An air of excitement rippled through The Stable That God Loves this week following the announcement that Betting Line, the continent’s top-ranked sophomore pacer, has joined The Stable That God Loves.
Steve Calhoun revealed that Betting Line will move into the vacated stall of his recently retired Reverend Hanover, a multiple stakes winner with $548,313 in career earnings. ‘The Rev’ retired from the racing wars because of infirmities caused by bucked shins, a common Thoroughbred ailment, but very uncommon in Standardbreds.
Following a brilliant two-year-old campaign in which he posted six victories in a dozen attempts and a hefty $540,422 for Christine Calhoun, Mac Nichol and the West Wins Stable, Betting Line continued his winning ways in 2016 with seven impressive and dominant victories, including an impressive tally in the North America Cup. Casie Coleman, who trains the son of Bettors Delight, saw the colt as a yearling at Fairwinds Farms, loved him, and was determined to buy him long before she went to the sale at Harrisburg. "Betting Line is all Casie Coleman," said Steve Calhoun.
“She found him, bought him at the sale, and trained and raced him for Mac Nichol, Ross Warriner and my wife, Christine. We have been partners with Casie on probably hundreds of horses over the long time we have all been with Casie. It is a rewarding partnership based on respect, trust and friendship. It makes having a great colt like Betting Line such a rewarding experience, and we all feel fortunate to be part of that experience.”
Fresh off his latest victory in the $105,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold at Georgian Downs on August 7, Betting Line Saturday heads stateside to tackle a talented group of seven sophomores, including the tough campaigner Sintra, in the $300,000 Carl Milstein Memorial Invitational at Northfield Park. He has been installed the 3-5 favourite and will start from Post 2 with David Miller in the bike.
Jonathan Drury, who has driven Betting Line to victory in six of his eight season’s starts, gushes with superlatives when describing him. “I never drove anything like him. He is unbelievable, something special. He can leave, or come off cover. He is never too far out of it, he always finds another gear. He is overpowering,” Drury remarked. Betting Line’s patented off-the-pace finishes have produced an average winning margin of one and a half lengths.
Following Betting Line’s Northfield encounter in the Milstein, he will head to Pocono Downs for the Battle of The Brandywine, then back home for a week’s rest and engagements in the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold and Simcoe Stakes at Mohawk.
He will be bedded down on ‘Millionaires Row’ in The Stable That God Loves. The handsome brown speedster with over $1.2 million in lifetime earnings will join Mac Nichol’s Madefromlucky, the lone Thoroughbred in the stable, John Craig’s Luck Be Withyou, Ed James’ McWicked, Rob and Wayne Giles’ Sunfire Blue Chip and Charmed Life, owned by Mike Guerriero and partners.
A portion of Betting Line's 2016 purse earnings will be donated to the Standardbred Racetrack Chaplaincy of Canada. Stalls are always available in The Stable That God Loves. Every trotter, pacer and Thoroughbred, regardless of ability, is welcome and guaranteed a stall. Please send requests for stall space to: Ken Middleton: [email protected], or Norm Clements: nclements@zing-net.
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(The Stable That God Loves)