Sweet Lou has been installed the 5-2 morning-line favourite for the Meadowlands Racetrack's $600,000 Meadowlands Pace, the raceway’s signature event for three-year-old pacing colts on Saturday, July 14.
As one of the two elimination winners, Sweet Lou earned the right for his connections to pick their starting post in the final. They chose Post 4, while the team behind Heston Blue Chip, the other elimination winner, opted for Post 3.
Sweet Lou, driven by Dave Palone, who last week surpassed Herve Filion for the most victories in North American harness racing history, won his Meadowlands Pace elimination last Saturday by beating A Rocknroll Dance by a neck in 1:49.1.
Sweet Lou, a son of Yankee Cruiser, has won four of five races this year, and finished fourth in the $1.5-million Pepsi North America Cup in his start prior to his 'Pace' elimination. He was named the Dan Patch Award winner as two-year-old pacing colt of the year in the U.S. in 2011 after winning 10 of 12 races and posting a world-record 1:49 in the Breeders Crown. Trainer Ron Burke shares ownership of the colt with Larry Karr and Phil Collura, both New Jersey residents, and Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi, from western Pennsylvania. All are bidding for their first Pace win.
Heston Blue Chip, who will be driven by Tim Tetrick, is rated as the 7-2 second choice on the morning line. Last weekend, Heston Blue Chip won his Pace elim by a half-length over Pepsi NA Cup winner Thinking Out Loud in 1:49.
Heston Blue Chip has won all five of his starts this season and 16 of 18 in his career for trainer Linda Toscano and owner Ken Jacobs. Toscano and Jacobs mapped out Heston Blue Chip’s schedule this season with the Meadowlands Pace as their goal.
“Right from the beginning that was the race we were trying to point him to and get him as sharp as we could for,” Toscano said. “We elected not to do the [Art Rooney Pace] or the North America Cup and to keep our eye on the ball and just try to have a fresh horse coming into this race. Hopefully, it will work out.”
Toscano is seeking to become the first female to train a Meadowlands Pace winner. She is the all-time leading female trainer at the Meadowlands. Toscano has had two previous Pace starters, Kenneth J (fourth in 2007), also owned by Ken Jacobs, and Share The Delight (third in 2008).
Pepsi North America Cup winner Thinking Out Loud, who finished second in his elim to Heston Blue Chip, drew Post 7 in the 10-horse field.
The Meadowlands Pace is the eleventh race on the card, with an estimated 10:15 p.m. post time. The Pace is part of a $100,000 guaranteed Pick Four pool that spans races 10-13.
The complete draw results for the Meadowlands Pace appears below.
$600,000 Meadowlands Pace
Post Position - Horse - Driver - Trainer - Morning-Line Odds
1 - A Rocknroll Dance - Yannick Gingras - Jim Mulinix - 4-1
2 - Pet Rock - Brian Sears - Virgil Morgan Jr. - 12-1
3 - Heston Blue Chip - Tim Tetrick - Linda Toscano - 7-2
4 - Sweet Lou - Dave Palone - Ron Burke - 5-2
5 - Bolt The Duer - Mark MacDonald - Peter Foley - 6-1
6 - Simply Business - Ron Pierce - Jimmy Takter - 15-1
7 - Thinking Out Loud - Randy Waples - Robert McIntosh - 5-1
8 - State Treasurer - David Miller - Dr. Ian Moore - 20-1
9 - Time To Roll - Andy Miller - Jimmy Takter - 12-1
10 - Allstar Legend - Jim Morrill Jr. - George Teague Jr. - 20-1
(Meadowlands)
I think its going to be a
I think its going to be a awesome race, there are so many good horses in the race... that being said I will go with Randy and thinking out loud. Bob's horses are always better the second start off a qualifier after a few weeks off.... but we will see.
I'm surprised at the odds on
I'm surprised at the odds on Bolt The Duer. Maybe more people didn't notice how much horse Mark had approaching the finish in the elimination but had no racing room!