Ken Warkentin's ROAD TO THE HAMBLETONIAN - Week 10
The 2020 Hambletonian is Saturday, August 8th. Post time for the Hambletonian is 4:35 pm and can be viewed live at PlayMeadowlands.com CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, will present a delayed 60-minute broadcast of the $1 million Hambletonian and $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks from The Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J., on Sat., Aug. 8, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. [EDT] Both races have scheduled eliminations the week before on Sat., Aug. 1. The Hambletonian is the first and most prestigious leg of the Trotting Triple Crown. CBS Sports Network has been the broadcast home of the Hambletonian since 2012.
1 -
Ramona Hill
(Muscle Hill) Andrew McCarthy, Tony Alagna, Brad Grant, Crawford Farms Racing, Robert Leblanc, In The Gym Partners
Dan Patch Award winning filly unleashed a 1:50.3 career best from post ten in the Del Miller, uncorked a :25.4 rally for the ages in to win her elimination in 1:51.2, “She’s been great,” Alagna said. “She was a very immature 2-year-old and she was still able to get the job done. We were so happy with how she came back (in the winter) in Florida. Her first start, she raced super off the pace and two weeks ago she was sparkling and tonight she’s even better.”
2 - Ready For Moni
(Ready Cash) Yannick Gingras, Nancy Takter, John Fielding, Lindy Farms of Conn, Herb Liverman, Bud Hatfield
Rallied to win his Team Takter debut in a Dancer division in 1:51.4, cruised to a new mark of 1:51.3 in his elimination, “The way the schedule has been this year, it’s been a little difficult to find races,” Takter said. “We didn’t want to have him over-raced going into the Hambletonian, so he had a couple nice qualifiers to kind of let him get into his own and hopefully he’ll take this race in the right way and be even sharper for next week.”
3 - Back Of The Neck
(Ready Cash) Scott Zeron, Ake Svanstedt, Howard Taylor, Order By Stable, Judith Taylor
Scott Zeron looks for his third Hambo in five years, won a Reynolds division @ Big M on July 11 in 1:52 with a thunderous :26.4 rally, romped in a Dancer division in a career best equaling 1:52, second [1:51.2] to Ramona Hill in his elimination
4 - Threefiftytwo
(Royalty For Life) Bob McClure, Luc Blais, Determination
Last year’s Hambletonian upsetters with Forbidden Trade are back with an OSS performer who took a mark of 1:52.3 @ Mohawk on July 13, finished second [1:51.4] in his elimination
5 - Amigo Volo
(Father Patrick) Dexter Dunn, Nifty Norman, Pinske Stables, David J. Miller
Breeders Crown champion won a PASS division @ Pocono Downs in a careerbest of 1:52 on July 26, third [1:51.4] in the first Hambo elimination, DexterDunn was fourth from post ten last year
6 - Sister Sledge
(Father Patrick) Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke, Burke Racing Stable, Jason Melillo, J & T Silva-Purnel & Libby, Weaver Bruscemi
Won her first two stakes as a 3YO @ The Meadows, second [1:52.4] in PASS @ Harrah’s Philadelphia, took a mark of 1:51.2 in a Tompkins Geers division, fourth [1:52] in the second elimination
7 - Hollywood Story
(Muscle Hill) Tim Tetrick, Marcus Melander, Courant Inc.
Melander said he’s a green colt with only seven starts, yet getting improving, second [1:52] to Ready for Moni in a Dancer division, fifth [1:52] in his elimination
8 - Rome Pays Off
(Muscle Hill) Mattias Melander, Marcus Melander,S R F Stable
2019 Breeders Crown runner up made it two-for-two this season with a solid score in the Tompkins Geers with a career best of 1:52.3 on July 25, parked fifth [1:52.1] in the second elimination
9 Capricornus
(Cantab Hall) Tim Tetrick, Marcus Melander, Jj Racing Stable
Melander finished second, third & fifth in last year’s Hambletonian, second in the William Wellwood Memorial at two, rebounded with a solid third from the rail [1:52] in his elimination
10 -
Big Oil
(Father Patrick) Andy & Julie Miller, Jason, Doug & Ron Allen
Team Orange Crush hit the board three straight years 2016-2018, won a PA Allstars division @ Pocono Downs in 1:53.2, third [1:52.3] in a Dancer division, fourth [1:52] in his elimination
All major stakes replays leading up to #hambo20
KEY PREP RACES Hambletonian Eligibles in Caps Date Stakes Site Winner Driver Trainer 2nd Horse 3rd Horse Time
June 19 NJSS M JULA TRIX TREASURE Ake Svanstedt Ake Svanstedt Play Trix On Me Barley 1:54
June 21 NYSS TD HYPNOTIC AM Brian Sears Marcus Melander REBA BLUE CHIP Munster 1:54.2
June 24 NYSS V THIRD SHIFT Ake Svanstedt Ake Svanstedt Take The Credit Ballcapsnbluejeans 1:54.2
June 24 NYSS V BERKERY J Scott Zeron George Ducharme Chaptiana Barn Holden 1:54.2
June 26 NJSS M Play Trix On Me Scott Zeron Linda Toscano Barley JULA TRIX TREASURE 1:53.2
June 27 $25,000 M SORELLA Yannick Gingras Nancy Takter BACK OF THE NECK SYNERGY 1:51.2
July 3 NJSS Final M Play Trix On Me Scott Zeron Linda Toscano JULA TRIX TREASURE AP Hall Of Trix 1:53.3
July 4 E. Breeders Classic V HYPNOTIC AM Brian Sears Marcus Melander LOVE A GOOD STORY NO MAS DRAMA 1:53.4
July 4 E. Breeders Classic V THIRD SHIFT Ake Svanstedt Ake Svanstedt Ballcapsnbluejeans Sir Cromwell 1:52.4
July 4 E. Breeders Classic V HOBBS Jason Bartlett Jim Campbell Take The Credit Barn Holden 1:53.3
July 11 Reynolds M JULA TRIX TREASURE Yannick Gingras Ake Svanstedt BEADS EL Ideal 1:51.2
July 11 Reynolds M SORELLA Yannick Gingras Nancy Takter PANEM RAMONA HILL 1:50.2
July 11 Reynolds M BACK OF THE NECK Scott Zeron Ake Svanstedt Play Trix On Me MAESTERAEMON 1:52
July 11 PA Allstars PD AMIGO VOLO George Napolitano, Jr. Nifty Norman SWISS HOUSE ON FIRE Hell Patrol 1:54
July 11 PA Allstars PD BIG OIL Andrew McCarthy Julie Miller CHESTNUT HILL STEEL SCHOONER 1:53.2
July 18 Stanley Dancer M BACK OF THE NECK Scott Zeron Ake Svanstedt THIRD SHIFT BIG OIL 1:52
July 18 Stanley Dancer M READY FOR MONI Yannick Gingras Nancy Takter HOLLYWOOD STORY BEADS 1:51.4
July 18 Del Miller M RAMONA HILL Andrew McCarthy Tony Alagna PANEM HYPNOTIC AM 1:50.3
July 25 Tompkins Geers M ROME PAYS OFF Mattias Melander Marcus Melander Play Trix On Me JULA TRIX TREASURE 1:52.3
July 25 Tompkins Geers M SISTER SLEDGE Yannick Gingras Ron Burke MS SAVANNAH BELLE Dubai Princess 1:51.2
Aug. 1 Hambo Elim M
Aug. 1 Hambo Elim M
