The post position draw for the 88th Hambletonian for three-year-old trotters took place Tuesday, July 30 at the Il Villaggio restaurant in Carlstadt, New Jersey. The Hambletonian, which returns to a heat format this year, will take place Saturday, August 3 at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, NJ.
The first heat will feature three eliminations (two fields of eight and one field of seven). The top three finishers from each of the Hambletonian's first-heat eliminations will advance to the final. The highest money-winning fourth-place finisher from the first heat will also advance to the final. Unlike other heat-racing formats, the 2013 Hambletonian champion will not have to win twice on the same day. The winner of the final will be the Hambletonian champion.
Along with officials from the Meadowlands Racetrack and the Hambletonian Society, the draw was co-hosted by Miss USA, Erin Brady, and Emmy Award winning sportscaster Bruce Beck.
The first elimination of the first heat could prove to be the most contentious, as Royalty For Life, Smilin Eli, High Bridge and E L Rocket will all face off.
Courtesy of three consecutive speedy miles, Royalty For Life, a George Ducharme-trained son of R C Royalty, has been installed as the 8-5 morning-line favourite for the first elimination. The bay won a Meadowlands qualifier by 19 lengths in 1:51.3 on July 6 before capturing the $294,000 Stanley Dancer in 1:52 at the Big M. His most recent mile was a 1:53 victory at Vernon Downs.
Racing overland in his Three-Year-Old Open at the Meadowlands last weekend, Smilin Eli, who was making his first start for new trainer David Smith, finished a close third to High Bridge, as he finished one and a half lengths back and was individually clocked in 1:54.4. The Muscles Yankee colt turned some heads in June after recording a pair of victories in 1:52 and change.
The Jimmy Takter-trained Cantab Hall colt High Bridge prepped for the Hambletonian last weekend at the Meadowlands in a Three-Year-old Open, and trotted to a one-length victory in 1:54.3 for driver Yannick Gingras.
Credit Winner colt E L Rocket will be looking to make some noise in the Hambletonian for trainer Ron Burke. The speedy brown performer had a four-race winning streak heading into his Three-Year-Old Open at the Meadowlands last weekend. He almost stretched the win streak to five races last weekend, but came just a head short of Corky in a 1:54.3 mile.
Heat 1 - Elimination 1
(Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Morning Line)
1 - Punxsutawney - Tim Tetrick - 12-1
2 - Smilin Eli - Tim Tetrick - 5-2
3 - Dewycolorintheline - Ray Schnittker - 8-1
4 - High Bridge - Yannick Gingras - 6-1
5 - Super Classic - Brian Sears - 20-1
6 - Dreams Of Thunder - Corey Callahan - 20-1
7 - E L Rocket - Yannick Gingras - 4-1
8 - Royalty For Life - Brian Sears - 8-5
Wheeling N Dealin fared well in the draw, as he drew the rail for the second elimination and has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favourite.
O'Brien Award winner Wheeling N Dealin has yet to record a victory so far in 2013, but has been a favourite to win the Hambletonian off a perfect nine-for-nine season last year as a freshman. The Cantab Hall colt raced well in prepping for the Hambletonian last weekend at the Meadowlands. After a Post 9 start, the pupil of Canadian trainer Dustin Jones closed to finish just one length short of High Bridge during one of the 'Big M's Three-Year-Old Opens.
Heat 1 - Elimination 2
(Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Morning Line)
1 - Wheeling N Dealin - Sylvain Filion - 2-1
2 - Aperfectyankee - Jim Oscarsson - 5-2
3 - Your So Vain - Andy Miller - 12-1
4 - Jacks To Open - Jim Morrill Jr. - 8-1
5 - Celebrity Maserati - Tom Jackson - 15-1
6 - Caveat Emptor - Steve Smith - 20-1
7 - Dontyouforgetit - Yannick Gingras - 7-2
8 - Creatine - Mike Lachance - 6-1
Corky, the 2-1 early favourite, will face six rivals in the third elimination.
Corky, this year's winner of the $500,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial, readied for the Hambletonian by recording a gate-to-wire win in a Hambletonian prep last weekend at the Meadowlands for trainer Jimmy Takter. With David Miller in the race bike, the Muscles Yankee colt held on for a head victory in 1:54.3 during the Three-Year-Old Open.
Heat 1 - Elimination 3
(Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Morning Line)
1 - Possessed Fashion - John Campbell - 4-1
2 - Murmur Hanover - Randy Waples - 9-2
3 - Banco Solo - Ron Pierce - 15-1
4 - All Laid Out - Tim Tetrick - 6-1
5 - Corky - David Miller - 2-1
6 - Spider Blue Chip - Ron Pierce - 5-2
7 - Lauderdale - Brent Holland - 12-1
The last time that the Hambletonian was held under a heat format was in 1996, when the brilliant filly Continentalvictory stepped up and defeated her male rivals in straight heats.
The post position draw for the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, which will be raced on Hambo Day, also took place Tuesday at the Il Villaggio restaurant. Bee A Magician, who will start from Post 2, has been installed as the 2-5 morning-line favourite. Mistery Woman, who will start from Post 4, has been pegged as the 9-2 second choice in the early odds. The Hambletonian Oaks has been carded as Race 11 and has an estimated post time of 4:14 p.m. (ET). The results of the Oaks draw appear below.
$500,000 Hambletonian Oaks
Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
(Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Morning Line)
1 - Fashion Athena - John Campbell - 30-1
2 - Bee A Magician - Brian Sears - 2-5
3 - Classic Martine - Ron Pierce - 15-1
4 - Mistery Woman - David Miller - 9-2
5 - Coffeecake Hanover - Jim Morrill Jr. - 20-1
6 - Frau Blucher - Jim Morrill Jr. - 8-1
7 - To Dream On - Yannick Gingras - 12-1
8 - Time To Kill - Simon Allard - 50-1
9 - Handover Belle - Mike Lachance - 50-1
10 - Ma Chere Hall - Corey Callahan - 10-1
CBS Sports Network will broadcast a 90-minute live telecast of the Hambletonian beginning at 3:30 p.m. (EDT). The telecast undercard will include the Hambletonian's elimination heats, the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks and the $250,000 John Cashman Memorial for older trotters. The Hambletonian final has an estimated post time of 4:45 p.m. (EDT).