Returning Dan Patch Award winner Karl will make his first start of the season on Saturday, May 11 when he leads a group of 18 Hambletonian-eligible colts and geldings into the first round of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for three-year-old male trotters at The Meadowlands.
Karl was the No. 1-ranked horse in Meadowlands analyst/announcer Ken Warkentin’s Hambletonian winter book. Two other horses in Warkentin’s Top 10 — Hankins Hanover and Mars Hill — also will be part of the NJSS action on Saturday.
A total of 22 sophomore male trotters were entered in the first round of the NJSS, resulting in three $30,000 USD divisions. Karl is the 2-5 morning-line favourite in the second, where he will leave from post seven in a field of seven. Yannick Gingras will drive the son of Tactical Landing-Avalicious for trainer Nancy Takter.
Karl won nine of 10 races last year and earned $1.04 million. His earnings ranked second in history for a two-year-old male trotter, behind only T C I, who banked $1.43 million last season. His victories included the Breeders Crown, Valley Victory, Kindergarten Classic Series final, and Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series final.
His mark of 1:51.2 was the second fastest in history for a two-year-old male trotter and he captured the Breeders Crown in a stakes- and track-record 1:51.4 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. He also won the Valley Victory with a stakes-record 1:52.1 performance.
“I’ve had high hopes for him all along,” Takter said in a recent video interview with the U.S. Trotting Association’s Wendy Ross. “I thought that he would kind of be in this position coming into his three-year-old year. Sometimes things don’t work out the way you planned, actually most times they don’t in this sport, so it’s really nice when they do.
“He’s been a pleasure from day one. He’s a really super cool horse. He’s a very intelligent horse. He’s probably one of the more intelligent horses that I’ve been around in my entire life. He just knows what he’s supposed to do.”
Trainer Tony Alagna will send out the 5-2 morning-line favourites in the remaining two divisions for male trotters. Waterfall, a son of Walner-Torrent who won one of six races last season, is the fave in the first division. Mars Hill, a son of Muscle Hill-Cardinale who won two NJSS prelims last year and added two victories on the Grand Circuit, is in the third. Both horses are making their seasonal debuts and will be driven by Todd McCarthy.
“Mars Hill was a horse that didn’t carry a ton of weight last year. He’s thickened up and is carrying more weight this year,” said Alagna. “I think he’ll have a little more power this year. He really looks good. He had a couple nice paydays [last year] and showed he could be a player.
“Waterfall showed some promise at the end of the year. He got sick on us early and we lost some time with him, but he showed that he could be a player this year coming back.”
Mars Hill was ranked No. 10 in Warkentin’s Hambletonian winter book. His NJSS division also includes Hankins Hanover, who was ranked seventh. The $1 million (USD) Hambletonian is Aug. 3 at The Meadowlands.
The NJSS for three-year-old female trotters also begins Saturday with three $30,000 USD divisions. Of the 23 fillies entered, 16 are eligible to the $500,000 USD Hambletonian Oaks, also Aug. 3 at the Big M.
Leading the way is returning NJSS champion Buy A Round, who is the 8-5 morning-line favourite in the second of the three divisions and will have Andy McCarthy in the sulky for her seasonal bow. The daughter of Walner-On Your Tab won six of nine races last year, with three victories coming on the Grand Circuit. She was third in the Breeders Crown, where she was beaten by a neck.
“She’s always been a lot of fun,” trainer Noel Daley told the USTA’s Wendy Ross in a recent video interview. “She’s a smarter version of Cedar Dove [who was a Dan Patch Award winner for Daley in 2011]. She’s a really good-going thing. She grew a little bit from last year and that helps too.
“She doesn’t like to be messed with. She’s not a mean filly or anything, she just doesn’t need a lot of attention. Just leave her alone, and she’s fine.”
French Champagne, who hit the board in nine of 10 races last year, winning five, is the 2-1 favourite in the first division. Ake Svanstedt trains and drives the daughter of Muscle Hill-French Cafe.
Allegiant, who was last year’s fastest two-year-old female trotter, with a mark of 1:52.2, is the 2-1 favourite in the third division. Scott Zeron will drive the daughter of Tactical Landing-Too Good For You for trainer Vernon Beachy. Allegiant won five of 10 races last season and finished third in the Mohawk Million.
French Champagne and Allegiant are making their first starts of the season.
Saturday’s 14-race card also includes three second-round divisions of the NJSS for three-year-old pacers. Racing begins at 6:20 p.m. (EDT) at The Meadowlands. For a free TrackMaster program for the Big M's Saturday card, click here.
(USTA)