His horse didn’t cross the finish line first, but that was OK with trainer Cam Capone, as Madden Oaks was placed first after Prince Hal Hanover was disqualified and placed second in last Saturday night’s $898,630 Meadowlands Pace for three-year-olds at The Meadowlands.
“Going into the race, I thought the only horse that could beat me was Prince Hal Hanover,” said the 26-year-old conditioner. “It’s too bad Todd [McCarthy, driving Prince Hal Hanover] didn’t give everybody a fair run. I think we were going by, but I think sometimes, you never really know.”
As the judges looked at the stretch drive time and time again after the conclusion of the 49th edition of The Big M’s signature event with Madden Oaks trying to squeeze through inside of Prince Hal Hanover, the longer they examined the tape, the more the feeling in the crowd was that there was likely to be a disqualification. The fans were somewhat accustomed to that type of result, as there was also a disqualification just four years ago in the 2021 Pace, when Charlie May was taken down and Lawless Shadow put up.
“Braxten [Boyd, driving Madden Oaks] and I both knew there was interference,” said Capone. “My horse actually caught his right hind leg on Todd’s wheel disc, and that’s when my horse put in three or four bad steps.”
It wasn’t the way Capone wanted to win. He thought he had the best horse. He may have. But we’ll never know for sure if he was in the Meadowlands Pace.
“Once you come off the turn, as a driver, you are supposed to pick your lane,” said Capone. “You can adjust your lane, but once you are committed to your lane, you have to stay where you are. Todd was three-wide into the stretch, [but nearing the wire], Braxten had to check our horse.
“Once Todd picked his lane, he drove Braxten down. There was enough room for Braxten to get through, but then Todd threw his bike underneath us. That’s when the interference became a real thing. Todd went into Braxten’s path. I think where we really got him, is when his bike went into our path, that’s when they said he’s coming down for sure.
“It’s not the way you want to win it, but I’ll take it. It’s one of those things. You’d rather win it the right way, but when you’re not capable of winning it the right way, you’ll take it.”
With the victory, Madden Oaks lifted his lifetime stats to five wins from 11 starts, good for earnings of $716,504 for owners Samir Tawil, Paul Kautz, Alexander Henn and Nathan Fullmer. The son of Huntsville-Hard Eight has never failed to hit the board.
In the Meadowlands Pace, Madden Oaks paid $15.20 as the 6-1 fifth choice despite starting out as the morning line favourite at 5-2. Prince Hal Hanover was sent off as the 9-5 public choice for trainer Dr. Ian Moore, whose Lawless Shadow was put up four years before seeing his horse come down this time around.
For Capone, the trip in the race was ideal.
“Once Todd made the lead, giving us a two-hole trip, I thought I was going to win this thing,” said Capone. “It was a good situation to be in. It was a good race. My horse came out of it good. Now, he gets a two-week vacation.”
What lies ahead for Madden Oaks?
“The Cane Pace at The Meadowlands is next [on Aug. 2],” said Capone. “He’s got the New York Sire Stakes, the Empire Breeders, the New Jersey Classic, if we want to do that. Then, the Bluegrass, Tattersalls, Breeders Crown, Matron and Progress. There'll be no Little Brown Jug. He’s too big for a half-mile track. We were invited to the Milstein, but it’s not his style of racing.”
(Meadowlands Racetrack)