Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 8, 2015 1:21:26 GMT -5
Hambletonian Live CBS Sports Network 4-5:30PM Free Hambletonian Day Trackmaster Past Performances Now Available The past performances for Hambletonian Day are now available on The Meadowlands website, free of charge. A partnership between Trackmaster and The Meadowlands has made these past performances available without charge to harness racing fans and The Meadowlands is pleased to offer this to all of our fans on harness racing’s biggest day. PP's meadowlandsracetrack.com/uploadedFiles/Handicapping/Past_Performances/mxx0808x.pdf |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 8, 2015 1:23:13 GMT -5
Newbie & Non-Newbie Things You Need to Know about the Hambletonian
PTP
The Hambletonian card takes place tomorrow starting at 12 noon. It's a 16 race affair, highlighted with the Hambletonian - and before that the Oaks - but there's much more on the card than just those two big tilts.
Here's a primer, especially for those who know little about harness racing.
•The card has 16 races and about $10M will be bet. This is the highest bet card in harness racing, and perennially the best racing card in the world each year.
•There's a free Trackmaster program for the card. Lots of past performances for harness racing big days are free.
•The last race has an 8% Super High Five with $231,000 already in the pool that will have to be paid out. Expect the pools to be over $1 million. Must bet, if you like betting. If you don't, skip it and watch a band. I think there's a band.
•There's a pick 5 to start the card and everyone and their brother, sister, mother and mother's gardener will be keying Broadway Donna in leg two. She should win easily. For larger bankrolled players, or for those of you looking to take an extra fun money ticket or two, leaving her off will almost guarantee a huge payoff.
•The fifth race is the Cashman to be raced at 9 furlongs. You'll notice some horses coming from overseas in the trots. We generally know as much about them as when they come over from Ascot to race in the Million.
•The sixth race has 2013 Horse of the Year Bee a Magician. She's won 39 of 56 starts in her career. Yes, Standardbreds race a lot and we get to watch good horses often. She will be a huge favorite again, but I will be using the rail horse heavy.
•The 8th and 9th races are the eliminations for the Hambo. These horses will race once, then the top five will move on and race again with the winner taking all the chocolates. Yes, I didn't type that wrong. Harness horses are jogged daily and trained often. They love their work and they are a sturdy breed. In fact, it is not uncommon for a harness horse to train in 2:10 for a warm up mile an hour before a regular race, where he or she might go 1:54. That's like a horse for the Whitney this weekend going 9 furlongs in 1:56 at 3PM tomorrow as a warm up. The Toddster would want 31 days to do that.
•Mission Brief is a filly, trying to win the Hambo. She could've went into the Oaks, but she went into the big one to race the colts. She's Winning Colors.
•The race is being televised by the CBS Sports Network.
•Wiggle it Jiggle it takes on 8 others in the Cane Pace. The Cane Pace is the first leg of the pacing Triple Crown. Don't worry if you didn't know that, not many people do. I think Dealt a Winner is an excellent longshot bet.
•The Hambo is the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown.
•I bet Centurion ATM last time - of course I did. If he is sound, and gets any type of trip, I think he will win the Hambo
•My longshot choice in the Hambo is Workout Wonder.
•As another longshot, I will be betting Obrigado
•Donald Trump will not be there. I just typed this so search algo's can find my blog if someone is searching for Donald Trump. Donald Trump Donald Trump Donald Trump Donald Trump
• Other notes: There's a $30k pick 5 carryover at the Big M in race one tonight. Positive expected pool expected.
•There's a nice $12k carryover at Maywood for their super high five tonight. It will be another positive expected pool.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 8, 2015 1:26:18 GMT -5
Fir our ladies LOL
Today's NYT
Headstrong Filly Will Skip Undercard and Take on Colts in Hambletonian
By TOM PEDULLAAUG
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Money was relatively low on the list of priorities when the owners of Mission Brief, a record-setting filly, decided to test her against males in the $1.2 million Hambletonian. They had loftier aims.
Mission Brief would have been as close to a sure bet as there can be in racing in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, which is restricted to 3-year-old fillies and is part of the Hambletonian undercard. Instead, she is entered in Saturday’s main harness event at Meadowlands Racetrack, bidding to become the 14th filly to win the race and the first since Continentalvictory did so in 1996.
“I know the Oaks is $500,000, and she would be odds-on to win that race,” said Ron Burke, who trains Mission Brief. “But it wouldn’t change our lives. Winning the Hambletonian changes lives.”
Burke, 45, was afraid of horses as a child growing up in Washington, Pa. But he replaced his father, Mickey, as the head of the family-operated stable in 2008 and became the first trainer in harness-racing history to amass more than $100 million in earnings. Still, he has not won the Hambletonian, the most prestigious race for trotters.
A Mission Brief win would also have some special meaning for Jerry Silva of Long Beach, N.Y., who would be the first person in the Hambletonian’s 90-year history to have been a part of five victorious ownership groups.
Although Silva had a financial stake in Continentalvictory, he was initially reluctant to present Mission Brief with the same challenge. He changed his mind after weighing the advantages and disadvantages with other owners and with Burke.
“There are special things in life that come up,” he said. “This is certainly special.”
Mission Brief, set to become the 161st filly to start in the Hambletonian, appears to have everything necessary to succeed where others failed. She is a daughter of Muscle Hill, who set the stakes record when he took the one-mile Hambletonian in 1 minute 50.2 seconds in 2009.
Mission Brief showed that same brilliance in October when she finished the Red Mile in Lexington, Ky., in 1:50.6, a record time for a 2-year-old of either gender. The result was all the more impressive because Yannick Gingras, her regular driver, eased her up well before the finish.
Gingras, 36, the leading driver at the Meadowlands the last two years, has worked with many outstanding fillies. But he said Mission Brief was “definitely the best.”
“She is the fastest I’ve seen,” he added. “She is no doubt a very special horse.”
Mission Brief was almost too fast for her own good last season. Jimmy Takter, a rival trainer who has five Hambletonian starters from his powerhouse stable, described her as “a bit of a runaway train.” With maturity, she has become more manageable instead of gunning for the early lead regardless of her post position or the character of the race.
To some degree, the filly has trained Burke and not the other way around.
“She’s her own person,” Burke said. “She’s high-strung. She’s not going to do it your way. You’re going to do it her way.”
But Burke also said that Mission Brief’s demeanor was one of the reasons she had been able to close her 2-year-old season with a victory in the $500,000 Breeders Crown and to win 12 of her 17 career starts for earnings of $791,417. That total includes three victories in four races this year in a schedule that was curtailed because she had back problems.
She is coming off a two-length victory in the Zweig Memorial in Vernon, N.Y., on July 26, a sizzling performance, in 1:51.4, that persuaded Burke and others that she should forgo the Oaks, which offers $500,000 to the winner.
“She is the fastest I’ve seen,” he added. “She is no doubt a very special horse.”
Mission Brief was almost too fast for her own good last season. Jimmy Takter, a rival trainer who has five Hambletonian starters from his powerhouse stable, described her as “a bit of a runaway train.” With maturity, she has become more manageable instead of gunning for the early lead regardless of her post position or the character of the race.
To some degree, the filly has trained Burke and not the other way around.
“She’s her own person,” Burke said. “She’s high-strung. She’s not going to do it your way. You’re going to do it her way.”
But Burke also said that Mission Brief’s demeanor was one of the reasons she had been able to close her 2-year-old season with a victory in the $500,000 Breeders Crown and to win 12 of her 17 career starts for earnings of $791,417. That total includes three victories in four races this year in a schedule that was curtailed because she had back problems.
She is coming off a two-length victory in the Zweig Memorial in Vernon, N.Y., on July 26, a sizzling performance, in 1:51.4, that persuaded Burke and others that she should forgo the Oaks, which offers $500,000 to the winner.
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