Trainer Jimmy Takter will look to continue his winning ways when he sends two promising and talented freshman pacers into Friday night’s $473,000 Woodrow Wilson for two-year-old pacers at the Meadowlands
Racetrack.
Takter’s stable is winning at a 24-percent clip this season and the longtime conditioner has enjoyed recent victories in the $1.5 million Hambletonian with Muscle Massive, the $573,770 Yonkers Trot with On The Tab, the $500,000 Ben Franklin Pace with Vintage Master, and the $437,000 Merrie Annabelle with Thatsnotmyname.
In addition, Leader Of The Gang joined Muscle Massive and Thatsnotmyname in winning New Jersey Sire Stakes championships at the Meadowlands earlier this year. Takter’s stable has won $4.03 million this season and is on the way toward challenging its career-best $6.21 million earned in 2009.
Grams Legacy and Rollwithitharry joined Fashion Delight in receiving byes into the Woodrow Wilson final. Last week’s Wilson elimination race was won by Powerful Mist.
“I like them both; they’re nice horses,” Takter said about his duo. “To win the Wilson would be nice. It’s like the Peter Haughton for pacers. I would like that.”
Rollwithitharry, a son of Rocknroll Hanover-Queen Otra, was third from post 10 in the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship and won a division of the Goshen Cup. He was fourth in his most recent start, a division of the Niatross at the Meadowlands on August 6, and has earned $55,045. He was purchased as a yearling for $42,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale and is owned by Christina Takter, John Fielding, Jim Fielding and Louie Camara.
“He’s got a super temperament,” Takter said. “He’s a little like a Rock N Roll Heaven type of horse; a hard worker, always trying. He’s really nice like that. I like him a lot. I think he could be one of those nice players. He’s a good sound horse. He’s very handy to drive. Hopefully, he’ll get a good post. He needs a good post. He hasn’t been too lucky with the posts.”
Grams Legacy is a son of Rocknroll Hanover-Kikikatie and full brother to multiple-stakes-winner Rockin Image. He was bred by owner Susan Grange. So far this season, the colt has won a division of the Goshen Cup and finished second in a division of the Niatross. He was leading the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship at the top of the stretch, but went off stride.
Making breaks has been a bugaboo for Grams Legacy, who went off stride in two baby races, as well. He also has shown flashes of speed, like his 25.4-second last quarter-mile in his Niatross setback (by a neck) to Shark Ingested in 1:53.2.
“He’s got a little bit too much ability for his brain yet,” Takter joked. “He’s got great speed, but he hasn’t been able to put it all together yet. He’s got that speed that not every horse has. He just needs to mature a little bit.”
Takter was comfortable with bypassing the Wilson elimination race and heading straight to the final.
“For me, it’s always a no-brainer to take a bye,” he said. “I don’t see any reason to race a horse for a small purse and not be sure you’ll make the final. I like them to be in the big one. Both of them raced the day before the Hambo (on August 6); it wasn’t like they needed (a race) to get a little tight or something like that. It’s hard enough to race those races at the Meadowlands; they went in (1):51.4 in the elimination. They’ve got to go pretty good.”
The complete Wilson field, in alphabetical order, is Arockin Hanover, Fashion Delight, Grams Legacy, Line Officer, Mcsocks, On The Radar, Powerful Mist, Roll’em Up, Rollwithitharry, and Shark Ingested.
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit ustrotting.com.