security protected

A 41-1 offering in the first Hambletonian elimination, Security Protected worked out a pocket trip, angled out in the last eighth after getting shuffled back, and made the final with a fifth-place finish. He was four lengths behind winner Karl, timed in 1:51.2 and came home in 27.2.

As a 2-year-old, Security Protected collected three victories in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes legs and also defeated open company in his International Stallion division at The Red Mile. His mark of 1:52.4 came in that International Stallion triumph. He also was second in the PA Sire Stakes final and third in the Breeders Crown and Peter Haughton Memorial finals. He kicked off his sophomore campaign by winning a Pennsylvania All-Stars split and two more rounds of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes. He finished seventh in the MGM Yonkers Trot final, eighth in the Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial and fifth in his Stanley Dancer Memorial section.

trainer Marcus Melander: He raced good. He took a couple of steps turning for home, but Tim (Tetrick) saved him there and he finished good. Hopefully, we can get a good post. Hopefully, he can pick up a nice check if he draws well.

His year started out very good. He’s actually been racing good his last two starts. He made that break at Yonkers (in the MGM Yonkers Trot on June 28), but I think he’s coming into pretty good form. It’s going to be a tough race, of course, but if he can draw well and follow someone, you never know what can happen. He’s a solid horse. OK, he made that break at Yonkers, but otherwise he does everything right.