When former stablemates Bambino Hall and Big Rigs met in a Hambletonian elimination, the results were disastrous; they locked wheels late and finished out of the money.
But as often happens in harness racing, their fortunes turned
quickly. Wednesday at The Meadows, each won a division of the $199,412 Hickory Smoke, a Pennsylvania Sires Stake for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters, and each secured a spot in the $150,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Championship Sept. 5 at Harrah’s Chester.
Bambino Hall sat behind the leader, Haulin Laser, who took the field through an ambitious three-quarters in 1:24.2. Bambino Hall blew by in the lane for Greg Grismore to down Haulin Laser by two and a quarter lengths, with Unabating third. The time of 1:54 equaled the stake record held jointly by Caviar Crown and Cassis.
“It was a nice sort of karma, a redemption for the horses who locked wheels last time to win both divisions,” said winning trainer Tyler Raymer. “He’s a very nice horse who’s had a lot of bad luck.”
Shakoor’s Racing Stable, K Singh and Between The Pipes Stable own Bambino Hall, a Tom Ridge-Sumpin Sweet gelding.
Big Rigs needed most of the opening quarter to achieve the lead but had an easy time of it once there. He scored for Tim Tetrick in a career-best 1:54.3, three and three-quarter lengths better than Sevruga, while I Love New York completed the ticket.
A $70,000 yearling acquisition, Big Rigs has competed against his division’s best in such stakes as the Earl Beal and the Stanley Dancer Memorial as well as the Hambletonian -- company winning trainer Kelly O’Donnell said he deserves to keep.
“He won eliminations of the Breeders Crown and the Wellwood last year,” noted O’Donnell, who conditioned Bambino Hall until the Hambletonian. “He’s been a bad luck horse in finals. Something always happens to him when they’re going for the big money. But he’s probably one of the Top 5 colts in the country.
“He’s actually better racing out of a hole than he is on the front. He was waiting on horses tonight. Down the lane, Tim had to get after him a little bit. He was kind of wondering where everybody went.”
Miller’s Stable, DM Stables and Ed Mullinax own Big Rigs, a son of Andover Hall-Filly At Bigs who vaulted over $300,000 in career earnings.
Grismore drove four winners on the 15-race card while Dick Stillings enjoyed a driving triple.
(The Meadows)