Many know that Dial Or Nodial's next race will come Saturday night at the Meadowlands Racetrack in the New Jersey Classic eliminations
. What many don't know is that his trainer thinks he's a 'mudder.'
“'Dial' is a real nice horse to be around,” said trainer Jim Campbell, who is stabled at White Birch Farm in Allentown, New Jersey. “He likes to be out in the paddock as much as possible, and if there is mud he will find it.”
Dial Or Nodial, voted the New Jersey Sire Stakes Horse of the Year in 2008, heads the list of 14 three-year-old pacing colts in pursuit of a starting berth in the $500,000 New Jersey Classic, the richest of all state-bred events.
There will be a pair of $25,000 eliminations for the New Jersey Classic on June 6 and two $20,000 elims on June 5 for its filly companion event, the $200,000 Thomas D'Altrui Miss New Jersey. The top five finishers in each elim will advance to the finals on Saturday, June 13 at the Meadowlands.
Both events are sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.
Dial Or Nodial will start from Post 4 in the third race, the first of the New Jersey Classic elims, with Brian Sears driving. He is rated the 6-5 favourite in the morning line.
After finishing second in his season’s debut, the son of Western Ideal paced a lifetime best 1:50.1 to win the $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship on May 30.
Dial Or Nodial is the only listed gelding in the New Jersey Classic elims.
“He was gelded March 1, 2008,” Campbell recalled. “He was just not paying attention during his training miles. He turned around right after the gelding.”
The elimination fields for the $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic are listed below.
Race 3 - Saturday, June 6
HD, PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer, Morning Line
1, 6, Vertical Horizon, Daniel Dube, Bernie Noren, 5-1
1A, 7, Amazon Art, George Brennan, Ken Rucker, 5-1
2, 1, Ideal Danny, Andy Miller, Erv Miller, 3-1
3, 2, Somebrero Blue Chip, George Brennan, Bruce Saunders, 10-1
4, 3, Dial Or Nodial, Brian Sears, Jim Campbell, 6-5
5, 4, Western Posse, Andrew McCarthy, Noel Daley, 6-1
6, 5, Estero Bay, Tim Tetrick, Erv Miller, 9-2
Race 5 - Saturday, June 6
HD, PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer, Morning Line
1, 2, Vintage Master, Daniel Dube, Jimmy Takter, 2-1
1A, 5, Passmaster Hanover, Tim Tetrick, Blair Burgess, 2-1
2, 1, Poker Shark, Brian Sears, Joe Holloway, 10-1
3, 3, Lisdean, Eric Goodell, Ken Rucker, 8-1
4, 4, Redneck Riviera, Andy Miller, Erv Miller, 9-5
5, 6, Riding The Rapids, Yannick Gingras, Ross Croghan, 4-1
6, 7, Lightning Elvis, George Brennan, Tony Mannino, 5-1
(With files from the SBOANJ)