28DEC: 2010 Dan Patch Division Winners announced

Here are the 2010 Dan Patch Divisional winners:

TWO-YEAR-OLD MALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR

Pastor Stephen (56 votes)
Cantab Hall-Gala Dream-Enjoy Lavec
Breeder: Brittany Farms.
Owners: Christina Takter, John Fielding, Brittany Farms.
Trainer: Jimmy Takter. Driver: Yannick Gingras.
Races: 11-6-4-0. Purses: $653,748. Mark: 1:56.0 at Mohawk.
Top wins: $485,000 William Wellwood Memorial; $98,489 Champlain.



TWO-YEAR-OLD-FILLY TROTTER OF THE YEAR

Crys Dream (94 votes)
Taurus Dream-Crystas Image-Balanced Image
Breeder: Reve Avec Moi Dreamwithme.
Owners: Reve Avec Moi Dreamwithme, Deo Volente Farms, TLP Stable.
Trainer: Henrik Hollsten. Drivers: Jean Dubois, Luc Ouellette.
Races: 8-7-0-0. Purses: $584,392. Mark: 1:54.3 at Woodbine.
Top wins: $502,000 Goldsmith Maid; $452,020 Peaceful Way.



THREE-YEAR-OLD-MALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR

Lucky Chucky (108 votes)
Windsongs Legacy-Aerobics-Muscles Yankee
Breeder: Perretti Farms.
Owners: SGS Partners, Perretti Racing Stable, Lindy Racing Stable
Trainer: Chuck Sylvester. Driver: John Campbell.
Races: 11-5-3-1. Purses: $1.43 million. Mark: 1:50.4 at the Red Mile.
Top wins: $970,000 Canadian Trotting Classic; $500,000 Colonial.



THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROTTER OF THE YEAR

Bar Slide (69 votes)
Yankee Glide-Marla Bar-Malabar Man
Breeder: Fair Winds Farm.
Owners: Fredericka Caldwell, Bluestone Farms.
Trainer: Joe Holloway. Driver: Tim Tetrick.
Races: 14-5-2-1. Purses: $568,529. Mark: 1:52.4 at the Meadowlands.
Top wins: $750,000 Hambletonian Oaks; $70,500 Bluegrass.



OLDER MALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR

Enough Talk (73 votes)
Enjoy Lavec-Fashion Setter-Donerail
Breeder: Perretti Farms
Owners: Peter Kleinhans Racing, Jerry Silva.
Trainer: Peter Kleinhans. Driver: Ron Pierce.
Races: 17-5-4-1. Purses: 641,022. Mark: 1:51.0 at the Meadowlands.
Top wins: $600,000 Breeders Crown; $235,750 Titan Cup.



OLDER FEMALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR

Buck I St Pat (131 votes; unanimous)
Jailhouse Jesse-Name It Something-Speed In Action
Breeder: Ron Fuller.
Owners: Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold, Abraham Basen, Ron Fuller.
Trainer: Ron Burke. Driver: Tim Tetrick.
Races: 19-9-3-4. Purses: $715,135. Mark: 1:51.0 at the Meadowlands.
Top wins: $340,470 Armbro Flight; 250,000 Breeders Crown.



TWO-YEAR-OLD MALE PACER OF THE YEAR

Big Jim (120 votes)
Western Ideal-Bold Pink-Big Towner
Breeder: Hanover Shoe Farms.
Owner: Jim Carr.
Trainer: James “Friday” Dean. Driver: Phil Hudon.
Races: 10-6-1-2. Purses: $827,204. Mark: 1:49.1 at Woodbine (world record).
Top wins: $709,000 Governor’s Cup; $600,000 Breeders Crown.



TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACER OF THE YEAR

See You At Peelers (99 votes)
Bettor’s Delight-West Side Glory-Western Ideal
Breeder: Christina Takter.
Owners: Christina Takter, John Fielding, Jim Fielding.
Trainer: Jimmy Takter. Driver: Jim Morrill Jr.
Races: 13-13-0-0. Purses: $581,649. Mark: 1:51.3 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
Top wins: $600,000 Breeders Crown; $200,000 New York Sire Stakes championship.



THREE-YEAR-OLD MALE PACER OF THE YEAR

Rock N Roll Heaven (129 votes)
Rocknroll Hanover-Artistic Vision-Artsplace
Breeders: Steve Stewart, Charles “Cotton” Nash, Julie Nash, Francene Nash.
Owner: Frank Bellino.
Trainer: Bruce Saunders. Driver: Dan Dube.
Races: 21-16-2-1. Purses: $2.15 million. Mark: 1:47.3 at the Meadowlands.
Top wins: $604,100 Little Brown Jug; 604,000 Tattersalls; $500,000 Breeders Crown.



THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACER OF THE YEAR

Put On A Show (118 votes)
Rocknroll Hanover-Stienams Place-Artsplace
Breeders: Green Mountain Farms, Kentuckiana Farms General Partnership.
Owners: Craig Henderson, Richard Young, Joanne Young.
Trainer: Chris Ryder. Driver: Tim Tetrick.
Races: 16-12-3-0. Purses: $1.16 million. Mark: 1:49.4 at the Red Mile.
Top wins: $500,000 Breeders Crown; $350,000 Valley Forge.



OLDER MALE PACER OF THE YEAR

Won The West (90 votes)
Western Hanover-Gabrielle-Dragons Lair
Breeder: Fair Winds Farm
Owners: Strollin Stable, William Robinson, James Koehler.
Trainer: Ron Burke. Driver: David Miller.
Races: 19-7-8-3. Purses: $1.36 million. Mark: 1:48.1 at the Meadowlands.
Top wins: $748,800 Canadian Pacing Derby; $500,000 Breeders Crown.



OLDER FEMALE PACER OF THE YEAR

Dreamfair Eternal (123 votes)
Camluck-J Cs Nathalie-Flight Of Fire
Breeders: John Lamers, Mary Lamers
Owner: John Lamers
Trainer: Patrick Fletcher. Driver: Randy Waples.
Races: 22-16-4-1. Purses: $925,575. Mark: 1:49.4 at Tioga Downs.
Top wins: $364,560 Milton; $300,000 Breeders Crown.

Commentary on Interview with Ron Pierce, urging rule

In a revealing and insightful interview with Standardbred Canada's Trot Insider, top harness racing driver Ron Pierce provides heartfelt and worthy reasoning on historical whipping rules versus the wider-ranging set of regulations out there now. I will present some of his words with commentary, then discuss how these rules help us protect the downside, and finish with a world of opportunity for standardbred racing fans, handicappers, breeders, owners, trainers, drivers and industry folk.

Ron Pierce discusses new urging rules with Trot Insider

"I've been driving horses for 33 going on 34 years now and it is our job to know how to make horses go fast. Now, all of a sudden, they take that away from us, and now we have to learn how to make horses go fast all over again. I feel along with all the other top drivers -- except for maybe one or two…maybe just one -- that it puts us in a dangerous situation out there. I mean, there are a lot of loose lines out there now. It is just a matter of time before a horse trips because of a loose line and a driver isn't able to pick him up in time, and I think it is going to cause a serious crash.


"I think if a driver could talk to a horse after he races -- even after say the driver was licking on him pretty good in the lane -- and the driver could ask him what hurts, the horse would probably say that his feet are stinging him really badly after having raced on a hard track; or that its upper back hurts because the bike puts too much pressure on it; or that its knees are really stiff. I think the last thing that horse is going to complain about is that whip. I really don't think the horse would say, 'my side hurts from the guy hitting me,' or 'my back hurts from that guy hitting me.'"

Trot Insider asked Pierce if the urging clampdown is going to have a positive effect on the industry going forward

"I believe that it is not going to help us one bit," Pierce said. "It's great for mommy who brings her little girls down to the grandstand to watch her horses race, but for the gamblers -- the people who are our bread and butter -- we are losing them every day. Before the slots came [the gamblers] were all we had to live on, the people who came to bet on us. They are going elsewhere. It is just going to hurt us, and hurt us, and hurt us.

"What are we going to do when we don't have slots? If we don't have the gamblers and then we don't have the slots, it will just be a matter of time before we don't have racing."

- Ron Pierce, Interviewed by Trot Insider


Full article about whipping rules, Ron Pierce

I understand that many will just view this above pessimism as realism, but it is in fact the former. The loose lines are something that has to be dealt with, but the industry is not on the ropes to the degree portrayed in the last paragraph. I used to be an investment advisor and my biggest job, other than ensuring client diversification and quality of investments, was to help them fight their emotions. I'd say, next time the market is down 30% and you wfeel like you want to sell everything, call me and say Joe, what should we buy? And if the market is up 20% in seven months, maybe call and ask if we should rebalance something that just rose with the tide but wasn't really outperforming. I know I digress, but just keep in mind that the darkest hour is right before the dawn.

First, let's talk about downside protection. Even though race horses are probably the best treated mammals on the planet, getting better round-the-clock care than virtually all other domesticated creatures, possibly excepting dogs and cats though not necessarily so, standardbred horse racing is an exciting public event and so must be aware of the times. Decisions are not always made by people who live with and understand animals, so there is an aspect of transition that is inevitable. Younger drivers will be more used to the new rules and more consistent under them, as will younger horses. Some old horses may not go as fast but who is to say they would have stayed as sound? There's always another side to things that needs to be looked at.

Dog tracks have been closed down because of outside pressure, and though that is not the fate of the Sport of Kings, dwindling attendance at some tracks must be addressed. First of all, we haven't lost all of the gamblers, but have experienced a diminishing market share in a rapidly expanding gambling market, particularly among those under 30 years of age.

More input from horsemen, on a regular basis, is required on the urging issue, and the loose lines issue, but all horsemen must come to understand that there must not only be the appearance of improved rules, but they should exhibit more care and respect for the animals in the industry. Even though 99.9% of the time nothing untoward ever happens, it's because of the whipping rules that drivers are kept in line. Things must be kept in perspective, however, as there is a strong argument that in the Trevor Ritchie disqualification case, bettors and the horses owner were unfairly penalized for a minor infraction. Perhaps a warning or a warning and a fine for first violation, and fine and disqualification for 2nd violation (in trailing 18 months). Here we are not talking about excessive whipping that is alreadsy covered under the previous rules, but rather minor infractions from new rules.

So let's start talking about the many opportunities for harness racing to bottom out the handle and begin growing the industry again.

Celebrate Somebeachsomewhere and Muscle Hill


Yearling prices are firm in 2009 during a year of great economic tumult, and in Kentucky the median price at the standardbred sale was higher than that of the thoroughbreds, possibly for the first time ever.

Gambling is more socially acceptable than ever. When i was a child, horse racing was the only legal game going but that all changed with the massive debt of the Montreal Olympics, which launched LotoCanada and it was all giant downhill from there. Our handle has been dropping in recent years and market share for even longer. First it was lotteries and the NFL, now it is poker and slot machines. I don't have Ron's negative attitude about the slots. I believe they have kept harness racing and breeding healthy in troubled times because of the symbiotic nature of the industries. Most small casinos can't get the big name talent that Casino Rama gets, but if they can get a racetrack involved...

Our relationship with hockey can be deepened, as major harness tracks are usually close to thriving hockey markets. Hundreds of young standardbreds are named after Beatles songs and other classic rock tunes yet the harness racing industry has barely scratched the surface of co-branding and promotional opportunities with bands and artists. It doesn't always have to be a big show, it can be an indoor acoustic performance and an autograph signing, let's be creative here.

An upside of the new urging rule is greater potential for headcams, a la Nascar and Formula One. If the morning line favorite and fifth favorite were each required to have a driver wearing a helmet camera, some incredible imagery would be emerging on a daily basis. View the cleaning up of the homestretch as preparation for headcams, instant replays, highlights and video games and you are now understanding where the second and third decades in the first half of the twentieth century will take us.

We need a Canadian Harness Racing Channel, and a USA Harness Racing Channel. We can benefit from handicapping teams representing different tracks, possibly even some sponsored by larger farms, in league style play, with playoffs. More handicapping tournaments are required, for both individuals and teams, and we can learn a lot from the various poker formats.

The Internet is the future; note the new October 2009 Betfair deal with Breeders Cup as harbinger of better times ahead for us, mark my words.

UPDATED June 6th Top 20 2009 Pepsi NA Cup Contenders

After tonight's races, here are my updated Top 20 Favorites and Contenders for Pepsi North America Cup 2009:

(Unofficial advance odds as of 06jun09 by Joe Trainor, Editor/Publisher of Harness Horses Info)

1 - Dial Or Nodial - 5-1
1 - Well Said - 5-1
1 - Art Colony - 5-1


4 - If I Can Dream - 8-1
4 - Drop Red 8-1
4 - Johnny Z - 8-1


7 - Chasin Racin - 10-1
7 - Mr. Wiggles 10-1
7 - Redneck Riviera - 10-1
7 - Passmaster Hanover - 10-1

11 - Carnivore - 15-1
11 - Vintage Master - 15-1
11 - Barber Pole 15-1
11 - Sheer Desire - 15-1


15 - Arctic Warrior - 18-1
15 - Glad To Be Back - 18-1
15 - Waffles and Cream - 18-1
15 - Annieswesterncard - 18-1
15 - Stonebridge Terror - 18-1


20 - Estero Bay 20-1
20 - Schoolkids - 20-1
20 - Millionaire Cam - 20-1
20 - Ideal Danny - 20-1
20 - Captain Sir - 20-1




A few more 3 year old colts to watch for in the Burlington Stakes and the North America Cup:

Lisagain, OK Boromir, Fast Pay, Western Posse, Bunkmeister, Panmunjom, Built To Drive, Stinger Blue Chip, Straight Shooting, Manhattan Blue Chip


May your racing and your lives be inspired!

NA Cup 2009 at Mohawk; TOP 40 Contenders as of May29

With only 72 pacers remaining eligible and just less than one month to go until the finals of the Pepsi 2009 North America Cup, here is my UPDATED list of the Top 40 Contenders for this June 27th's 3 year old colts stakes race (unofficial advance odds by HarnessHorses.info):

1 - Well Said - 9-2

2 - Dial Or Nodial - 6-1

3 - Drop Red 7-1

4 - Johnny Z - 8-1

4 - Art Colony - 8-1

6 - Annieswesterncard - 10-1

6 - Chasin Racin - 10-1

8 - Redneck Riviera - 12-1

8 - Glad To Be Back - 12-1

10 - Sheer Desire - 15-1

10 - Arctic Warrior - 15-1

10 - Ideal Danny - 15-1

13 - Stonebridge Terror - 16-1

14 - Waffles and Cream - 18-1

14 - Captain Sir - 18-1

14 - Millionaire Cam - 18-1

17 - If I Can Dream - 20-1

17 - Estero Bay 20-1

19 - Vertigo Hanover - 22-1

19 - OK Boromir - 22-1

19 - Schoolkids - 22-1

22 - Fast Pay - 25-1

22 - Western Posse - 25-1

24 - Carnivore - 28-1

24 - Vintage Master - 28-1

24 - Mr. Wiggles 28-1

24 - Bunkmeister 28-1

28 - Barber Pole 30-1

28 - Panmunjom 30-1

30 - Built To Drive 35-1

30 - Stinger Blue Chip 35-1

30 - Straight Shooting 35-1

33 - Manhattan Blue Chip 40-1

33 - Bay Of Sharks - 40-1

33 - Trail Boss 40-1

33 - World Away 40-1

33 - Pair A Dice 40-1

38 - Fireintheshark 45-1

38 - Vintage Hanover - 45-1

38 - Fire On The Water - 45-1


Other Top Colts to keep an eye on in coming weeks:

Chiefofthebeach
Deep Finesse
Lisagain
Allamerican Improv
Four Starz Twins
Special Art
Mysticism
Surprizemeagain

Dewey wins Canadan Trotting Classic; Beach to race at Woodbine!!!

Saturday, September 13, 2008 - Deweycheatumnhowe redeemed his only loss and started a new winning streak by capturing the final of the Canadian Trotting Classic, edging out Clerk Magistrate and Crazed. His time of 153.2 at Mohawk Raceway was achieved from the 10 post on a muddy track in the rain; sloppy indeed

According to Dave Perkins of the Toronto Star, Somebeachsomewhere has New York and Toronto on his autumn schedule. After Dewey finished 2nd in his elimination a week ago, Somebeachsomewhere trainer Brent MacGrath, had this to say, check it out:

"I know exactly how he feels,'' Brent MacGrath said. "You just can't win them all.''

MacGrath trains Somebeachsomewhere, the pacing equivalent to Dewey's trotting supremacy, winner now of 15 of 16 lifetime, the only blot a shocking neck defeat to Art Official in the $1 million Meadowlands Pace in July, which MacGrath calls "the bump in the road.''

Beach prevailed, also at 1-9, later on the Mohawk card in the Simcoe Stakes, but surely wasn't at his best; a post-race scope revealed some ordinary sickness.

MacGrath treated him with antibiotics and said yesterday if he is recovered sufficiently for a training session Monday, plans remain in place to make Beach the fastest horse in harness history in Lexington, Ky.

This has long been the plan, to bypass pacing's crown jewel, next Thursday's Little Brown Jug in Delaware, Ohio, in favour of achieving a mile in 1:46 at the Red Mile.

"No second thoughts. We're taking an awful pile of heat about it, but we're sticking to our plans, because we think it's working'' MacGrath said.

Managing another man's horse is a parlour game at the racetrack; everybody always knows better. But MacGrath, also an owner as member of the Schooner Stable of Bible Hill, N.S., figures they'll be close to $3 million in earnings, with that speed record, by the time Beach is done and he likes the sound of all that. Who wouldn't?

It means potentially two cracks at the race record, in the Bluegrass Stakes Sept. 27 and/or the Tattersalls Oct. 4. If weather doesn't co-operate, a time trial might be considered. After that it's the Messenger in New York, an Ontario Sires Stakes at Woodbine, then the Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands. Still a full plate, even without the Jug.

One of these two (Somebeachsomewhere or Deweycheatumnhowe) will be standardbred of the year and it remains a horse race.

Full Toronto Star article on Deweycheatumnhowe and Somebeachsomewhere




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Somebeachsomewhere sets world record for 3 year olds of 1.47; Places!

Meadowlands Pace 2008

Art Official Wins An Incredible Horse Race

Somebeachsomewhere was cut off on the first turn and raced two wide and three wide from there to the three-quarter pole and set such blistering fractions (reaching the half in 51.4 and the three quarters in 1.19.1!) that it was all he could do to hold off Art Official until the final moment when the talented son of Art Major and grandson of Artsplace got half a head ahead at the wire, and Beach's lifetime victory streak was over. They were both timed in 1.47 flat with Share The Delight third in 1.48, the fourth through sixth horses (Mucho Sleazy, Sand Shooter, Tiz A Masterpiece) all were race-timed in 1.48.1 and the seven th horse Atochia was clocked at 1.48.4 meaning seven horses coming home in under 1.49. How far have we come from Niatross and Nihilator.

Beach is no longer an undefeated horse, but anyone who witnessed the effort knows that this race only adds to the legend, and he's likely to get a smoother trip next time out. Tonight he paced a long mile, perhaps an extra 30 to 40 yards or more, and also faced some mild interference early in the first turn, so by this performance it would seem he is capable of going in 1.46 flat.

Ponder how the records fall.

Billy Direct stuns the world in 1.55

Steady Star electrifies racing in 1.52

Niatross and his son Nihilator each go below 1.50 and flirt with 1.49

Can Beach be the first in 1.46?

Is Art Official still getting better?




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Somebeachsomewhere wins Horse of the Month for June 2008

Article from Standardbred Canada story on Somebeachsomewhere

Somebeachsomewhere Is Mr. June

July 1, 2008 www.StandardbredCanada.ca

It comes as no surprise to see that the USTA has handed out the Horse of the Month honours for the month of June to Somebeachsomewhere, who was flawless in a pair of outings last month.

The three-year-old Mach Three colt turned in back-to-back 1:49 victories for trainer Brent MacGrath and driver Paul MacDonell, who watched the undefeated pacer cruise in his $50,000 elimination of the Pepsi North America Cup on June 7th followed by an authoritative score in the $1.5 million final on June 14th.

Owned by the Schooner Stables of Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Somebeachsomewhere remains perfect in nine lifetime starts. His bankroll stands at $1,637,592 to date.

The multiple award-winning sophomore is gearing up for his first pari-mutuel start outside of his native land. He's scheduled to butt heads with his three-year-old counterparts at The Meadowlands on Saturday, July 12th in the eliminations for this year's Meadowlands Pace.

Time wasting web pages:

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• Balmoral Park IL Raceway
  
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• The Red Mile pacing track in Kentucky

Canadian Harness Racing Websites; Standardbred Racetracks in Canada

• Rideau-Carleton Raceway in Ottawa
• Georgian Downs Racetrack in Innisfil Ontario
• Woodbine Entertainment horse racing at Mohawk and Woodbine
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• Truro Raceway near Truro, Nova Scotia

Harness Horse Racing Betting

• Bowie Net Standardbred Betting Website
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• HarnessRacing.com Pacing and Trotting Standardbred horses

Grand Circuit Schedule 2008 Racing Dates

• Standardbred Ontario Sires Stakes 2008 Schedule Online

• Odds On Horse Racing site
• PEI Harness Racing website, PEI HRIA
• The Hambo stakes info at Hambletonian.org
• The Little Brown Jug information, official website
• TheBigM.com - Meadowlands Harness Racing official site
  
• Woodbine Entertainment incl. Mohawk Raceway
  
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• The Black Book horse sales
  
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Standarbred racehorse Lis Mara wins homes for poor in Haiti

Lis Mara a champion on the track and in life

article from: www.HarnessLink.com

At The Rail with Carol Hodes 24-May-2007

Lis Mara - The 2006 Older Pacing Horse of the Year

“My view is that God sends you these tools, and you’re a vehicle to do some good in the world.” It is hard to argue with horse owner Michael Gulotta, especially when that vehicle is the supremely talented Lis Mara, the 2006 Older Pacing Horse of the Year, who is now a perfect two-for-two in 2007. (May 6th)

Lis Mara is a horse that does good when he does well. Gulotta, who is from Annandale, New Jersey, donates a portion of his earnings to build houses for the poor in Haiti and to help care for retired standardbreds.

“It’s tremendously rewarding to have such an accomplished and capable horse,” said Gulotta, who with three other partners races as MJG Racing which owns 70 percent of Lis Mara. “But you like to think the horse came to you for a reason, and you want to do good.

“We’re going to donate a percentage of his earnings to the Standardbred Retirement Foundation [SRF],” Gulotta added. “And through Food for the Poor in Haiti, we’ve built nine houses – he’s built nine houses – and they named the street Lis Mara Drive in Port O Prince. They sent us a picture of the street name.

“We’ve pledged a lifetime breeding to SRF, and we’ll pledge a percentage of his earnings,” he confirmed.”

Lis Mara, now five, has $1.2 million in earnings thanks to his 20th career victory in the $85,000 second leg of the Pacing Classic on Saturday night [May 5] at the Meadowlands. He paced the mile in 1:49 flat, three ticks off his 1:48.2 season’s opener on April 28 but quite a bit of his life mark of 1:47.3 in last summer’s Breeders Crown Open Pace at the Meadowlands.

If there is something mystical about the pacer’s prowess on the track, it carried over to the circumstances that led to Gulotta acquiring him.

“When I called Erv [Illinois-based trainer Erv Miller] to look at the horse, he was actually a few miles away from the horse in Canada,” Gulotta recalled. “He was going to leave that afternoon. He just had enough time to go over and look at the horse. Fate had him in the right place.

“He looked at the horse and called me and said, Mike, ‘you NEED to own this horse,’” Gulotta explained. “He’s never said that before. Erv is very understated, very humble and quiet. When he said you need to own this horse that was an endorsement. He liked the way he was made.”

Gulotta and his partners -- New Jerseyans John Jarka of Florham Park, James Hess of Hillsboro and Otis Ray of Somerset -- paid $245,000 for their 70 percent interest in Lis Mara while original owner, Louis “Andy” Willinger of Louisville, Kentucky, retained 30 percent.

“I was told by someone that they thought I was crazy, that I had money to burn,” conceded Guilotta. “Now he says, ‘you were right.’ It’s a calculated risk. You assess risk and reward. So this is not all that far from my business background.

“Hess, Jarka and Ray – we’ve been co-workers for as long as 30 years,” noted Gulotta. “We’re four actuaries. We met in business and got interested in the horses. We started in claiming, then went to yearling sales, and bought Worldly Beauty [who would earn $1.9 million] and bred Little Miss K [$530,000 earner]. We’ve just been tremendously blessed.”

While Gulotta, 57, places Lis Mara on an equine plane of existence above all others, he has had his share of top horses for more than a decade.

“We’ve had incredible success,” he said. “I had a horse named Island Glow that made $600,000. I had a horse named Fulfilled Dreams who made $500,000. I had a horse once named Camourous, and she won 22 races in one year.

“Breeding is a much bigger portfolio for us now,” he noted. “We have eight mares, four foals this year already, four yearlings and three foals on the way. We’ve got a bunch of two and three-year-olds and John Adams.

“Racing for us now are John Adams [now five and with nearly $370,000 banked], Lis Mara and those that are going to race, [five] two-year-olds and one three-year-old in whom we have high confidence,” he added.

That three-year-old is the unraced Modern Desire, a son of Real Desire out of Wendy M Hanover, a full sister to Western Hanover, who has already produced the $1 million earner Modern Art.

“He was just immature at two but doing very well,” said Gulotta, who owns the colt with his longtime racing partner Craig Lipka [Hill View Enterprises]. “Erv thinks he’ll be a very good horse. And Erv is usually right.”

Dan Hajjar, part of Gulotta’s team, counsels him on his horse investments and is “like another son to me.” Gulotta credits Gerry Block for finding Lis Mara, who had been racing in Ontario for Willinger, William Lambeth and the Saulsbrook Stables with William McNeil training.

Racing is business proposition for Gulotta, who is chairman of the Chicago-based Aon Consulting USA, an insurance brokerage and human resource consulting business.

“It’s profitable, even after depreciation,” he noted. “My advice [to new owners] is to diversify. We use investment principles and apply it to the horse business. And then associate yourself with great people. If you use those two principles, you’ll hit good ones once in a while. But a Lis Mara comes along once in a lifetime.

“His performance is so extreme, it is beyond good luck,” he said. “Worldly Beauty was the first entry to the stakes arena [for us], but he’s beyond superlative. It’s always gratifying to have a great horse, and they are both great.”

Gulotta and his wife, Madeline, are the parents of two children. Mike Jr. is a lecturer in communication studies at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia and is married to April. Daughter Elaine and her husband, Tyler, have two children, five-year-old Luke Michael and two-year-old Maya.

“My grandson loves racing,” Gulotta noted. “Lis Mara is a vehicle for passing on this legacy, this passion for harness racing.”

No one is underestimating what Lis Mara can do. He was sent off at odds of 1-5 on Saturday night and coasted to victory with a 53.4 second half, final panel in 26 seconds flat. His dance card includes the $325,000 estimated Graduate on May 19 and the $700,000 estimated William Haughton on July 7, both at the Meadowlands.

How fast he can go is anyone’s guess. He might even be able to eclipse the time trial record of 1:46.1 set by his sire, Cambest, in 1988.

“There are no words to describe it,” Gulotta said of owning Lis Mara. “You think you’re dreaming.”

The toughest challenge for Lis Mara, named for the late football Giants owner Wellington Mara, may not be defeating the competition but finding competition.

When he was entered to qualify at the Southern Oaks Training Center in Florida on April 11, no one would go with him so he put in an official workout, pacing the mile in 1:53.4 with driver Brian Sears in the sulky. Sears was back at the lines for his 1:49.1 record-setting qualifier at the Meadowlands on April 19, finishing nearly 11 lengths ahead of the 2006 Pacer of the Year, Total Truth.

In the five-year-old’s first start of the year in a $42,000 open on April 28, he toured the Meadowlands oval in a sizzling 1:48.2

“Amazingly, he was well within himself [in that race], Gulotta recalled. “Brian did not pull the earplugs. He had the ‘slower” bike on him, the Telstar. He didn’t have the Harmer bike on him. So now he has his Harmer bike, which we bought him. The new bike just got delivered on Sunday [April 29].”

With 20 wins, 11 seconds and four thirds from 48 starts, Lis Mara has now earned $1,211,521 lifetime. Most of that was accomplished in 2006 with 16 of 17 finishes in-the-money and a bankroll of $967,485. Last summer, he strung together five straight wins, beginning with the $830,370 Canadian Pacing Derby at Mohawk on June 24 and including the $500,000 Breeders Crown on July 29 at the Meadowlands. The skein ended with a second-place finish to Holborn Hanover in the $203,000 American National Final on August 26 at Balmoral Park.

He was not only the United States Harness Writers Association’s Dan Patch Award winner as Older Pacing Horse of the Year but received the same accolades from Harness Tracks of America [Nova Award] and Standardbred Canada [O’Brien Award].

“The way he acts, he could be the next big horse the business has seen,” trainer Miller was quoted as saying. “We’ll have to find out; we’ll have to let him tell us.” Gulotta would agree.

“You never know what is in a horse’s heart, but I do know what is in my horse’s heart,” Gulotta said. “He’s a very happy horse; he absolutely loves his work. And he is very, very smart.”

At some point, Lis Mara’s next career will be as a stallion.

Full article continues at: Lis Mara winnings benefit poor in Haiti

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A Green Realtor Blog

Horses are beautiful animals

Horses are beautiful animals, and I must thank my late uncle Don for taking me to Fort Erie and other tracks as a kid. Also, my parents took me to New Brunswick and PEI every summer, where my mom and dad are from respectively, and my father used to take me horseback riding too.

Uncle Don was more into the flats, but I loved horseracing in general from my very first exposure to it; even the math of the betting appealed to me as a kid and as a teen. A trip to the track and some outdoors time and it can make for some idyllic memories. As one wag once commented, "A bad day at the track is still better than a good day anywhere else ..."

I remember being able to pick one two-dollar bet per race card. That was more money back then than now, so when I take my kids to the North America Cup, I let them each pick three two-dollar bets, and we have a grand time. It's usually just me and my dad and a friend of his, plus either or both of Rebecca and Aaron, but the horses are the fastest in the world, the very cream of the 3-year-old pacing crop. The card is filled out with about 7 or 8 other stakes races, so if you've never been, I suggest you consider attending the 2008 Pepsi North America Cup.


Be good,

Joe


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Meadowlands Harness Racing Dates 2008

2008 Standardbred Racing schedule for The Meadowlands, January to August:

JAN 2008 Wednesdays through Saturdays, starting January 2 [18 dates]

FEB 2008 Wednesdays through Sundays, Dark February 3rd - [20 dates]

MAR 2008 Wednesday through Sundays - Dark March 23rd – (20 dates)

APR 2008 Wednesdays through Saturdays – (17 dates)

MAY 2008 Wednesdays through Saturdays plus Sunday May 11th & Monday, May 26 –(21 dates)

JUN 2008 Wednesdays through Saturdays - [17 dates] plus Sunday June 15th

JUL 2008 Wednesdays through Saturdays - [18 dates]

AUG 2008 Through August 2 - [2 dates]

Total Dates: 133


Meadowlands racing Info from: TheBigM Horseracing website

Donato Hanover standing for $20,000 fee

HORSE RACING INSIDER

Champion trotting racehorse Donato Hanover joins legendary lineup of stallions at home in Hanover Shoe Farms

D'Arcy Egan Cleveland Plain Dealer Reporter

Donato Hanover was home for the holidays on Wednesday (05dec07) as the Hanover Shoe Farms celebrated the colt's tremendous 2007 season.

The 3-year-old trotter was born at the famed horse farm outside of Hanover, Pa., on May 3, 2004, and joins Hanover's lineup of stallions now that his racing career has ended.

The stud fee for the bay stallion by Andover Hall out of D Train, a Donerail mare, is $20,000.

Donato Hanover had a tremendous career, winning 19 consecutive races and $3 million. The sophomore was so dominant in the trotting ranks that he is a front runner for harness racing's Horse of the Year, despite a pair of late-season losses to rival Arch Madness in the Breeders Crown competition. Donato Hanover captured this year's Hambletonian, Canadian Trotting Classic, World Trotting Derby, Kentucky Futurity and Stanley Dancer Memorial.

Second in the Horse of the Year standings by the Hambletonian/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll is a fabulous filly, Snow White. The daughter of Self Possessed-Mom's Millionaire, Snow White had 11 wins in 13 starts and won $1.2 million this year, a record for a 2-year-old trotter. Fabled driver John Campbell told U.S. Trotting Association officials she was "the best 2-year-old I've ever sat behind."

When Snow White won the Breeders Crown, the win pushed Campbell's career driving earnings over the $250 million mark.

Full article continues at: Donato Hanover retires to stud

Jody Jamieson, Paul MacDonell, Casie Coleman, Blair Burgess nominated for O'Brien Awards

Standardbred Horse Racing's O'Brien Awards Finalists Announced

Somebeachsomewhere is a finalist for Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt

Standardbred Canada today (19dec07) announced the finalists for the 2007 O'Brien Awards, which honour Canada's best in harness racing over the past season. The awards are named in honour of the late Joe O'Brien, an outstanding horseman and a member of The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. The winners will be announced at the O'Brien Awards banquet on Saturday, February 2, 2008.

Please note that a full list of finalists appears at the bottom of this release.

Jody Jamieson and Paul MacDonell are each looking to capture their first O'Brien as Canada's Driver of the Year while Casie Coleman will defend her title as Canada's Trainer of the Year for a third consecutive season while Blair Burgess will attempt to break that streak and capture his first training title.

Jody Jamieson, 31, of Cambridge, Ontario was runner-up to Mark MacDonald for national honours in 2006 and is enroute to a career earnings year, leading all Canadian drivers in earnings with over $10 million ($8.9 million in Canada) while driving 379 winners. Jamieson had many stakes wins throughout the year including coveted victories in the North America Cup and Little Brown Jug with pacing sensation Tell All.

Paul MacDonell, 44, of Guelph, Ontario was runner-up to Mark MacDonald in the 2005 season. MacDonell has 255 wins on the year and $7.7 million in earnings.

Casie Coleman, 27, of Cambridge, Ontario defends her title as Canada's Trainer of the Year following another productive season, which included 177 wins and earnings of over $3.5 million. Coleman's stable star, Moving Pictures, is a finalist for Older Pacing Mare honours.

Blair Burgess, 46, of Milton, Ontario was runner-up in this category in 2006. Burgess enjoyed a profitable and productive 2007 season thanks in large part to the successful performances of the exceptional three-year-old pacing colt Tell All. The Burgess Stable made 28 trips to the winner's circle for $1.2 million in earnings.

Tell All and Bigtime Ball are the finalists in the Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt category. Tell All, a winner of $1.5 million, scored major victories on both sides of the border with the North America Cup and Little Brown Jug to his credit. Bigtime Ball was a consistent performer in the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS), closing his '07 season with a convincing win in the OSS Super Final to give him over $461,000 in earnings.

The invincible Somebeachsomewhere is a finalist for Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt honours. Somebeachsomewhere won all six season starts including a 1:49.3 victory in the lucrative Metro Pace that made him the sport's fastest two-year-old pacer. Breeders Crown Champion Santanna Blue Chip, a winner of over $925,000 is the other finalist.

A number of finalists are looking to add a second consecutive O'Brien title to their resumes. Darlins Delight, Lis Mara and Pampered Princess were all O'Brien Award winners in 2006 and are nominated again for 2007.

Full article continues at: 2007 O'Brien Award Finalists

Before He Cheats closes season with nine-length win – his eighth in a row

Bowie Singing To The Bank With "Cheats"

article from www.StandardbredCanada.ca

These days, almost anything can be bought on TV, and when Sam Bowie saw Before He Cheats on TV racing from Balmoral Park, the ex-NBA star had no idea the trotter would have the type of season he did in 2007.

Before He Cheats is currently tied with the nine-year-old trotter Swanee as the winningest horse in North America in 2007. Both horses have 21 wins; Before He Cheats accomplished that feat with 28 starts, Swanee in 41. Before He Cheats closed his season with a nine-length win – his eighth in a row – in the $120,000 final of the Chester Series at Chester Downs on December 20.

"It's weird, almost like fate," Bowie said. "I saw him in his third start. He finished second in that race, but he just looked like a real horse that could trot. I was thinking if he ever got out, he was going to blow by horses; he was just climbing over them. I called the USTA to find out a phone number for an owner and it was a guy named Dirk Simpson. I had heard of Dirk, but never met him. I called Dirk, he said he had two other owners with the horse and they needed $60,000 for the horse. I said, "How about I give you 50 and you get to keep the horse and train him throughout the Illinois program?"

"Now, 25 starts later, it looks like a brilliant idea," he added, laughing.

Before He Cheats, originally called EF Yorktown, was named by Simpson after the title of a song by singer Carrie Underwood. The song describes a woman's destruction of her unfaithful boyfriend's car, done so he'll think twice "Before He Cheats" again.

The sale was not exactly beginner's luck for Bowie, who has been a Standardbred owner since 1985. Bowie has owned about 75 horses over the years, including multiple-stakes-winning pacing female Legacy Of Love (p, 3, 1:56.2, $206,384). Bowie was the No. 2 selection in the 1984 NBA draft by the Portland Trailblazers. He also played with the New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Lakers before retiring in 1995. From Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Bowie and wife Heidi settled in Lexington, where he previously was a collegiate star for the Kentucky Wildcats.

While playing with the Nets, Bowie was a regular visitor to the adjacent Meadowlands Racetrack, where the 7-foot-1 fan could watch the races in the press box without attracting attention. Bowie often stopped at the track for the last few races after a game.

"I'd go home at night and Heidi would say, 'How'd you do?'," he recalled. "I'd say, 'Well, I almost hit the trifecta.' She'd say, 'No, I meant against the Celtics.'"

Perhaps it was more than 25 years of watching races with a handicapper's eye that helped Bowie spot Before He Cheats.

"It wasn't like I went to the races looking to buy a horse, it just happened," he said. "When I told him (Simpson) that I was going to wire him $50,000 in the next 15 minutes, I wasn't going to vet the horse, I'd never met him and he gets to keep the horse. He said 'Wait a minute, you're going to wire me $50,000, you're not going to vet the horse and I get to train him, where is the trick to all this?' It was just all fate; I had a gut feeling. Dirk thanked me for having confidence in him. He thought the colt was a good horse, but he'd be the first to tell you, not like this."

Simpson got involved with Before He Cheats when he was an unraced two-year-old.

"I have a friend and partner, Russ Beamon, and he made contact with Mr. York [breeder/owner Earl]," Simpson said. "He went down to [York's home in] Georgia and bought the mother and three colts (Before He Cheats and two older unraced full brothers, by Valley Victor out of the Pride N Pleasure mare Nina Yorktown) and the Armbro Charger seven-year-old brother."

Full article continues at: 2007 Top-winning Trotter

Meadowlands nightly replay program moving to Sportsnet New York on Jan 2nd

Article from: HarnessLink.com

The Meadowlands nightly replay program Racing From The Meadowlands will move to SportsNet New York (SNY) when the 2008 harness meet begins January 2.

The show will air at 12 midnight most racing nights, with a half-hour program Wednesday-Friday and hourlong show on Saturday. Each show recaps the night’s races and previews the following day’s action. In addition, the Saturday show regularly features interviews with leading racing personalities. The show is anchored by Meadowlands analysts Sam McKee, Ken Warkentin, Bob Heyden and Dave Brower.

SNY is a 24/7 regional sports and entertainment television network that is the official broadcast home of the New York Mets and New York Jets. SNY also televises other professional and collegiate sports, including basketball and football games from the Big East and Big Ten conferences, as well as classic sports and event programming. SNY also features exclusive interview and magazine programs.

Article continues at: HarnessLink.com Standardbred Racing Site

Kentuckiana Farms named New Jersey Breeder of the Year for 2007

Kentuckiana 2007 NJ Breeder Of The Year

December 28, 2007

article from StandardbredCanada.ca

In the United States in 2007, one quarter of the standardbred racing's divisional champions were a product of Kentuckiana Farms General Partnership and its founder, Tom Crouch. In turn, Kentuckiana Farms has been named Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey's Breeder of the Year.

"It is a great honour to be recognized as New Jersey Breeder of the Year," said Bob Brady, one of the Kentuckiana partners. "Two thousand seven has been an exciting year for Kentuckiana Farms, having bred, raised or sold 11 national season's leaders and three divisional champions in Mystical Sunshine, Mister Big and Tell All.

Representing Kentuckiana in the Garden State are the trotting stallions Yankee Glide and Classic Photo (whose first crop will come to sale in 2008) and the recently retired pacer Tell All, the Little Brown Jug and North America Cup winner.

"The New Jersey breeding program is vitally important to the overall health of the standardbred industry," Brady noted. "Our New Jersey operation has been a key component to Kentuckiana's overall success. Being able to showcase our product at the Meadowlands has played a huge role in this success."

Tell All [by Real Desire], the Three-Year-Old Pacer of the Year for 2007 in the U.S., is one of the trio of Kentuckiana progeny who will be honoured with Dan Patch Awards at the end of January. The other two are Older Pacer of the Year Mister Big (by Grinfromeartoear) and Older Female Trotter of the Year Mystical Sunshine (by Yankee Glide).

"We are excited about bringing Tell All to New Jersey as the newest addition to our ever expanding stallion roster," Brady explained. "We are cautiously optimistic that the New Jersey program will take the necessary steps to keep pace with other jurisdictions.

"Being recognized with three divisional champions validates our commitment to breeding the best," he added.

The Breeder of the Year Award will be presented at the 51st Annual New Jersey-bred Equine Breeders Award dinner on January 27 at the Holiday Inn of East Windsor (New Jersey).

Mystical Sunshine is one of four millionaires sired by Yankee Glide.

The Chris Ryder trainee posted eight wins, four seconds and two thirds from 19 starts this season and banked $348,990 this year for the ownership of Sid Korn and the Estate of Alvin Jacobson. Her victories included the $270,000 Breeders Crown and $116,000 Miss Versatility.

Yankee Glide, a son of Valley Victory, topped all North American trotting sires in 2006 with progeny who earned nearly $8.8 million. This year his 202 starters have banked more than $6.2 million.

Article continues at: Kentuckiana wins New Jersey Breeder of the Year