What would have been a 2020 John Cashman Memorial Trot featuring three former Hambletonian champions has been reduced to two with the withdrawal of 2019 Hambletonian winner Forbidden Trade from Saturday's (Aug. 8) event.
Trainer Luc Blais confirmed the scratch to Trot Insider on Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 5).
After starting his four-year-old campaign at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Forbidden Trade made his way stateside for the Hambletonian Maturity and the Cashman. After a win in 1:52 on July 10, Forbidden Trade finished a strong second to Gimpanzee in the 2020 Hambletonian Maturity on July 18. He closed strongly in his most recent test on Aug. 1, finishing fifth in a upper-level conditioned field at the Big M with his mile individually timed in 1:51.2.
Canada's Horse of the Year in 2019, Forbidden Trade (Kadabra-Pure Ivory) sports a 16-4-2 summary from 30 career starts with earnings approaching $1.5 million for owner Determination of Montréal, Québec.
With Pikachu Hanover drawing into the field by way of Forbidden Trade's withdrawal, the complete field now reads as follows:
1. Marseille (Åke Svanstedt, 20)
2. Atlanta (Yannick Gingras, 3)
3. Marion Marauder (Scott Zeron, 5)
4. Guardian Angel AS (Tim Tetrick, 5)
5. Soul Strong (Dexter Dunn, 15)
6. Lindy The Great (Andy Miller, 10)
7. Gimpanzee (Brian Sears, 2)
8. Dont Letem (Jimmy Takter, 8)
9. Run Director (David Miller, 15)
10. Pikachu Hanover (Corey Callahan, 15)
11. Crystal Fashion (Jordan Stratton, 15)
The $291,350 John Cashman Memorial, carded as race 10 on Saturday's blockbuster card at The Meadowlands, will go off at approximately 4 p.m. Eastern.