16 enter Hambletonian, 20 enter Oaks
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
