Hambletonian Oaks, which also makes them eligible to the Hambletonian if their connections decide to take on the boys.

Racing begins at 6:20 p.m. (EDT) at The Meadowlands on Saturday. The card also includes Graduate Series championships for 4-year-old pacers and trotters in addition to two eliminations of the Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-old pacers. For complete entries, click here.

East Rutherford, NJ - In celebration of the 96th edition of America's greatest harness race, the Hambletonian Society, Meadowlands Racetrack and Ghost Hawk Brewing Company have teamed up to provide fans and guests with Trotter’s Gold Golden Ale.

The $1 million Hambletonian will be raced Saturday afternoon, Aug. 7 as the finale to the championship meet at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Post time is 12 noon.

Labeled “Trotters Gold”, the Clifton, NJ based brewery has produced a crisp and refreshing golden ale with pilsner malt and Simcoe hops with a 4.9% abv.

Decorated brewmaster Chris Sheehan brewed the ale to be “perfectly balanced with flavors of cereal grain and citrus fruit. It’ll pull you over the finish line in the winning time!”

It will be sold exclusively at the Meadowlands Racetrack starting Friday, July 9th. 

The 16oz beer can label features 2020 Hambletonian winner Ramona Hill, the 15th filly in history to win the event.

“Co-owner of Ghost Hawk Tom Rachelski expressed interest in brewing a beer for us and I thought a special Hambletonian beer would be a hit,” said Rachel Ryan, Director of Marketing and Onsite Events.  “Beer is more approachable for the majority of our racetrack patrons and this is an easy drinking beer that is perfect for a summer night at the track.”

Ghost Hawk Brewing Company is a collaborative effort between two Clifton natives - Tom Rachelski and Steve Bauer. Fueled with the addition of decorated Brewmaster Chris Sheehan to the project in 2018, the brewery project kicked into high gear. Ghost Hawk Brewing Company opened its doors in April of 2019.

The 2021 Hambletonian will take place Saturday, August 7

East Rutherford, NJ - Six of the top ten horses in Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Hambletonian are in to go with week in divisions of the Reynolds stake at the Meadowlands.com. Rattle My Cage and Ambassador Hanover make their first appearances on the Road to list. For everything Hambletonian visit TheHambo.com or Hambletonian.com. #Hambo21

1 | In Range

Took a mark of 1:52.3 in his 3YO debut in PASS @ The Meadows, broke/seventh (1:53) in PASS @ Pocono, fourth placed third (1:52) @ Big M on June 11, third (1:55) in a Yonkers Trot elimination, a solid third (1:55.2) from post 8 in Final, not in to go @ press time

| PA Sire Stakes |

2 | Sonofamistery

Finished third in the NJSS Final, wire-to-wire in a 3YO Open @ Big M in a career best of 1:51.2 (:27.3) on June 11, lapped on break in Big M overnight on June 25 & placed second (1:51.1), post six in a Reynolds division on July 10

| M1 Prep|

3 | Venerate

Dan Patch Award winner won first qualifier on May 29 in 1:54.1 (:27.4), romped in qualifier on June 12 in 1:52.3 (:26.3), broke on final turn in 3YO debut @ Big M on June 26, looks to rebound from post nine in a Reynolds division on July 10

| Qualifier | 2nd Qualifier |

4 | Lindysmusclemania

1:51.4 (:26.4) NJSS division winner, broke as the heavy favorite in the NJSS Final, broke again in a 3YO Open on June 11, second (1:51.3) placed fourth, qualified @ Big M on June 26, second in 1:54.2 (:26.1), post ten in a Reynolds division on July 10

5 | Johan Palema

Took a mark of 1:53.2 in his PASS 3YO debut @ The Meadows, second by a nose to stablemate Ambassador Hanover in a 1:53 PASS division @ Pocono, won a Yonkers Trot elimination in 1:54.1, wire-to-wire in Final (1:55 in slop), not in to go @ press time

| MGM Yonkers Trot Final | MGM Yonkers Trot Elim |

6 | Dancinginthedark M

Won his 3YO debut in 1:52.3 in an overnight @ Big M on June 4, won again in 1:52.1 on June 18, broke/distanced in a Big M overnight on June 26, post four in a Reynolds division on July 10

| M1 Prep |

7 | Cuatro De Julio

Dominant 3YO debut in a 1:53.1 NJSS division, then second (1:52.3) with a late misstep, second again (1:52.2) by a neck the NJSS Final, won a Red Mile qualifier in 1:56.2 on June 30

8 | Locatelli

Won a NJSS division in 1:52.4, fifth in the NJSS Final, a close second to Sonofamistery & placed first in 1:51.1 in an overnight on June 26, post five in a Reynolds division on July 10

| NJSS | M1 Prep |

9 | Ambassador Hanover

Three-time NYSS winner at two, took a mark of 1:53 in his 3YO debut @ Vernon Downs on June 4, second in the EBC, Yonkers Trot elimination & Final, not in to go @ press time

10 | Rattle My Cage

2YO NJSS champion, second in Wm. Wellwood Mem., third (1:53.4) to Venerate in a Big M qualifier on June 12, third (1:54.2) with a :26.2 in a Big M qualifier on June 26, not in to go @ press time

The 2021 Hambletonian will take place Saturday, August 7

In Range takes over the top spot in Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Hambletonian Week 6. Locatelli and Johan Palema also make their first appearances on the top ten list. For everything Hambletonian visit TheHambo.com or Hambletonian.com. #hambo21.

1 | In Range

2020 Breeders Crown runner up, 1:52.3 career best in his 3YO debut in PASS @ The Meadows, broke/seventh (1:53) in PASS @ Pocono, fourth placed third (1:52) @ Big M on June 11, third (1:55) in a Yonkers Trot elimination, 7-2 second choice with post 8 in Final

| PA Sire Stakes |

2 | Sonofamistery

Melander sent out three finalists in 2019 & 2020, third in the NJSS Final, wire-to-wire in a 3YO Open @ Big M in a career best of 1:51.2 (:27.3) on June 11, lapped on break in Big M overnight on June 25 & placed second (1:51.1), not in to go @ press time

| M1 Prep|

3 | Venerate

2YO division champ won first qualifier on May 29 in 1:54.1 (:27.4), romped in qualifier on June 12 in 1:52.3 (:26.3), broke on final turn in 3YO debut @ Big M on June 26, not in to go @ press time

| Qualifier | 2nd Qualifier |

4 | Lindysmusclemania

1:51.4 (:26.4) NJSS division winner, broke as the heavy favorite in the NJSS Final, broke again in a 3YO Open on June 11, second (1:51.3) placed fourth, rebounded with a strong qualifier @ Big M on June 26, second in 1:54.2 (:26.1), not in to go @ press time

5 | On A Streak

O’Brien Award winner & Breeders Crown upsetter, third (1:55.2) in his 3YO debut @ Phl, won a TSS division @ Pocono in 1:56.2 (28.4), cruised in a 1:57 NW4 @ Yonkers on June 10, fourth (1:55.1) in a Yonkers Trot elimination, 10-1 ML with post two in Final

| PA Stakes |

6 | Dancinginthedark M

Won his 3YO debut in 1:52.3 in an overnight @ Big M on June 4, won again in 1:52.1 on June 18, broke & distanced in a Big M overnight on June 26, not in to go @ press time

| M1 Prep |

7 | Cuatro De Julio

Dominant 3YO debut in a 1:53.1 NJSS division, then second (1:52.3) with a late misstep, second again (1:52.2) by a neck the NJSS Final, won a Red Mile qualifier in 1:56.2 on June 30

8 | Locatelli

Won a NJSS division in 1:52.4 & fifth in the NJSS Final, rebounded off a break by finishing a close second to Sonofamistery & placed first in 1:51.1 in an overnight on June 26, not in to go @ press time

| NJSS | M1 Prep |

9 | Johan Palema

Took a mark of 1:53.2 in his PASS 3YO debut @ The Meadows, second by a nose to stablemate Ambassador Hanover in a 1:53 PASS division @ Pocono, won a Yonkers Trot elimination in 1:54.1, 3-1 ML favorite with post 3 in Final

| Yonkers Trot Elim |

10 | Southwind Tyrion

2YO NJSS champion, second in Wm. Wellwood Mem., third (1:53.4) to Venerate in a Big M qualifier on June 12, third (1:54.2) with a :26.2 in a Big M qualifier on June 26, not in to go @ press time

Meadowlands Racetrack

 East Rutherford, NJ - Admission and Promenade seating are now on sale for the greatest day in harness racing – the 96th Hambletonian on Saturday, August 7th at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

 Admission is just $5 and includes a commemorative Hambletonian hat for adults and sunglasses for kids. Doors open at 10 am with first race at 12 noon.  Parking is free.

 Twelve tables along the Promenade deck are also on sale. They seat four people and admission is included with the $300 ticket.

 Admission and promenade tables can be purchased at PlayMeadowlands.com/hambo

 Guests can also purchase outdoor Café tables and Lounge dining for Hambletonian Day.

 The Café will have waitress service and be tented for guest comfort. Guests can dine on racetrack staples including chicken wings and French fries, cheese steaks, burgers, pretzels, popcorn, ice cream and more. Reservations must be pre-paid and are $100 per table. Each table seats up to four people. The $100 is a food credit that can be used at the Café.

 The Lounge tables have seating for two or four with additional single seating also available. The ala carte dining features delicious Victory Sports Bar fare including ribs, crab cakes, wraps, burgers, loaded nachos, salads, tacos and more. The ticket is a food credit that will be applied to the food and beverage bill.  Admission, tax and gratuity are not included in this credit and are additional.

 Hambletonian Day (August 7th) café and lounge tables can be purchased at https://www.playmeadowlands.events/event-details/hambo-dining

The 2021 Hambletonian will take place Saturday, August 7

Venerate, number one in Ken Warketin’s Road to the Hambletonian, makes his three year old debut from post six in an overnight on June 26 at the Meadowlands.

1 | Venerate

Dan Patch Award & Mohawk Million winner with a mark of 1:51.4, won his first qualifier on May 29 in 1:54.1 (:27.4), romped in another qualifier on June 12 in 1:52.3 (:26.3), makes his 3YO debut from post 6 in a Big M overnight on June 26

| Qualifier | 2nd Qualifier |

2 | In Range

Second in the 2020 Breeders Crown, 1:52.3 career best in his 3YO debut in PASS @ The Meadows, broke & seventh (1:53) in PASS @ Pocono, fourth placed third (1:52) @ Big M on June 11, post five in a Yonkers Trot elimination on June 25

| PA Sire Stakes |

3 | On A Streak

O’Brien Award winner & William Wellwood Memorial upsetter, third (1:55.2) in his 2021 debut @ Phl, won a TSS division @ Pocono in 1:56.2 (28.4), cruised in a 1:57 NW4 @ Yonkers on June 10, post six in a Yonkers Trot elimination on June 25

| PA Stakes |

4 | Sonofamistery

Melander sent out three finalists in 2019 & 2020, well-rated wire-to-wire in a 3YO Open @ Big M in a career best of 1:51.2 (:27.3) on June 11 following a solid third in the NJSS Final, post three in a Big M overnight on June 25

| M1 Prep|

5 | Dancinginthedark M

1:52.2 Bluegrass division winner at two, won both Big M qualifiers, then rallied impressively to take his 3YO debut in 1:52.3 in an overnight @ Big M on June 4, easily made it two-for-two in 1:52.1 on June 18, post ten in a Big M overnight on June 26

| M1 Prep |

6 | Cuatro De Julio

Two-time sub 1:52 winner at two, dominant 3YO debut in a 1:53.1 NJSS division, then second (1:52.3) with a late misstep, second again (1:52.2) by a neck the NJSS Final, not in to go @ press time

7 | Lindymusclemania

Standout score in a NJSS division in 1:51.4 (:26.4), late break in the slop as the heavy favorite in the NJSS Final, broke again late in a 3YO Open on June 11 & finished second (1:51.3) placed fourth, entered in qualifier @ Big M on June 26

8 | Really Fast

Won his first two career starts in 2021, then finished second (1:52.2) to Lindysmusclemania, took a new mark of 1:52.2 in the slop with a perfect trip upset in the NJSS Final, broke & finished eighth (1:53.1) in a 3YO Open on June 11, not in to go @ press time

| NJSS Final |

9 | Captain Corey

Won his first five career starts, including the PASS Final in 1:53.3, romped in a PASS division in 1:53.4 (:27.4) @ Pocono on May 31, broke/finished last as the heavy favorite in PASS @ Phl on June 23

| PASS |

10 | Southwind Tyrion

1:51.1 winner in ISS, 2YO NJSS Final champion, second in the William Wellwood Memorial, third (1:53.4) to Venerate in a Big M qualifier on June 12, entered in qualifier @ Big M on June 26

Siegelman Stable apparel and the Hambletonian Society have partnered to create a unique collaboration collection for Hambletonian 2021. The collaboration will drop on 7/30 at Siegelman Stable Pop-up in Brooklyn.

Max Siegelman, son of trainer Robbie Siegelman who founded Siegelman Racing Stable in 1982, launched Siegelman Stable sportswear in June 2020. Max works at OUTFRONT Media as head of social media and collaborations, in addition, privately as a creative consultant for music artists, athletes and other celebrities. Siegelman Stable sportswear has been spotted on Post Malone, a number of NBA players, in Future’s latest music video and more. It has also been featured as a brand to watch in 2021 by Complex Magazine. 

Post Malone: https://www.instagram.com/p/CP1OMWNn291/?utm_medium=copy_link

Tim Hardaway Jr & Mike Conley (NBA Players): https://www.instagram.com/p/CQHG_6vHwj_/?utm_medium=copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/CP5hMptn9wa/?utm_medium=copy_link

Future Music Video: https://youtu.be/RRtMkfjuWkI

Complex Magazine brand to watch: https://www.complex.com/style/best-style-releases-palace-mercedes-amg-nike-acg-louis-vuitton-nba/

The 2021 Hambletonian collaboration collection will be showcased in person only to start in a Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY pop-up store from Friday, July 30th to Sunday, August 1st. 

The Siegelman Stable staple pieces include hats, crew neck sweatshirts and more. This collab will include elements of the history and tradition of the Hambletonian (96th annual), America’s classic trotting race, merged with the latest trends in streetwear.

The capsule collection will have a limited release and Siegelman Stable merchandise typically sells out quickly. To see a preview of the collection, make sure to follow them on Instagram, @siegelmanstable.

The Williamsburg shop is located at 252 Kent Ave in Brooklyn, NY and will be open to the public Saturday and Sunday. 

Friday 7/30 - Family, Friends and Press Event (7pm

Saturday 7/31 - 12-6pm (mini-horses will be there from 1-3)

Sunday 8/1 - 12-6pm (or sell out) 

The 96th edition of the $1 million Hambletonian will commence Saturday, August 7 at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, NJ. It is the richest race for 3-year-old trotters and the second leg of the trotting Triple Crown. Post time for the stakes and event-filled day at the nation’s premier harness track is 12 noon.

The 2021 Hambletonian will take place Saturday, August 7

Nine of the ten horses in Week 4 of Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Hambletonian are not in to go this week. Venerate retains his #1 position. Everything Hambletonian available at TheHambo.com or Hambletonian.com

1 | Venerate

Dan Patch Award & Mohawk Million winner & 1:51.4 performer at two, won his first qualifier on May 29 in 1:54.1 (:27.4), rallied confidently to win another qualifier on June 12 in 1:52.3 (:26.3), not in to go @ press time

| Qualifier | 2nd Qualifier |

2 | In Range

2020 Breeders Crown runner up with a 1:52.3 career best in his 3YO debut in PASS, early break & seventh (1:53) in PASS, bounced back with a fourth placed third (1:52) @ Big M on June 11, not in to go @ press time

| PA Sire Stakes |

3 | On A Streak

O’Brien Award winner & William Wellwood Memorial upsetter, third (1:55.2) in his 2021 debut @ Phl, won a TSS division @ Pocono in 1:56.2 (28.4), cruised in a 1:57 NW4 @ Yonkers on June 10, not in to go @ press time

| PA Stakes |

4 | Sonofamistery

Melander had three finalists in 2019 & 2020, unleashed a well-rated wire-to-wire upset in a 3YO Open @ Big M in a career best of 1:51.2 (:27.3) on June 11 following a solid third in the NJSS Final, not in to go @ press time

| M1 Prep|

5 | Cuatro De Julio

Twice a sub 1:52 winner at two, dominated 3YO debut in a 1:53.1 NJSS division, then second (1:52.3) with a late misstep, second again (1:52.2) by a neck the NJSS Final, not in to go @ press time

6 | Lindymusclemania

Impressive winning a NJSS division in 1:51.4 (:26.4), late break in the slop as the heavy favorite in the NJSS Final, broke late in a 3YO Open on June 11, second (1:51.3) placed fourth, not in to go @ press time

7 | Really Fast

Won his first two career starts in 2021, second (1:52.2) to Lindysmusclemania, took a new mark of 1:52.2 in the slop with a perfect trip upset in the NJSS Final, broke & finished eighth (1:53.1) in 3YO Open on June, not in to go @ press time

| NJSS Final |

8 | Dancinginthedark M

1:52.2 Bluegrass division winner at two, won both Big M qualifiers, then rallied impressively to take his 3YO debut in 1:52.3 in an overnight @ Big M on June 4, post three in an overnight @ Big M on June 18

| M1 Prep |

9 | Captain Corey

Won his first five career starts, including the PASS Final in 1:53.3, won his first 3YO qualifier in 1:54.1, romped in a PASS division in 1:53.4 (:27.4) @ Pocono on May 31, not in to go @ press time

| PASS |

10 | Southwind Tyrion

Another from the Svanstedt battalion, 1:51.1 winner in ISS, 2YO NJSS Final champion, second in the William Wellwood Memorial, third (1:53.4) to Venerate in a Big M qualifier on June 12, not in to go @ press time

By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Beltassima and Really Fast shrugged off the sloppy conditions on a brutal night weather-wise and utilized high early speed to win their respective $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Finals for 3-year-olds on the trot at The Meadowlands Friday night.

Beltassima was superb in taking the division for fillies from post 10 in 1:54.1. Andy McCarthy had the daughter of Trixton-Beltane Hanover away quickly from the outside post in the full field but didn’t necessarily have designs on the top.

“I figured it would be tough from out there, but I figured I’d leave and take a spot somewhere,” said McCarthy, “but when I saw that there weren’t a lot of horses leaving, I went on with it. I just went into it thinking I’d figure it out as it went.”

Beltassima cleared 2-1 favorite Wet My Whistle just after the quarter before ‘Whistle’ immediately moved right back to the top. It was those two around the track until McCarthy found some space from the two-hole inside the eighth pole.

“I got squeezed a little bit there,” said McCarthy of being in tight quarters in the stretch, “but I waited until I got clearance.”

The Tony Alagna trainee took it from there, reporting home a neck winner over a fast-closing Avenir. Wet My Whistle held third.

“I wasn’t surprised [she won],” said McCarthy, “she’s been terrific.”

As the fifth choice in the betting, Beltassima returned $29.20 to her backers in winning her second straight and fourth from 10 lifetime starts. Her lifetime bankroll stands at $154,287.

In the split for colts and geldings, the Nancy Takter-trained Really Fast scored despite making only his fourth lifetime start.

“To race like that in the pouring rain,” said Takter, “it was a good performance. I was really happy with my horse.”

The son of Muscle Hill-Stubborn Belle was away alertly from post five in the 10-horse field and was on the point at the quarter in :27.4. Cuatro De Julio then made an authoritative brush to command before the half as the pair raced 1-2 into the stretch.

At the eighth pole, driver Yannick Gingras moved Really Fast off the rail and got by a stubborn Cuatro De Julio by a neck in a lifetime-best 1:52.2. Sonofamistery was third. Lindysmusclemania, the 4-5 favorite who was so impressive winning two weeks ago in 1:51.4, sat a four-hole to the half and went off stride while first-over nearing the far turn and finished eighth.

“He really does not have the experience of any of the other horses [he faced].” said Takter of Really Fast. “My horse was super. I was pretty confident he was going to get by. I’m going to be conservative with him. The first time he’ll race back-to-back weeks will be the Hambletonian elimination and final.”

Really Fast, who now has three career victories, paid $15.20 as the fourth choice in the betting and now has $121,750 in his bank account.

By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Sonofamistery was winless in three tries this year, and in each start he came from off the pace, so driver Brian Sears tried something different this time around and it worked to perfection in the Friday night feature at The Meadowlands.

Sonofamistery’s driver knew what was coming. His trainer? Not so much. “My horse has raced pretty well the last few weeks,” said Marcus Melander. “But I actually always thought he is better from off the pace chasing down horses.”

Sears fired Sonofamistery away from post four in the nine-horse field in the $50,000 Open for trotting 3-year-old colts and geldings, and would catch a big break early on, as 6-5 favorite Really Fast went off stride in the first turn. That left Sonofamistery with the front all to himself.

Racing the first two splits in an identically timed :27.4, Sonofamistery was then able to rate the third fraction back to :28.1 to hit three-quarters in 1:23.4.

The son of Muscle Hill-Mistery Woman was then able to finish the job by three-quarters-of-a-length in a lifetime-best 1:51.2 with a little more good fortune, as Lindysmusclemania, who sat a pocket trip from the start, had good momentum while inching closer to the eventual winner nearing the finish only to go off stride with less than 50 yards to go. Lindysmusclemania was disqualified from second and placed fourth as a result. Calle Palema and In Range (another Melander trainee) were placed second and third, respectively. Really Fast finished eighth.

“This might have been the first time my horse raced on the lead,” said Melander. “and he looked good doing it. I never ask Brian what his thoughts are before the race. It was totally up to him. I think my horse is fast enough to go in the Hambletonian. He beat some nice horses tonight.”

As the fourth choice in the betting, Sonofamistery returned $15.60 to his backers while lifting his lifetime stats to four wins from 12 starts, good for earnings of $82,750 for owners S R F Stable and Holly Lane Stud East.

The 2021 Hambletonian will take place Saturday, August 7

Seven of the ten on Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Hambletonian Week 3 are in to go this week. For everything Hambo visit TheHambletonian.com or Hambletonian.com. #hambo21

1 | Venerate

Dan Patch Award & Mohawk Million winner, 1:51.4 mark in the KYSS Final, Team Orange Crush on board in three of last five Hambos, won first qualifier in 1:54.1 (:27.4) on May 29, back in to qualify @ Big M on June 12

| Qualifier |

2 | In Range

Runner up in PASS Final & Breeders Crown, Melander was second, third & fifth last year, and had three finalists in 2019, 1:52.3 career best in his 3YO debut in PASS, early break & seventh (1:53) in PASS @ Pocono, post two in 3YO Open @ Big M on June 11

| PA Sire Stakes |

3 | On A Streak

O’Brien Award winner for the 2019 Hambo winners, Breeders Crown & William Wellwood Memorial upsetter, third (1:55.2) in his 2021 debut @ Phl, won a TSS division @ Pocono in 1:56.2 (28.4), post four in an overnight @ Yonkers on June 10

| PA Stakes |

4 | Really Fast

Unraced at two, won his first two career starts @ The Big M, finished second (1:52.2) to Lindysmusclemania, took a new mark of 1:52.2 in the slop with perfect trip upset in the NJSS Final, post eight in 3YO Open @ Big M on June 11

| NJSS Final |

5 | Cuatro De Julio

Twice a sub 1:52 winner at two, dominated 3YO debut in a 1:53.1 NJSS division, then second (1:52.3) with a late misstep, second again (1:52.2) by a neck the NJSS Final, not in to go @ press time

6 | Lindymusclemania

Won his lone qualifier @ The Big M in 1:53.2, then looked impressive winning a NJSS division in 1:51.4 with a :26.4, late break in the slop as the heavy favorite in the NJSS Final, post seven in 3YO Open @ Big M on June 11

7 | Captain Corey

Won his first five career starts, including the PASS Final in 1:53.3, won his first 3YO qualifier in 1:54.1, romped in a PASS division in 1:53.4 (:27.4) @ Pocono on May 31, not in to go @ press time

| PASS |

8 | Dancinginthedark M

1:52.2 Bluegrass division winner at two, won both Big M qualifiers, then rallied impressively to take his 3YO debut in 1:52.3 in an overnight on June 4, not in to go @ press time

9 | Mon Amour

Second (1:53.2) in his NJSS 3YO debut, then cruised to a new mark of 1:52 reunited with Yannick Gingras, fourth from the rail the NJSS Final, post nine in 3YO Open @ Big M on June 11

| NJSS |

10 | Southwind Tyrion

Another from the Svanstedt battalion, 1:51.1 winner in ISS, 2YO NJSS Final champion, second in the William Wellwood Memorial, entered to qualify @ Big M on June 12

By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Dancinginthedark M was positively airborne through the stretch in the Friday night feature at The Meadowlands, taking the $21,000 high-end conditioned trot in 1:52.3, and in the process, marked himself as a Hambletonian contender for trainer Marcus Melander.

He was so good, in fact, he might even have surprised his driver a bit. “He wasn’t mentally strong last year,” said Tim Tetrick. “He wasn’t strong enough to do what he had to do. But tonight, I was super impressed with him.”

Backers of Dancinginthedark M, the 4-5 favorite, were likely a tad concerned down the backside as 16-1 longshot Beyond Ordinary led at the quarter in :27.4 and the half in a leisurely :57. The outer flow did not begin to develop until after the half, when 5-2 second choice Nylander popped out of the four-hole to provide live cover for the eventual winner, but as they straightened up for the stretch drive, Nylander stalled.

But Dancinginthedark M, who still had a lot to do racing in fifth, got the job done.

Racing out in the four path, Dancinginthedark M started to roll as he reached mid-stretch, and the 3-year-old son of Readly Express-Leila powered past an overmatched field by trotting his final quarter in :26.3 to win by a length over a stubborn Beyond Ordinary. Chiplosive was third.

“The big races aren’t until August,” said Tetrick, “so we wanted to win, but it was more important to have him passing horses as we neared the wire. He trotted the lane pretty well tonight.”

Dancinginthedark M, who is owned by Menhammar Stuteri Ab, returned $3.60 to win in his 2021 debut after a 2-year-old season that saw him win three-of-seven starts and bank $91,961.

East Rutherford, NJ - Harness racing Hall of Famer Joe DeFrank left an unforgettable legacy at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

Together with the Hambletonian Society, the Meadowlands made the decision to name the 2021 Championship Meet in honor of Joe DeFrank, who died in December at the age of 87.

“The Meadowlands owes its tremendous success to Mr. Joe DeFrank,” said Jason Settlemoir, COO & GM of the Meadowlands Racetrack. “Honoring him on the biggest stage in harness racing is a fitting tribute.”

 Joe DeFrank was recruited by the N.J. Sports & Exposition Authority management team tasked with opening the Meadowlands Racetrack in 1976, and GM Bob Quigley went on the hunt for a rising star rather than cull from the ranks of existing talent.

 He found DeFrank at Windsor Raceway, recognized his keen abilities to assess both horse and driver talent along with his fresh approach to racing, and convinced DeFrank to come east to the Meadowlands. DeFrank was the first and only race secretary at the flagship racetrack for 25 years. He created many popular winter series along with races such as the Meadowlands Pace and Woodrow Wilson, both of which offered purses of more than $1 million. The Woodrow Wilson purse also reached as high as $2 million, the most ever offered in the sport. The Meadowlands Pace, an instant classic, remains one of the most sought victories 40 years later.

 DeFrank was also instrumental in bringing the Hambletonian from the Midwest to the Meadowlands in 1981. Always the innovative race secretary, DeFrank introduced a new concept to the Meadowlands in 1986 - a number of big-purse races for youngsters on the same night, called the Million Dollar Babies.

Joe DeFrank was inducted into the harness racing Hall of Fame in 1994, with presenter Stan Bergstein, a former race secretary himself, noting, “I realized quickly and instinctively that he was going places. I simply underestimated how far he was going, how fast he was going, and how impressively he would get there. No one in our business has mastered his craft more completely, elevated its power and stature, introduced more new ideas, commanded more respect or ruled with such absolute power as the man we now honor.”

John Campbell, Hall of Fame driver and now President and CEO of the Hambletonian Society, stated in his Facebook tribute to Mr. DeFrank, “Every driver, trainer, owner, stallion owner and breeder in our industry today is deriving benefits as a result of Joe DeFrank`s vision, innovation and presentation of major stake races. Harness racing had never imagined purses that the Meadowlands Pace and Woodrow Wilson were going for and, imitation being the best form of flattery, other tracks soon changed their outlook and approach to their stake programs. The Metro, North America Cup, Breeders Crown and many others all evolved after the success of Joe’s vision at the Meadowlands and he started the Final Four races at Garden State Park, as well.”

The 2021 Hambletonian will take place Saturday, August 7

Week two of Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Hambletonian has Venerate in top spot. Biggest mover is Really Fast after an impressive performance in the slop in the NJSS Final.

1 | Venerate

Dan Patch Award & Mohawk Million winner, took a mark of 1:51.4 in the KYSS Final, Team Orange Crush on board in three of last five Hambos, won first qualifier in 1:54.1 (:27.4) @ The Big M on May 29

2 | In Range

Second in the PASS Final & Breeders Crown, Melander was second, third & fifth last year, and had three finalists in 2019, took a mark of 1:52.3 in his 3YO debut in PASS, made an early break & finished seventh (1:53) in PASS @ Pocono on May 31

3 | On A Streak

O’Brien Award winner for the 2019 Hambo winners, Breeders Crown upsetter at 9-1 in 1:52.4 & 15-1 in the William Wellwood Memorial, third (1:55.2) in his 2021 debut @ Phl, won a TSS division @ Pocono in 1:56.2 (28.4) on May 31

4 | Really Fast

Unraced at two, romped in his first two career starts @ The Big M, finished second (1:52.2) to Lindysmusclemania, took a new mark of 1:52.2 in the slop with perfect trip upset in the NJSS Final, “My horse was super to race like that in the pouring rain,” said Takter.

5 | Cuatro De Julio

Twice a sub 1:52 winner at two, dominated his 3YO debut in a 1:53.1 NJSS division, then second (1:52.3) with a late misstep, second again (1:52.2) by a neck the NJSS Final

6 | Lindymusclemania

Graduate of the Kindergarten Series won his lone qualifier @ The Big M in 1:53.2, then looked impressive winning a NJSS division in 1:51.4 with a :26.4, made a late break in the slop as the heavy favorite in the NJSS Final

7 | Captain Corey

This Svanstedt trainee won his first five career starts, including the PASS Final in 1:53.3, won his first 3YO qualifier in 1:54.1, romped in a PASS division in 1:53.4 (:27.4) @ Pocono on May 31

8 | Mon Amour

Another from 2017 Hambo winner Team Svanstedt, second (1:53.2) in his NJSS 3YO debut, then cruised to a new mark of 1:52 reunited with Yannick Gingras, fourth from the rail the NJSS Final

9 | Southwind Tyrion

Part of the Svanstedt battalion, 1:51.1 winner in ISS, NJSS Final champion, second in the Wm. Wellwood Mem., was scheduled to qualify on June 12

10 | Anoka Hanover

Fillies have won two of the last three Hambos, Dan Patch Award winner made it eight in a row with an easy 3YO debut in a track record equaling 1:52.3 PASS division @ Phl, then faded to sixth (1:54.1) in PASS @ The Meadows on May 29 over a sloppy track, entered in PASS on June 6 @ Pocono

By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt had a ”double double” during the second prelim of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action for three-year-old trotting colts on Monday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, sending out the 1-2 finishers in two of the three divisions while guiding both winners.

One of the divisions matched the three first-round Sires winners, but Svanstedt accounted for that with the 17-1 Southwind Frank colt Delayed Hanover in that one's first start of the year, winning in 1:53 for a new mark. Svanstedt vacated the pocket with his charge turning for home, giving stablemate Johan Palema (Dexter Dunn), one of the first prelim winners, a shot in the Pocono Pike from third-in. The pair attacked pacesetter Type A in the stretch, with Johan Palema gaining a short lead before Åke coaxed more from Delayed Hanover to defeat his barnmate by a nose for Melby Gard Inc. and Åke Svanstedt Inc. Favored In Range made a break before the start and was always out of range.

​In another grouping, Svanstedt brought out the Googoo Gaagaa colt Captain Corey for his 2021 bow, and the 2020 Sire Stakes champion made this event quite a contrast to its companion photo finish section: pacesetter Captain Corey came home in :27.4 and won by 10½ lengths over stablemate Lepanto (Yannick Gingras), who happened to be the 2020 Stallion Series champion. Captain Corey is owned by S R F Stable, Knutsson Trotting Inc., Midnight Sun Partners Inc., and Åke Svanstedt Inc.

The Creatine colt Jujubee stalked yet another Svanstedter, Capstone, from the pocket, then caught him in the stretch to post a length decision in 1:54.4. Jujubee trotted his own last quarter in :27.2 to win for driver Tony Hall, trainer Greg Wright Jr., and owner Jon Erdner while running his seasonal tally to 6-for-8.

Another stakes double was achieved by the team of driver Bob McClure, trainer Luc Blais, and owner Determination, with one of their winners the 2020 Breeders Crown champion On A Streak, as the Cantab Hall colt won for the first time this year in 1:56.2. Their other success story came from the Bar Hopping gelding Inaminute Hanover, who has now taken five of his last six starts, this one in a lifetime best 1:55.3.

The other StS winners have been triumphant in both their PA program starts this year. Cantab Hall got a siring double credit when the gelding The Irishman equaled his mark of 1:55.3 for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer George Ducharme, and the ownership of W Donovan, Thomas Dillon, Purnel & Libby Inc., and Joe Sbrocco; the other section saw the Father Patrick colt Sunny Crockett improved his seasonal tally to 4-3-1-0 with a 1:54.4 triumph for driver Andy Miller and trainer Julie Miller, along with the ownership of Willow Oak Ranch and Andy Miller Stable Inc.

The 2021 Hambletonian will take place Saturday, August 7

Team Orange Crush tops Ken Warkentin’s first 2021 Road to the Hambletonian with Mohawk Million winner Venerate.  Ake Svanstedt has a strong team of contenders, four of which make the week one list. 

1 | Venerate

Dan Patch Award winner of $772,914, won the Mohawk Million from post ten, took a mark of 1:51.4 in the KYSS Final, Team Orange Crush on board in three of last five Hambos, entered to qualify @ The Big M on May 29

2 | In Range

Second in the PASS Final & Breeders Crown, Melander was second, third & fifth last year, and had three finalists in 2019, took a mark of 1:52.3 in his 3YO debut in PASS with the Market Share Man in the bike, not in to go this week

3 | On A Streak

An O’Brien Award winner of $740,947 for the 2019 Hambo upsetters, Breeders Crown upsetter at 9-1 in 1:52.4 & 15-1 in the William Wellwood Memorial, third (1:55.2) in his 2021 debut @ Phl, not racing this week

4 | Lindymusclemania

One of four Svanstedt trainees in the Top Ten, graduate of the Kindergarten Series won his lone qualifier @ The Big M in 1:53.2, then unleashed an impressive 1:51.4 NJSS division with a :26.4, post two in NJSS Final on May 28

5 | Mon Amour

Another from 2017 Hambo winner Team Svanstedt, second (1:53.2) in his NJSS 3YO debut, then cruised to a new mark of 1:52 reunited with Yannick Gingras, has the rail in the NJSS Final on May 28

Won nine of 14 starts at two, including divisions of KYSS in 1:51.4 & ISS 1:51.3, dominated his 3YO debut in a 1:53.1 NJSS division, then finished second (1:52.3) with a late misstep, drew post seven in the NJSS Final on May 28

7 | Captain Corey

This Svanstedt trainee won his first five career starts, including the PASS Final in 1:53.3, also won a Reynolds division @ The Big M in 1:54.4, won his first 3YO qualifier in 1:54.1, not in to go this week

8 | Southwind tyrion

Part of the Svanstedt battalion, won five of seven, 1:51.1 winner in ISS, also won the NJSS Final & Garden State Stake, second in the Wm. Wellwood Mem., back in full training & qualifying on June 12

9 | Anoka Hanover

Fillies have won two of the last three Hambos, Dan Patch Award winner made it eight in a row with an easy sophomore debut in a track record equaling 1:52.3 PASS division @ Phl on May 21

10 | Bee Forever

You have a lot to live up to with a Horse of the Year on both sides of your pedigree.  This son of Muscle Hill out of Bee A Magician saved his best for last with a 1:54 upset in the Valley Victory for Victor Kirby and trainer Nifty Norman.  The very consistent Jack Fire gives Nifty a solid one-two punch.