Pinkman Wins 90th Hambletonian

Pinkman gave trainer Jimmy Takter back-to-back Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks titles while giving Canadians Herb Liverman and John & Jim Fielding a sweep of the 2015 Hambletonian and Oaks by winning the 90th Hambletonian on Saturday (August 8) at The Meadowlands.

Pinkman picked up driver Brian Sears for the Final after Yannick Gingras chose the other elimination winner -- filly Mission Brief, who was favoured at 3-5 in the $1-million Final. Leaving from post 2, Sears settled Pinkman into third while fellow Takter trainees Uncle Lasse (David Miller) and The Bank (Johnny Takter) vied for early command.

The Bank quarter-pole moved around Uncle Lasse after the :27.1 opening quarter, followed by a move from Sears and Pinkman from third to the lead. The half was reached by Pinkman in :55.2, with Mission Brief gapping the flow in fourth before getting into gear and making the first over bid. Sears asked Pinkman for a bit more step heading into the final turn, causing The Bank to gap and the pocket through a 1:23.2 third panel and giving Mission Brief a chance to pop back to the pylons heading into the stretch.

With Sears urging Pinkman home, Mission Brief stalled in her stretch bid but eventually found another gear to close the gap on the leader. That stretch rally was in vain as Pinkman hit the wire first in 1:51. That mile time lowered his own three-year-old gelding world record over a mile track. Also of note, Pinkman trotted that mile barefoot as trainer Jimmy Takter pulled off all four of his shoes before the Final.

Pinkman gives stallion Explosive Matter his first Hambletonian win. It's also the first Hambletonian win for longtime Standardbred horse owners John & Jim Fielding of Toronto, Ont.

"It's very emotional, Sam, and I just want to thank all the connections that were involved," John Fielding noted after the race. "Brian Sears stepped in and did a great job, and of course my friend and partners Jimmy and Christina Takter have, again, done an amazing job.

"We've been at this for 30 years trying to win this trophy and I'll tell you, this is the greatest thrill you could ever want in this sport and I'm just blown away and very honoured and happy to be in this situation."

Fielding was asked about the driver dilemma that Pinkman faced, and had no concerns whatsoever with ultimate confidence in his connections.

"As always, we leave all these decisions up to Jimmy and he always seems to make the right decisions. We got Brian Sears who everybody knows is a great driver and one of the best there ever was when the money's on the line. I wasn't worried about it at all."

Trainer Jimmy Takter, who won his second straight Hambletonian final after taking the 2014 edition with Trixton, told Sam McKee that he tried to convince driver Yannick Gingras to stay with his horse.

"I understand the situation Yannick was in...my horse is a top horse and I tried to tell him 'I think you're doing a great mistake here, Yannick' and I was right.

"[Pinkman] is just such a fighter and you can do anything you want with him. He's not impressive, maybe but he's impressive in the winner's circle. He gets it done every time."

Driver Brian Sears came into the 2015 Hambletonian with a pair of solid horses but didn't predict winning his third Hambo with a horse he'd never sat behind before.

"I didn't hear much, I heard a little bit from Herb [Liverman], I talked to him a little bit about and I'm just very grateful for the opportunity. What a pleasure the horse was to drive...you're always a little nervous the first time you're driving a horse in a race like that but he was pretty much push button."

Sears also won the Hambletonian in 2009 with Muscle Hill and 2013 with Royalty For Life.

"I was looking forward to making the Final with the couple that I did have and I managed to do that...and then, opportunity knocked. It's just great that they gave me the call."

Herb Liverman, who is a native of Montreal, Que. now residing in Miami Beach, picked up his second Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks trophy. He'd won them both before -- with Muscles Yankee (1998 Hambletonian) and Bee A Magician (2013 Hambletonian Oaks) -- but not in the same year.

"It's wonderful, this is my second and my second Hambletonian Oaks but to do it in the same day with geat partners like this, it's wonderful."

Owned by Christina Takter of East Windsor, N.J., John And Jim Fielding of Scarborough, Ont., Joyce McClelland of Zanesville, Ohio and Herb Liverman of Miami Beach, Fl., Pinkman boasts an impressive 17-14-2-0 lifetime summary with $1,766,800 in lifetime purses with the two wins on the day.

$100,000 Hambletonian - Elimination #1