One More Laugh has drawn the rail and is the morning line favourite at 2-1 for the 56th edition of the Cane Pace, which is to be contested at Freehold Raceway
on Labour Day.
One More Laugh, the Ray Schnittker-trained Meadowlands Pace winner, took a bye into the final last week. Tim Tetrick, who recently surpassed $10 million for the year before any other driver (for the 4th consecutive season) will handle the gelded son of McArdle.
George Teague, Jr. -- already a Cane Pace-winning trainer with Total Truth in 2006 and twice the runner-up in the last three editions -- will send out a pair of hopefuls. Teague's Im Gorgeous (4-1) with driver Andy Miller has drawn Post 4 and will come into the final off a track record-equalling 1:50.4 in the $100,000 elimination. Teague's other colt -- Delmarvalous, the Adios winner -- took a bye last into the final last week and will start from Post 2. He is the early second choice at 5-2. Brian Sears, who won the 2007 Cane Pace with Always A Virgin, will drive Delmarvalous.
"In the Adios (where he stared from Post 8) on the final turn, I didn't think he would even hit the board," Teague said about Delmarvalous. "The pocketsitter came out on him and I thought that was it. But he really showed me something. He fought them off and dug in. In the Holmes, he got a much better trip, but he still had to come out of the pocket and pace strong to the wire."
The other colt who took the bye was BGs Folly, a son of Rocknroll Hanover. The New Jersey Classic winner has drawn Post 8 and is 8-1 in the early odds. He will be driven by Daniel Dube.
Rockin Image (5-1) has drawn Post 5 for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Jimmy Takter. The Holmes division winner -- who also won a Meadowlands Pace elimination -- will try and give Takter his second straight Cane Pace victory (the last trainer to win this race back to back was Ken Seeber in 1989-1990 with Dancing Master and Jake And Elwood).
Driver Ron Pierce will handle Woodstock (12-1) from Post 7. Woodstock was a strong second via the uncovered route last week for trainer Noel Daley. Woodstock dominated at Freehold in a NJSS the week before the Cane elimination in 1:52.4. Pierce will be going for his fifth Cane Pace victory.
Filling out the field is Urgent Action and Valentino.
The field for the $300,000 Can Pace is below.
Post - Horse - Driver - Morning Line Odds
1 - One More Laugh - Tim Tetrick - 2-1
2 - Delmarvalous - Brian Sears - 5-2
3 - Urgent Action - David Miller - 20-1
4 - Im Gorgeous - Andy Miller - 4-1
5 - Rockin Image - Yannick Gingras - 5-1
6 - Valentino - George Brennan - 6-1
7 - Woodstock - Ron Pierce - 12-1
8 - BGs Folly - Daniel Dube - 8-1
(With files from Freehold)