Cantab Fashion got a late start to his 2019 campaign – he made his seasonal debut on July 20 with a third-place finish in a division of the Tompkins-Geers at the Meadowlands Racetrack. He returned to action last week and was fourth in the 12-horse Reynolds Memorial.
“He unfortunately got stuck behind a 100-1 shot, but I thought he raced really [well],” trainer Jim Campbell said about Cantab Fashion’s most recent effort. “He showed some good trot getting out of there and held his own finishing after getting backed up a little bit.”
Jim Campbell and Cantab Fashion.
Cantab Fashion is set to contest the first of two opening-heat eliminations for the $1-million Hambletonian this Saturday (August 3) at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Dexter Dunn is set to steer the Jim Campbell trainee from Post 1 in the opener, and the duo has been pegged at odds of 6-1 on the morning line.
The top five finishers from each of the opening-heat elims will return later in the race card to contest the $1-million final (post time 5:14 p.m.). The final will be featured during a live broadcast that will be aired on the CBS Sports Network from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.
No two-year-old trotter was faster than Cantab Fashion last season. Cantab Fashion put together a five-race win streak, including two stakes victories at Lexington’s Red Mile, during his seven-start campaign and tied for the season’s fastest time with a 1:51.4 mile.
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Campbell won the 1995 Hambletonian with Tagliabue and the 2009 Hambletonian Oaks with Broadway Schooner. Both trotters were owned by the wife-and-husband team of Arlene and Jules Siegel. Jules Siegel was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2018.
Siegel’s Fashion Farms is the breeder and owner of Cantab Fashion, a son of Cantab Hall-Defiant Donato.
“I was happy (with the first race) and I think he was better and stronger last week,” Campbell said. “It’s not the ideal situation, but it is what it is. I think he’s got enough into him. It’s going to be an interesting day. There are a lot of good trotters out there. I guess it’s all going to depend how everything sets up.”
In addition to Cantab Fashion in the Hambletonian, Campbell will send Millies Possesion (also undefeated, with eight wins) to the Hambletonian Oaks, Real Cool Sam into the Peter Haughton Memorial, and Crystal Fashion (last year’s fourth-place finisher in the Hambletonian) into the John Cashman Memorial.
The post positions for the Hambletonian’s opening-heat divisions appear below.
2019 HAMBLETONIAN
Heat 1 – Elimination 1
Post-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line Odds
1-Cantab Fashion-Dexter Dunn-Jim Campbell-6/1
2-Summit In Sight-Andy Miller-Julie Miller-20/1
3-Swandre The Giant-David Miller-Ron Burke-7/2
4-Soul Strong-Dexter Dunn-Ake Svanstedt-8/1
5-Mr Vicktor-Tyler Buter-Jennifer Lappe-15/1
6-Osterc-Yannick Gingras-Per Engblom-15/1
7-Gimpanzee-Brian Sears-Marcus Melander-2/1
8-Green Manalishi S-Tim Tetrick-Marcus Melander-5/2
2019 HAMBLETONIAN
Heat 1 – Elimination 2
Post-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line Odds
1-Forbidden Trade-Bob McClure-Luc Blais-12/1
2-Gerry-Orjan Kihlstrom-Marcus Melander-20/1
3-Pilot Discretion-Andrew McCarthy-Tony Alagna-10/1
4-Reign Of Honor-David Miller-R. Nifty Norman-20/1
5-Greenshoe-Brian Sears-Marcus Melander-4/5
6-Dont Letem-Yannick Gingras-Nancy Johansson-4/1
7-Super Schissel-Scott Zeron-Per Engblom-10/1
8-Marseille-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt-5/1
To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at the Big M, click the following link: Saturday Entries – Meadowlands Racetrack.
(USTA)