Annieswesterncard has been gauged at odds of 24-1 in Trot Magazine's 2009 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book. The son of Western Hanover is set to make his 2009 pari-mutuel debut this Saturday, and trainer Joe Seekman has gone on the record about
the gelding.
Seekman will send out Annieswesterncard out in the first of two $25,000 eliminations for the Berry’s Creek at the Meadowlands. The Berry's Creek is the first major stakes test for three-year-olds this season. The son of Western Hanover is rated at 5-1 on the morning line from Post 3. The first five finishers in each elim advance to the $230,000 final of the Berry’s Creek, to be contested May 9. Elim winners may select their post positions for the final.
Annieswesterncard won six of 13 starts and $224,060 as a freshman. He tuned up for the Berry’s Creek with two solid qualifying miles at Balmoral Park. Seekman’s 19-year-old son, Travis, drove the gelding in the qualifier.
“He’s very quick,” Seekman noted. “He took a mark of 1:50.3 at Indiana Downs last year. He won his Metro elimination and was the beaten favourite [third] in the final. I think he’s more of a sprinter, where Art Official is more of a grinder. He was good at Mohawk, but I think he prefers to come from off the pace. When he went to the front in the Metro final, I thought that was doomsday. If you can keep him covered up and get a sprint out of him he’s a lot better.
“He was gelded last year because he was such a handful,” he continued. “He wintered well, yet I wish he had put on a little more weight. We’re going to pick our spots and not race him too hard. After all that fun we had last year, we kept this one eligible to the North America Cup and Meadowlands Pace.”
Elimination #1 (Race 5)
PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer, Line
1, Drop Red, George Brennan, Robert Horowitz, 7-2
2, Monkey Off My Back, Brian Sears, Chris Ryder, 8-1
3, Annieswesterncard, Ron Pierce, Joe Seekman, 5-1
4, River Shark, Daniel Dube, Dave Sabatelli, 2-1
5, Lifesong, David Miller, Brian Magie Jr., 8-1
6, Spring Again, Yannick Gingras, Eric Abbatiello, 12-1
7, Pair A Dice, John Campbell, Steve Elliott, 9-2
8, Western Posse, Ron Pierce, Noel Daley, 10-1
Elimination #2 (Race 6)
PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer, Line
1, Allamerican Improv, John Campbell, Jim Graham, 10-1
2, My Old Friend John, Brian Sears, Bruce Saunders, 8-1
3, Arctic Warrior, David Miller, Sam Beegle, 12-1
4, Lisagain, Andy Miller, Erv Miller, 9-2
5, Hypnotic Blue Chip, Tim Tetrick, Mark Harder, 3-1
6, Sheer Desire, Brian Sears, Ron Burke, 5-1
7, Vertigo Hanover, John Campbell, Duane Marfisi, 5-2
8, Vertical Horizon, David Miller, Bjorn Noren, 8-1
(With files from the Meadowlands)