Six American National stakes for pacers and trotters with purses totalling $938,000 are set for Saturday night at Balmoral Park. The stakes have attracted
nationally known drivers Tim Tetrick, John Campbell, David Miller and Yannick Gingras as well as four horses ranked in harness racing's Top 10.
For Canadians wishing to wager on the races, a special offer is available:
HPI OFFERING $100 CASH BACK ON BALMORAL
Customers who wager on the American National Card through HorsePlayer Interactive will receive up to $100 Cash Back. Post Time is 8:10 pm ET.
Details:
Bet a minimum of $100 and get $10 back.
Bet a minimum of $200 and get $25 back.
Bet a minimum of $300 and get $45 back.
Bet a minimum of $400 and get $75 back.
Bet a minimum of $500 and get $100 back.
The offer is valid for open HPI accounts in good standing. Only wagers made on the Balmoral Park race card on November 13, 2010 qualify for the Cash Back offer. HPI member must wager a minimum of $100 in order to qualify for the Cash Back. Maximum of $100 Cash Back per account.
BUCK I ST PAT & ENOUGH TALK SET TO FACE OFF IN AGED TROT
Trotting enthusiasts are in for a treat in Saturday’s fourth race as two of North America’s top diagonally gaited specialists in Buck I St Pat and Enough Talk will lead a compact field of five to the gate for the $124,000 American National Aged Trot.
Buck I St Pat comes into Saturday’s tilt as the number five rated horse in North America in the Breeders Crown/Hambletonian Standardbred poll. The seven-year-old daughter of Jailhouse Jesse has shown no signs of slowing down with age racking up eight victories, three seconds and four thirds this year while adding another $645,695 to a bankroll which now stands at a whopping $2,047,647.
With 48 career victories in 91 lifetime starts the Ron Burke trained Ohio bred checks into the American National fresh off a victory in the Filly & Mare Allerage Stake at the Red Mile where she stopped the clock in a blistering 1:51.1, which was just a tick off of her career best of 1:51, which she established at the Meadowlands earlier this year.
A two-time defending Breeders Champion Buck I St Pat has continued to amaze her conditioner and owners with her achievements.
“I really thought this would be her last year of racing but I’ll be the first to admit she’s been even better this year as a seven-year-old than she was last year,” said Burke. “I think as much as anything it’s the way she races. She likes to come from the back so she never gets stretched out or over exerts herself. She takes less work than any other horse in our barn and is actually more like a thoroughbred than a standardbred. She gets a lot of turn out time and recovery time after races and because of that she’s kept a great attitude and always comes back wanting to do her work.”
Enough Talk captured this event back in 2008 and the seven-year-old gelded son of Enjoy Lavec is also having a big 2010 season after struggling with injuries in 2009.
Named as the Older Trotter of the Year in 2008 the pride of conditioner Peter Kleinhans and owner Jerry Silva has bounced back this year by winning the Breeders Crown in 1:52 and his career numbers now stand at 32-14-16 in 88 starts with earnings of $1,778,993.
The only trotter in history to break the 1:50 barrier with his 1:49.3 clocking at Colonial Downs during his five-year-old season Enough Talk appears to be regaining his best form late in the 2010 campaign.
“His win in the Breeders Crown in October was his first since July 3rd,” commented Kleinhans. “He was sick for a couple of starts before that and he also had some foot problems so he wasn’t himself for a while. Now it looks like he’s back in shape and staying at a good level so I expect a big try from him and I also expect to bring him back for his eight-year-old season.”
PUT ON A SHOW LIVING UP TO HER NAME
Boasting 19 career victories in 24 starts and a bankroll of $1,851,455 along with the number three ranking in North America Craig Henderson and Richard & Joanne Young’s Put On A Show is the 6-5 morning line favorite for Saturday’s $191,000 American National Stake for Three-Year-Old Filly Pacers. The race, which has been carded as the ninth, will cap off six straight American National Finals.
This year’s Breeders Crown champion comes to Balmoral Park after a rare defeat when she finished second in a $159,000 division of the Tattersalls Stake at The Red Mile. Given a brief rest after that race trainer Chris Ryder elected to give his prize filly a tune up for the American National with the daughter of Rocknroll Hanover-Steinam’s Place cruising to a qualifying victory in 1:52.2 at the Meadowlands.
Purchased as a yearling for $75,000 Put On A Show has been doing just that from the time she hit the track as a two-year-old. Putting together a record of seven wins and two seconds with earnings of $732,308 in her first season Put On A Show captured such major stakes as the She’s A Great Lady and Eternal Camnation.
This year has been even better for the Ryder trainee who has put up 12 wins and two seconds in 15 starts with earnings of $1,119,147. Among her biggest triumphs are the $500,000 Breeders Crown, the $355,000 Valley Forge, $230,000 Simcoe and the $171,000 Nadia Lobell in which she took her lifetime best of 1:49.4 with Tim Tetrick at the controls.
“Put On A Show has only been beaten a couple of times in her career,” said Tetrick. “She can race on the front end, off the pace or first up. It really doesn’t matter to her. She’s very fast and this filly is big and strong. She drives like a Cadillac and is one of the most gifted fillies I’ve had the pleasure to sit behind.”
Amazingly 10 of her 12 victories this season have come in under 1:51.0. With a win on Saturday night the talented filly will boast major stakes victories on six different racetracks this season.
“She’s been a pleasure to be around from the time I got her,” said trainer Chris Ryder. “She never causes us any problems and is as easy keeping a filly as you’ll find. She’s a clean pacer who goes straight with a loose hopple. We’ve been blessed to have her and I just hope she continues to amaze us like she has already.”
ONE MORE LAUGH(ING) ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK
Creative Racing Stable, Jerry Silva and Ray Schnittker’s One More Laugh, a two-time World Record holder, will be the one to beat as a field of nine sophomore’s head postward for Saturday’s $245,000 American National Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Stake which goes as race eight on the big 14-race program.
Installed as the 8-5 morning line favourite the gelded son of Mcardle comes to town after a tough luck fifth place finish in the $437,100 Messenger Stake at Yonkers last week. Prior to that this tough as nails pacer was second behind top ranked Rock And Roll Heaven in 1:48.1 at the Red Mile in the $604,400 Tattersalls Stake. The Schnittker trainee also posted an impressive 3 ½ length victory at The Red Mile taking a division of the $111,500 Bluegrass Stake in 1:49 for regular driver Tim Tetrick who will be back in the bike on Saturday night.
After a two-year-old season in which he posted nine victories and two seconds in 12 starts with $594,306 in earnings big things were expected of the altered bay who set a World Record for a two-year-old gelding with his win in 1:49.2 while taking the Governor’s Cup at Harrah’s Chester and he has not disappointed his connections.
One of the few horses to beat the top ranked Rock And Roll Heaven this year season One More Laugh etched his name into the record books once again becoming the fastest three-year-old gelding in history while capturing the Meadowlands Pace in a blazing 1:47.4.
Sporting a record of seven wins, five seconds and one third with earnings of over $1.3 million in 2010 One More Laugh has a career slate of 16-7-1 in 29 with $1,919,690 in earnings.
While his numbers are gaudy his conditioner says that his demeanor in the barn is nothing special.
“In the barn you’ll find him just standing there in his stall,” said Schnittker. “He has zero personality. He’s also kind of a pain to jog because he tends to drift all over the place but when you get him out there to race he really gets down to business. He’s all race horse when it counts.”
Fans will also get to witness One More Laugh’s versatility as plans call for him to stay in town for next Friday’s (Nov. 19th) Windy City Pace.
“One More Laugh will be in Chicago for the next two weekends,” said Schnittker. “We’ve got the American National at Balmoral and then the Windy City Pace at Maywood. This horse is very very versatile. He’s gone in 47 and change on a big track, 49 and change on a five-eighths and 50 on a half-miler. There aren’t too many out there that can say that.”
WON THE WEST LOOKS TO MAKE HISTORY IN AGED PACE
Fans could witness a bit of history on Saturday night as Won The West, the number two ranked pacer in North America, looks for an unprecedented fourth American National title in the $156,000 Aged Pace which has been carded as the seventh race on the program. The great Bret Hanover, who accomplished the feat with victories in the two-year-old, three-year-old and aged pace back in 1964, 1965 & 1966, is the only other horse in history to boast three American National titles.
The six-year-old son of Western Hanover has become a fan favorite at the Crete plant over the past three years reeling off impressive scores in the three-year-old colt pace in 2007 and the aged pace in 2008 and 2009.
Currently enjoying his finest season to date as the richest older pacer in the country with earnings of $1,333,768, the Ronnie Burke trainee boasts a career bankroll of $3,452,704 which puts him fifth on the all-time list and a lifetime best of 1:47 which was taken at the Meadowlands in last year’s Breeders Crown. .
The classy gelding also became one of only three horses to defend the Breeders Crown Aged Horse title when he posted a thrilling victory over Foiled Again in a Breeders Crown record of 1:49 over the five-eighths mile strip at Pocono back on October 9. The pride of owners William Robinson, the Strollin Stables and James Koehler also boasts victories in the $748,800 Canadian Pacing Derby, The Molson Pacing Derby and the $125,000 Indiana Pacing Derby this season.
Although the rigors of facing the best pacers in the country for the last few years have taken a toll on Won The West there are no plans to retire the late rushing bay.
“We’ve had to monitor his races and his workload a little more than we did in the past but he’s still at the top of his game as you can see by the year he’s having,” said trainer Ronnie Burke. “We’ve had him since his three-year-old season and he just continues to roll right along for us.”
The 2009 Dan Patch Award winner is finally starting to get the recognition that his conditioner feels is well deserved as well.
“There aren’t very many horses that have passed that $3 million mark in earnings,” said Burke. “He’s a great a horse but to be considered with the all-time greats you have to win all the aged stakes and he’s doing that. The best thing about him is his soundness and his willingness to give you everything he’s got. He can go every week if you want him to and he can get the job done on any size track.”