Captaintreacherous Vs. Foiled Again

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Published: November 26, 2013 02:26 pm EST

The field for one of harness racing's most anticipated races this decade is now set for Saturday night at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

Still glowing from a Grand Opening of the new facility just days ago, the fall harness meet at Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment presents a stellar stakes card worth over $3.4 million in purses to the very best horses in racing on Saturday, November 30. Headlining the star-studded program are the $500,000 finals of the inaugural TVG Free For All trot and pace.

The pace (Race 10) offers the ultimate contest of old versus young with sophomore star Captaintreacherous battling the best older pacers on the continent in the match up that everyone wants to see. He enters the competition through a clause in the conditions offering an invitation to the winner of the three-year-old Breeders Crown. His connections, Captaintreacherous Racing, manager Myron Bell, trainer Tony Alagna and driver Tim Tetrick boldly accepted the challenge.

“The Captain’s” resume includes many of the 2013 major sophomore stakes including the Meadowlands Pace and North America Cup while earning over $2 million this season and nearly $3 million off his 21 wins in 25 career starts. His syndication, announced in October, place his value in the $12 million range.

The TVG Pacing Final competition is very deep with the lifetime earnings of the 10 horses just shy of $20 million. At the top of that list is the iron-tough nine-year-old Foiled Again, harness racing's richest pacer. Foiled Again won the last of the preliminary legs on Saturday past in 1:49.3 for his regular team of driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke. He is closing in on $6 million lifetime for owners Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and JJK Racing.

Pet Rock has had a great campaign and is but one fifth of a second away from holding the world speed record for the mile on all three track sizes concurrently. A win would vault him past the million mark in seasonal earnings in what is his last career start before retiring to stud in Ohio. Virgil Morgan Jr. trains and Dave Miller drives for owners Frank Bellino and Midland Acres.

The field for the TVG FFA Pace is as follows.

1-Dynamic Youth (R. Pierce*)
2-Modern Legend (J. Campbell)
3-Pet Rock (D. Miller)
4-Foiled Again (Y. Gingras)
5-Sweet Lou (M. Kakaley)
6-Bettors Edge (R. Pierce*)
7-Golden Receiver (C. Callahan)
8-Captaintreacherous (T. Tetrick)
9-Warrawee Needy (B. Sears)
10-Bolt The Duer (M. MacDonald)

The race is a media focus, with a Facebook page having been created expressly for this event. By following the link and casting your vote, Meals On Wheels will receive a cash donation. Follow along on twitter as well and mark your posts with #BigM, #TheCaptain or #FoiledAgain for your favourite. The weekly SC web poll also asks who you you think will win on Saturday.

The TVG FFA trot (Race 6) fields the seven best older trotters currently racing with likely favourite Market Share’s task made a bit more difficult by drawing the outside post. A win would cement year end honours in the division for Market Share, who would eclipse $1 million this year and $3 million life for owners Richard Gutnick, TLP Stables and William Augustine. Linda Toscano conditions the four-year-old son of Revenue S and Tetrick has the mount.

The supporting card offers the current number one in harness horse of the year polls, Bee A Magician, who will put her season-long unbeaten streak of sixteen on the line in the $253,000 Moni Maker (Race 11) stake for owners Mel Hartman, Herb Liverman and David Mc Duffee. She’ll vault past $1.5 million on the year with a victory for Brian Sears and Richard 'Nifty' Norman, her driver and trainer respectively.

The $167,500 Nadia Lobell (Race 3) lost some sparkle when division leader I Luv The Nitelife was sidelined today with an injury, but still boasts a great match up between the fastest female harness horse ever in Shebestingin, American National winner and current “hot filly” in the division Charisma Hanover and last season’s leader Somwherovrarainbow.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Fall Final Four for freshmen colts and fillies offers the last look of the season at many of those division leaders with nearly $2 million on the line for those races.

(with files from The Meadowlands)

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