Reynolds Memorial Stakes divisions for three-year-old trotters are on Saturday’s Meadowlands Racetrack program. Only four fillies entered, so that race will be a non-betting event prior to the regular 7:15 p.m. post time for the night’s first race.
One of those fillies is the Julie Miller trainee Take The Money, who is auditioning for the chance to race in the upcoming Hambletonian Oaks. Eliminations for the Oaks are July 26 and the $500,000 final will be raced on August 2 at the Big M.
Take The Money, owned by Barry Guariglia’s Black Horse Racing, has won six of 10 races this year, primarily in Pennsylvania. She has twice finished second to top Hambletonian Oaks contender Shake It Cerry. She will be driven Saturday by Marcus Miller and will face Bikini So Teeny, Silent Opera K, and Mitys Winner.
“She’s been a nice (Pennsylvania) Sire Stakes horse, in my opinion,” Miller said. “We’re using this race to decide whether if we’re a Hambletonian Oaks contender or not. She’s had a little bit of a layoff, but I want to see a nice race, finishing with trot. With a four-horse field, it’s usually just a race home. That’s what I want to do.
“If Marcus hops off the bike and says ‘She was vicious, she was super,’ then you go in the Oaks. If he says she didn’t seem strong, then we have to have a discussion. She trained really good. I know by program she seems to be the best, but that’s why they still race. I’m just hoping for a strong race.”
On the boys’ side, there are two 11-horse divisions worth $32,207 each.
The Jimmy Taker-trained Nuncio, who has won four of six races this year and twice finished second to nemesis, and stablemate, Father Patrick, is part of the 3-5 favoured entry with Amped Up Hanover in the first division. Nuncio and Amped Up Hanover are eligible to the $1.2-million Hambletonian on August 2.
The rest of the field is made up by Uva Hanover, Another Deposition, Sarcastic Man, Southwind Poseidon, Revrac Harbour, Resolve, Home Front, Dony Andreas, and Montalbano Bi. All are eligible to the Hambletonian except Another Deposition, Dony Andreas, and Montalbano Bi.
Takter’s Trixton is the 3-5 choice in the second division. The split also includes Mister Bs Way, Skates N Plates, Another Transcript, Truxton, Well Built, Speak The Truth, Scacco Matto, Lightning Force, Muscle Midas, and Datsyuk. All are eligible to the Hambletonian.
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.