“At this point, I’m sitting on three really, really good horses. I would be extremely disappointed if I don’t end up winning the Hambletonian this year. My goal is to win the Hambletonian.”

Father Patrick is no stranger to overcoming difficult starting spots, and no stranger to providing fantastic finishes.

He did both in his most recent performance, starting from Post 8 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and winning the Earl Beal Jr. Memorial in a world-record 1:50.2. Post 8 produces only 6.7 per cent winners at Pocono Downs, the worst figure at the five-eighths-mile oval.

On Saturday night, Father Patrick will start from Post 9 in the $317,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial for three-year-old trotters at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Post 9 produces 8.4 per cent winners at the ‘Big M,’ the second-worst percentage of the 10 starting spots on the gate.

Undefeated in five races this year, and the owner of a 14-race win streak dating back to last July, Father Patrick is the 4-5 favourite on the morning line in the 12-horse field. Regular driver Yannick Gingras will be at the lines for trainer Jimmy Takter, who also sends out the only other horses at less than 15-1 on the morning line: Trixton, 3-1 from the second tier’s Post 12, and Nuncio, 4-1 from Post 7.

“It will be an interesting race,” Takter said. “They didn’t draw good, but they’re good horses so we’ll see what happens. ‘Patrick’ got the toughest [draw] with the nine and two horses trailing, but he can do anything you want; he’s so handy.”

The Stanley Dancer, the final major tune-up for the $1.2 million Hambletonian on August 2 at the Meadowlands, is part of a stakes-filled Saturday at the Big M. The card also includes the $776,000 Meadowlands Pace, $463,300 William R. Haughton Memorial, $213,500 Delvin Miller Memorial, $212,150 Mistletoe Shalee, $178,450 Golden Girls, and a $40,000 leg of the Miss Versatility Series.

First race post time is 6:30 p.m. Saturday and the Haughton and Meadowlands Pace will air live beginning at 9 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

Father Patrick was last year’s Dan Patch Award winner for best two-year-old male trotter. He has won 15 of 16 career starts and earned $1.09 million for the Father Patrick Stable ownership group.

His victories last season included the Breeders Crown, William Wellwood Memorial, and Peter Haughton Memorial, which he won by 10 lengths at the Meadowlands. He captured his Breeders Crown elimination in 1:52.1, a world-record for a two-year-old male trotter on a five-eighths-mile track, starting from outside Post 9 at Pocono Downs.

This season, Father Patrick won a division of the Historic-Dickerson Cup and two divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes before sweeping his elimination and the final of the Beal.

“His win [in the Beal final] was very impressive,” Takter said. “He went in (1:) 50.2 and Yannick didn’t even ask him at all. I was a little worried going into the race that he wasn’t stretched out enough. They need that. Now he’s got it. It’s good to have that.

“Patrick is, to me, the perfect horse.”

Nuncio, driven by John Campbell, finished second to Father Patrick in the Beal, beaten by two and three-quarter lengths. Nuncio, who is the only horse to beat Father Patrick, has won nine of 15 career races and finished second on six occasions – with five of those runner-up efforts coming to Father Patrick.

Interestingly, Nuncio’s win over Father Patrick came last July 12, exactly one year to the day as the Dancer.

“Don’t count Nuncio out,” said Takter, who trains the colt for owner Stefan Melander’s Stall TZ. “He’s very good. John has basically nursed him, not to get him fired up, and mentally he’s 10 times better than I dreamed I was going to get him. I’m sure from the seven post John is going to test him a little bit out of the gate. He’s a hell of a horse. I like his chances, too.”

Trixton, who will be driven by Takter, has won five of six races this year and is making his first start in a race with Father Patrick and/or Nuncio. He won the Goodtimes Stakes in a Canadian-record 1:51.3 on June 14, his most recent outing, and won the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship in 1:52.1 on May 31 at the Meadowlands.

He brings a five-race win streak to the Dancer, with none of those victories coming by fewer than four and a half lengths. Trixton is a son of 2009 U.S. Horse of the Year Muscle Hill out of the mare Emilie Cas El, who was Canada’s Horse of the Year in 1994. His family also includes past stars Andover Hall, Conway Hall and Angus Hall.

“Trixton, when he has his ‘A’ game, we know what he can do,” said Takter, who trains the colt for Brixton Medical AB and Christina Takter.

“At this point, I’m sitting on three really, really good horses. I would be extremely disappointed if I don’t end up winning the Hambletonian this year. My goal is to win the Hambletonian.”

Following is the field in post order for the Stanley Dancer Memorial with drivers, trainers, and morning line odds:

1 – Muscle Network – Ake Svanstedt – Ake Svanstedt – 15-1
2 – Martiniwithmuscle – Ron Pierce – Joseph King – 30-1
3 – Revrac Harbour – Scott Zeron – Tony Alagna – 30-1
4 – Don Dorado – Tim Tetrick – Robert Baggitt Jr. – 20-1
5 – Skates N Plates – Brian Sears – Trond Smedshammer – 30-1
6 – Sumatra – Brett Miller – Tom Fanning – 30-1
7 – Nuncio – John Campbell – Jimmy Takter – 4-1
8 – Speak The Truth – David Miller – Linda Toscano – 30-1
9 – Father Patrick – Yannick Gingras – Jimmy Takter – 4-5
10 – Well Built – Chris Ryder – Chris Ryder – 50-1
11 – Kapow Hanover – Corey Callahan – Staffan Lind – 50-1
12 – Trixton – Jimmy Takter – Jimmy Takter – 3-1

This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.