With only five pacing colts entered in this year's Cleveland Classic, officials from Northfield Park have cancelled this year's event. In addition, the race will return in 2015 but not for the glamour boys.
Dave Bianconi, Northfield Park's Executive Vice President of Racing, told Trot Insider that the race had 38 eligible colts and only five entered, precipitating the cancellation.
"A lot of the three-year-old colt pacers sort of fell by the wayside this year. When you have a race this late in the season it is always a crap shoot. I knew when the Progress only got six for $300,000 it might be trouble."
The Cleveland Classic was slated to be raced for a purse of $150,000. The connections of those five horses that did enter -- All Bets Off, Big Boy Dreams, Boomboom Balkykeel, Forty Five Red and Good Citations -- will each receive a cheque in excess of $17,000 for entering.
Next year, Bianconi and Northfield won't have this problem as the race is being revamped and presented for a different division.
"I actually made changes for next year at the race secretaries' meeting last week in Florida," continued Bianconi. "We'll keep the Carl Milstein Memorial as our big three-year-old race in 2015 ($500,000 est.) and have a new race for four-year-old and up trotters called the Cleveland Trotting Classic ($200,000 est.) on Friday, July 3."
The new trotting Classic will join the Milstein Memorial, the $200,000 (est.) Battle of Lake Erie for veteran open pacers, and the $125,000 (est.) Courageous Lady for three year-old-filly pacers as Northfield Park’s marquee events.
(with files from Northfield)