Owner Tom Dillon is hoping his Hambletonian contender, Hot Shot Blue Chip, will smarten up and put his game face on this Saturday afternoon at the Meadowlands Racetrack

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"He's very fast horse, but he's like a little kid who goes to school who doesn't want to be there," Dillon told the Kennebec Journal. "He just sits in the back of the class and doesn't do anything. It's been hard. You don't know which ‘Hot Shot’ will show up for a race. It's whatever mood he's in. We've done a lot of things differently. We changed bridles, changed shoes, head gear -- everything. We've been trying everything we can do. The way we have it now, it seems to be working good."

Hambletonian Elim #1

Hot Shot Blue Chip, who finished second to Explosive Matter in his elimination, is assessed at odds of 10-1 in the morning line and will start from Post 4 with Mike Lachance in the bike.

"It's the best we could've drawn," said Dillon, whose horse, Velocity Hall, finished sixth in last year's Hambletonian. "I'm very excited and nervous. It should be fun."

To read the Kennebec Journal article in its entirety, click here.

To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click here.

(With files from the Kennebec Journal)