It might be a longshot for Holmdel’s Tom Pontone and his father Lou to visit the winner’s circle again in Saturday’s $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes, but that is better than no shot.
The Pontones’ TLP Stable and Mario Zuanetti’s Atlantic Trot share ownership of Banco Solo, who is competing in the third of three Hambletonian elims and is 15-1 on the morning line. Jim Morrill, Jr. will drive the colt for trainer Ken Oscarsson. Corky (2-1 on the morning line) and Spider Blue Chip (5-2) are the favourites in the elim.
In a return to a format last used in the mid-1990s, the Hambletonian will be contested entirely in one day. The top three finishers from each elim plus the fourth-place finisher with the highest lifetime earnings will advance to the Hambletonian final.
The final is scheduled for 4:41 p.m. CBS Sports Network will air live coverage of the Hambletonian from 3:30-5 p.m.
“Listen, you have to be there to win,” Lou Pontone said. “That’s what we’re doing.”
Winning the Hambletonian is something that has become familiar to the Pontones. They won in 2009 with Muscle Hill and made another trip to hoist the trophy last year with Market Share. Only nine owners have won the Hambletonian more than twice in the history of the event, which began in 1926.
Banco Solo is winless in seven races this year. He finished third in a three-year-old open for Hambletonian eligible horses on July 27 at the Meadowlands. The race was won by Corky in 1:54.3. Banco Solo was 4-3/4 lengths back, timed in 1:55.3.
He was third in a division of the Currier & Ives at The Meadows and fourth in the Reynolds Memorial at the Meadowlands. He was nosed out for a spot in the final of the $500,000 Beal Memorial at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs despite trotting a 1:53.1 mile.
“He’s been OK, he’s just had some bad racing luck,” said Oscarsson, whose younger brother Jim trains and drives Hambletonian contender Aperfectyankee in the second elim. “He seems like he’s good enough (to go in the Hambletonian). He feels good and acts like everything is fine. He feels stronger this year; he really grew up and is more mature. He’s got the speed to go with them, but hasn’t had the racing luck. It’s been frustrating.”
Last year, Banco Solo closed the campaign by winning seven of his last eight starts, including the $206,000 Kindergarten Classic final at Vernon Downs. He finished the season with seven wins in 10 races and earned $157,481.
“We didn’t think the (Hambletonian) field this year was that strong, like in some previous years,” Tom Pontone said. “Who knows what happens. There’s not a horse out there that you could really say is the horse to beat. It’s not like there is a Donato Hanover or Deweycheatumnhowe or Muscle Hill. We had the possibility to get in the race, so we said why not try it.”
Muscle Hill won the Hambletonian in 1:50.1, setting the stakes record and equaling the time for the fastest mile ever trotted on a mile track. He was a perfect 12-for-12 as a three-year-old and was named Horse of the Year.
“When you have a horse like Muscle Hill it spoils you,” Tom Pontone said. “We never went to a race expecting to lose; we went to every race wondering by how many lengths we were going to win.
“You have to come back to reality and hope you can get another good horse that can maybe win some big races. Maybe he doesn’t. But you just accept it and go forward and give that horse the opportunity to do the best he can.”
The Pontones are hoping Banco Solo’s best is Saturday.
“He’s been gradually improving every week,” Tom Pontone said, “so we figured we’d give him a shot.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.