On Monday, July 27, sixteen fillies were entered to contest the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, the filly division of the Hambletonian.
Hambletonian Week will kick off on August 1 with two $35,000 eliminations to narrow the field to 10 for the $500,000 Oaks final on Hambletonian Day, Saturday, August 8, at the Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, NJ.
The connections of Mission Brief, defending Dan Patch champion and Zweig Filly winner, have opted to race in the Hambletonian against colts, but Zweig runners-up Wild Honey and Magic Marker have entered the Oaks. Entries for the Hambletonian close at 9 a.m. on August 3 at the Meadowlands race office.
Del Miller Memorial winner Spirit To Win, and third-place finisher Livininthefastlane are also among the entrants.
A list of the 16 fillies entered, in alphabetical order, appears below.
Bright Baby Blues
Classical Annie
Cocoacabana
Gatka Hanover
Katniss
Lady Winona
Livinthefastlane
Lock Down Lindy
Magic Marker
Rules Of The Road
Sarcy
Smexi
Smokinmombo
Speak To Me
Spirit To Win
Wild Honey.
With 16 Oaks entries, the format calls for two fields of eight fillies to race and the top five finishers to advance to the final on August 8. The winner of the final on August 8 is the Oaks winner, regardless of elimination finish on August 1.
Post positions for eliminations will be drawn Monday, July 27 and disseminated when final.
Post positions for the $500,000 final will be drawn and morning lines assigned on Monday August 3, at the Hambletonian press conference and post position draw, at 2 p.m. in Victory Sports Bar at the Meadowlands.
The $300,000 John Cashman Jr. Memorial, $400,000 Cane Pace, $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks and $1 million Hambletonian will be featured on a live 90-minute broadcast on CBS Sports Network from 4-5:30 p.m. (EDT) on August 8.
The stakes for older horses required no elimination races and although many of those entered will compete in Open classes offered in lieu, all will go directly to the finals of their respective events.
The $301,500 John Cashman Memorial attracted an even dozen older trotters. Those twelve will race at the route distance of a mile and an eighth in the August 8 final.
The horses entered for the Cashman are:
DWs NY Yank
Flanagan Memory
Gural Hanover
Intimidate
Lindys Tru Grit
Magic Tonight
Market Share
Master Of Law
Meladys Monet
Natural Herbie
Obrigado
Wind Of The North
The Lady Liberty for pacing mares had eleven entered and they will also compete at the extended distance in the $251,250 final. The mares entered are:
Act Now
Anndrovette
Beach Story
Colors A Virgin
Empress Deo
Fancy Desire
Rocklamation
Sandbetweenurtoes
Sayitall BB
Table Talk
Venus Delight
Finally, nine older horse pacers will square off in the $215,400 United States Pacing Championship at one mile. They are:
Bettors Edge
Dancin Yankee
Doo Wop Hanover
Foiled Again
JK Endofanera
Mach It So
Somewhere In LA
State Treasurer
Wake Up Peter
Hambletonian Day is the closing day of the Meadowlands’ Championship Meet. First-race post time will be at 12 noon. Fans can follow the next two action-filled weekends at meadowlandsracetrack.com and on Twitter at #Hambo15.
(With files from Hambletonian Society/Meadowlands)