The richest horse in harness racing this season has a chance to add to his bankroll in a major way this weekend but will face his stiffest competition to date. Trot Insider has learned that three-year-old pacer Bettors Wish will face older foes this Saturday (Nov. 23) in the TVG Open Pace at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
Bettors Wish is not only the year’s richest overall Standardbred ($1,436,445) but also the top-ranked male pacer in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown weekly poll. He has won elims or finals of 12 stakes races in 2019, including the Breeders Crown, Meadowlands Pace, North America Cup and Messenger. He was most recently in action last Thursday at Dover Downs, winning the $248,350 Matron Final in 1:49.2.
Trainer Chris Ryder co-owns Bettors Wish (Bettors Delight - Lifetime Star) with Bella Racing Ltd, Fair Island Farm Inc and Bettors Wish Partners. The ridgling, who will return to the track in 2020, has finished first or second in all 18 of his starts this season, with his five losses coming by margins of a head (three times), a neck and three-quarters of a length.
Since the inception of the TVG in 2013, only one three-year-old male pacer has entered the fray against older competition. That horse was Captaintreacherous, who finished sixth in a much-anticipated battle against an incredibly deep group of older pacers. The winner on that occasion was Foiled Again, who was completing his best season earnings-wise ($1.406 million) at the age of nine.
Other winners of the TVG include Sweet Lou (2014), Bettors Edge (2015), Always B Miki (2016), Mach It So (2017) and expected entrant for this Saturday, 2018 Horse of the Year McWicked.
Entries and post positions will be revealed for the TVG finals and ‘Fall Final Four’ during a live post position draw on Tuesday (Nov. 19). The lineup on Saturday, November 23 for Fall Final Four/TVG Finals Night is a stacked one. The four events for two-year-olds are the $505,050 Valley Victory for trotting colts and geldings, $475,100 Goldsmith Maid for trotting fillies, $401,850 Governor’s Cup for pacing colts and geldings and $411,000 Three Diamonds for pacing fillies.
In addition, some of the sport’s biggest names will be on the track in four TVG finals. They include the $350,000 Open Pace, $175,000 Mares Pace, $350,000 Open Trot and $175,000 Mares Trot.
Purses for the eight races total $2,843,000.
First post time for the card will be at 7 p.m.