Friday, April 2, 2015
these horses in Ohio, Indiana, upstate New York , the
The "Declining Foal Crop Crisis." Why It is and
people that raise these horses have no outlet to race them
What to Do About It
until they are four or five years old
By Bill Finley
and they can't make any money
The problem already exists. There simply aren't enough
with them until then. It costs the
horses available to put on the type of product that the
same to take care of those level
customer demands. Saturday night, Yonkers will offer a
horses and to raise them and get
$42,000 Open trot, and it drew just five horses. The
them ready as the top horses. The
Meadowlands, the supposed Mecca of harness racing, has
only exception is the stud fee.
been reduced to racing just two nights a week. Back at
They are doing it for the love of
Yonkers, the Blue Chip Matchmaker series, a prestigious
the
game and not for the
event offering big money, will have just two divisions
economics. So when someone
tonight with total combined entries of 10 horses. Pocono
comes along and claims their
Downs will hold 12 races Saturday night. On the same
horse for $15,000 or $20,000 when
night in 2014 it had 14.
they are 4 or 5, they get the
Eric
Cherry
Yet, as bad as the horse shortage problem might be right
$20,000, but with all the money
now, it figures to get much worse in the coming years, and
they
have
invested
in
the
horse they will have taken a huge
you're not guilty of hyperbole if you call this an impending
loss.
crisis.
We have a declining number of foals because the
In 2000, the North American foal crop was 14,392. By
economics
don't work out for the smaller breeders. What
2011, it was down to 10,016. Though the number may rise
we
have
to
do is to try to make something that helps the
some as the USTA receives late notification on foals that
people
who
want to raise those kinds of horses. What we
have been born, the 2014 foal currently stands at 7,478.
need
is
for
every
racetrack to put together a series and
Over a 14-year span, the foal crop has declined by 48%. In
base it on what the Open goes for at that track. There
the last three years alone it has fallen by 25%. And there
doesn't seem to be any turning this around. The foal crop
has declined 10 consecutive years.
With the help of the USTA, the Meadowlands racing team
recently ran some numbers and came up with some
sobering conclusions. It projected that there will be 18,623
horses available to race this year. But with so few horses
having been born over the last three to four years they are
projecting there will be only 13,821 horses racing by 2019.
Does that means cards with nothing but six-horse fields?
Tracks racing just two or three days a week? The end of a
series like the Blue Chip Matchmaker? Smaller tracks
closing because there simply aren't enough horses to go
around? Whatever is about to happen it is going to be ugly.
HRU sought the opinions and advice of six people with
informed opinions about the foal crop situation and asked
them two questions: 1) Why has this happened? 2) What
can be done to fix the problem?
Eric Cherry: (Owner/Ongait.com)
Everything that is happening makes perfect sense. The
people that race the horses are not the ones that breed and
supply the horse. There's no shortage of people breeding
to Somebeachsomewhere or Art Major. Everyone is going
for the Grand Circuit horse or the high-priced yearling.
Those are not our overnight horses. If you go through most
racetracks the vast majority of overnight horses are from
stallions that you've never heard of or ones that don't
typically produce Grand Circuit horses. So they are being
bred not to be 2 and 3 year olds but to be older horses. And
they can't compete on the stakes level. So people raising
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should be two, three legs and a final, once or twice a year
for every division. You probably don't need it for trotters
because they have the European market. Do it with pacers.
If it works, we could always add trotters later on. The track
should put on a series for 2 and 3 year olds, fillies and
colts, so four different divisions, with the final going for what
the open goes for at that track. It should only be open to
horses, and this is an arbitrary number that could be
changed, by stallions whose stud fee is $2,500 or less. You
could have a $100 or $200 starting fee but no nomination
fee.
If you look at the stallion series races or the Grassroots
series in Ontario most of them are won by secondary
horses by top sires. The horses by ABC Stallion has no
chance in even those races. But if you isolate a series to
lower end stallions and give people who breed some of
those horses a chance to make $70,000, $80,000 you've
created something that will make a difference. Right now,
their choices are going for $1,500 or less. This would
stimulate people breeding horses we need later on; the
ones who come out of those divisions will still be the ones
who become your overnight horses at 5 and 6.
We have to look at the economics. Whether people love
the sport or not, for a lot of people breeding horses has
become a luxury they cannot afford. So we have to come
up with ways to stimulate people to continue to breed,
particularly with the lower end stallions.
Myron Bell (Owner/breeder):
This is happening because we
have apathy among people who
are in charge of our industry, from
horsemen's organizations to
racetracks to owners. We're all
responsible. There's not one
person to blame. It's apathy on
everybody's part and we better
wake up shortly.
We're getting into a situation
where it's like going to a restaurant
and they don't have any food.
You'd walk out. It's already bad
now, with all the six-horse fields.
Already there is a serious shortage
of horses and it's only going to get
worse.
Myron Bell
We have to make it profitable for
somebody to breed a horse. Before they were race horses
and claimers, they were all yearlings. Someone has to
breed these horses and most people do it for the love of it
because there's no money in it. We're all dreamers at heart.
Very few people, except for some of the commercial
breeders, make money breeding horses.
To fix this, the breeders have to be able to have a
reasonable chance of making money or else we won't have
any product. We are the biggest jokes of all time. We are in
a business that doesn't advertise, we're supposed to be self
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• 4/3/15 PAGE 3 of 11
sufficient but we're not. We spend no money for promotion
and we don't even have a product, which is the worst part.
We're all responsible and we all deserve to be penalized.
It seems all people are concerned about is filling cards for
$5,000 claimers. We have to make it profitable for young
horses to be able to race for good money so people will
take note of it and start buying young horses.
Your slot enriched racetracks have a big advantage and
they need to take a percentage of that money, instead of
putting it into overnight races, into races that reward young
horses. I think the thoroughbred people get it. They know a
maiden race is one of the most important races in a horse's
life and if someone wins one they can get some of their
expenditures back so they can put it back in the business.
In our sport a $10,000 claimer is worth maybe $8,000.
What does that mean for a young horse that someone buys
for $30,000 and has another $25,000 invested in him?
They've got $55,000 invested in him and he races for
$8,000 in a maiden race? It's ludicrous. It makes no
economic sense for people to come into this business and
invest in young horse. Common sense dictates that we
have to change the purse structures around and the people
in charge of the asylum don't seem to want to do anything
about it.
I'm 74. I don't worry about anything but my health. But I
feel sorry for the people who are 34, 44. I am enjoying my
run here. I am at the top of the game. But I understand
there has to be a future for this sport.
Dave Reid (Preferred Equine):
The first question is simple to answer. It is strictly
economics.
Breeders are faced with a higher cost of producing their
yearlings than they have in the
past, everything from equipment,
hay, grain, feed, insurance, all the
costs have increased. Then you go
back and compare the major sales.
Look at Lexington from 2000 to
2014, a 14-year span. At Lexington
in 2000 the average price per
yearling was $40,000. In 2014 at
the Lexington sale the average
price was again $40,000.
Harrisburg, in 2000, averaged
$36,000. In 2014 Harrisburg,
Dave Reid
averaged $33,000. The costs of
getting a yearling to the sales have skyrocketed and
yearlings are not selling for any more than they did 14
years ago. If you take inflation into account they are selling
for far less. That's why it’s not hard to figure out why fewer
mares are being bred and fewer breeding farms are in
business. The bottom line is that it's not good economics to
breed a horse.
I am shocked this hasn't received more attention from the
industry, specifically from racetrack operators and
horsemen's associations and the USTA and the state ag
committees. The racetrack operators are having difficulty
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• 4/3/15 PAGE 4 of 11
filling cards now and that's based off foal crop numbers
much larger than what will be coming up in the next three
years. Horsemen's associations have to acknowledge that
this is going to be a problem for their members as well. I
think (the declining foal crop) is the single biggest threat to
our industry. If we have no horses we have no business.
It's pretty simple. This has to be a significant red flag to
everybody. Every year it is discussed, but there is never
major progress toward improving the situation.
What's the solution? That's a much more difficult question
to answer. I've been in favor of trying to tweak the purse
distribution at the racetracks for overnight horses and
putting more of it toward races for younger horses. The
yearling buyers have to have a chance to get a favorable
return on their investment when they go and buy a yearling.
We're going to have to see an increase in yearling prices
for our breeders to survive, so somehow we have to have
the younger horses race for more money. You don't have to
have a major overhaul. Let's just tweak things to start with
and see if we get positive results.
The Meadowlands has put together a nice series for three
year olds, one for non-winners of one or $15,000 lifetime,
and one for non-winners of two or $30,000. That's the type
of thing the industry needs to take a serious look at.
Canada has done
a pretty good job
I think (the declining foal crop)
with their maidens
is
the single biggest threat to
going for $15,000,
our
industry. If we have no
$16,000, but they
horses
we have no have no
should be going
business.
It’s pretty simple.
for even more
–Dave
Reid
money.
We're well past
the point where
the leaders of this
industry need to sit down and discuss this and come up
with some answers.
have all that time and money invested in raising them and
waiting on them.
We have some stallions with low stud fees and it's
definitely getting harder to get mares to them and the
mares you are getting are cheaper all the time. Some of our
stallions, they're down to 12 to 20 mares. It's hardly worth
messing with.
It all comes right back to the racing programs for the
young horses. You have to have some incentive where
horses can still race at four and five for decent money and
not have to go into claiming races. You need to have
programs like you have at Mohwak and at Woodbine,
where you can race for a while and a horse who is just a
decent horse can make $100,000. That's obviously not all
profit but at least it's enough where you can keep racing
that horse.
Murray Brown (Hanover Shoe Farms)
The first part is easy. This is happening because most
breeders are losing money. Even the successful breeders
like Hanover are having problems. We're not losing money
over all, but on 60-65 % of your
yearling crop we are losing money
on them.
It all goes back to our basic
racing structure. You have to have
a top 2 year old to make money
and even then you're paying to
play. Most major stakes are
significantly financed by the
owners themselves through
sustaining payments. The problem
is with the person that has bought
Murray Brown
a yearling that is not a very top
horse. You probably have $35,000
into them if you made stakes payment, plus what you paid
for him as a yearling. And you have no place to race him
for significant money. You can race him in a maiden race
for $8,000, $9,000. We need to go more the way of the
Mark Evers (Velocity Standardbreds)
thoroughbreds, where they put a premium on maidens and
The problem is the limited prospects you have when you
take a young horse to the races. I have sent all of our three young horses and give young horses opportunities to race
for good money .
year olds up to Canada to race because they write
Most of the horsemen's associations determine where the
non-winners of two, three, etc. and the races go for decent
money. If you don't have a stakes horse at least in Canada money goes to. I think there are just more older, cheaper
horses around, more owners who own those kind of
they have the kind of program where you can make some
horses, more trainers who train those kind of horse. They
money with a young horse. I love racing in Indiana but if I
want the instant gratification, what you get when you go
take that same type of horse there to race there's no
into a claimer and, hopefully, make a little money in a short
money and I'm in big trouble. You almost have to go in a
claimer if you're not good enough to be an open or an invite period of time. There are people willing to take a gamble
horse. That hurts. You can't raise a horse and as soon as it and try to reach for the moon with a yearling. But there are
gets through its non-winners of four and have it go straight a lot more people who deal in cheaper, overnight horses
and the heads of the horsemen's associations have to
into claimers and be able to make money.
listen to their constituencies. So they go with 14, 15,
You have to have somewhere to go with these young
horses where you can make decent money. Otherwise, you 16-race cards and dilute the money available even more.
You take someone like Ron Battoni, who is the head of
have no incentive to raise them. Then look at what they
the horsemen's association in Pennsylvania. He is probably
have for the claimers. In Ohio, you can claim a horse and
you don't have to pay tax, just a transfer fee. So these guys the best there is in that line of service. He realizes we need
a reasonable mix of young horses to race to go along with
can go claim one for $20,000 and go right back in box and
overnights, but he has to please his constituents. Even Joe
go for $10,000 or more. Unlike the breeders they don't
SPRING
PREVIEW
MEADOWLANDS
RACI NG & E N T E R TA I N M E N T
For 3 years old trotters and pacers with a filly division for each
SINGLE ELIMINATIONS: Friday, April 17 & Saturday, April 18
FINALS: Friday, April 24 & Saturday, April 25
CONDITIONS
• Non-Winners of 1 Pari-Mutuel race or $15,000
Lifetime (Winners of over $30,000 Lifetime are
ineligible) up to and including Thursday, April 9, 2015.
Elimination purse of $12,500 / Final purse estimated at
$30,000 ($20,000 added). There is a one time entry fee
$500.
• Non-Winners of 2 Pari-Mutuel races or $30,000
Lifetime (Winners of over $60,000 Lifetime are
ineligible) up to and including Thursday, April 9, 2015.
Elimination purse of $15,000 / Final purse estimated
at $35,000 ($25,000 added). There is a one-time
entry fee $500.
• No nomination is required other than entering on
the day of the draw for these races by the time listed
on the condition sheet. These races may require a
minimum of 18 entries to fill. If the minimum isn’t met
in any division, that division may be raced as an
overnight for a purse of $15,000 both weeks.
For more info contact: Peter J. Koch (Director & Race
Secretary/Standardbred Racing) at 201-460-4214 or visit
www.playmeadowlands.com. For up to date racing office
info on the go, text “Meadowlands” to 84700.
LIVE RACING FRI & SAT / FIRST POST 7:15 PM / PLAYMEADOWLANDS.COM
HarnessRacingUpdate.com
• 4/3/15 PAGE 5 of 11
Faraldo has made comments to the effect that something
has to be done and he's open to all suggestions. At tracks
like Yonkers, it's very difficult to find races for young horses
that go for decent money.
I'm at an age where this isn't going to affect me greatly,
but it saddens me. Ten years down the line, where are
these horses going to come from? Very few people can
make a profit breeding horses and that has to change.
struggle. There are only a handful of stallions that get 100
mares or more. If I built my stallion operation around
stallions like Ponder and comparable horses I’d be in
serious trouble.
North American Foal Crops (numbers courtesy of USTA)
Foal Year
US
Canada
Total
2000
10,277
4,115
14,392
2001
10,163
4,218
14,381
2002
10,525
4,510
15,035
Adam Bowden (Diamond Creek Farm)
2003
10,618
4,553
15,171
Harness racing has been given millions and millions of
10,740
4,492
15,232
dollars and a handful of people are 2004
2005
10,524
4,366
14,890
funneling it to a certain group of
2006
10,008
4,104
14,112
horses, which are not the young
2007
9,419
3,743
13,162
horses, and leaving the people
2008
8,864
3,379
12,243
who are the backbone of the
8,443
3,038
11,481
industry high and dry. They need to 2009
2010
7,972
2,658
10,630
be held accountable, though I'm
2011
7,582
2,434
10,016
not sure who can do that.
2012
7,366
2,182
9,548
Everybody in this business looks
2013
6,946
1,621
8,567
out for only one person,
2014
6,181
1,297
7,478
themselves. The horsemen
Note: With some breeders having yet to report the births of
represent the horsemen. They
foals the 2013 and 2014 could rise by a small amount
don't give a crap about the
breeders. And, honestly, when you
get down to it, I don't think the
Adam Bowden
breeders give a crap about the
horsemen. Everybody is out for themselves. Even Jeff
Gural...it's said that he makes decisions that are for the
betterment of the industry, but they're really not. Everybody
looks out for themselves. I'm no different. I look out for
myself. George Segal at Brittany looks out for himself. Jeff
Gural looks out for himself. The people who run the
horsemen's associations and control how purse money is
distributed look out for themselves. The only way to change
things is to go back to square one and no one is willing to
do that.
Once the slots money goes away, people will start saying
maybe we should have done it this way, maybe we should
have done it that way. By then it's going to be too late.
People are aware that this is a serious problem. But ask
a specific person like me, I can't change anything.
Maven Accepts Elitlopp Invite; Appears Race
Everybody will just plug along until the day when there is a
for Her in Italy is Out
mass shortage of horses and then everybody will go
As expected, Jimmy Takter has accepted an invitation to
scrambling. And there won't be an answer.
start Maven in the May 31 Elitlopp at Solvalla in Sweden. It
The people who will end up making it will be the people
will be her second consecutive start in the race. She will
with the top line stallions because there will always be a
face, among others, Timoko, who won the Elitlopp last year
certain amount of mares that need to be bred.
and beat Maven recently in the Gran Criterium de Vitesse
There's no entry level racing in our sport for horses that
at Cagnes-Sur-Mer.
are a little green or might need a couple of starts. We either
"It's almost two months until the race, and a lot of things
start in one on those "non-winners" races at Chester,
can happen in the horse business in two months, but when
Pocono or the Meadowlands that go for no money and then they invite you, you're in it," Takter said. "I don't want to
immediately you have to go into a stakes race. There's no
race horses in the race just to race. I want to win. We all
chance to climb the ladder like they have with
want to win Elitloppet."
thoroughbreds.
Maven's next start will come in Saturday's Gold Division
We have good stallions and good mares, but we also
at Jagersro -- in Takter's hometown of Malmo, Sweden.
stand Ponder, who is not a commercial stallion. He stands
She will then start in the April 25 Olympic Trot at Aby,
for $4,000 and we work extra hard to get him 70, 75 mares Sweden. Takter had been previously said his mare would
a year. To get there takes a lot of negotiating. It's a
start in the Gran Premio Lotteria in Naples, Italy but it does
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• 4/3/15 PAGE 6 of 11
not appear that she can make that race and the Olympic
Trot as they are only a week apart. Maven's schedule
following the Olympic Trot is not set, but options include the
Copenhagen Cup or Finlandia.
Report: Plainridge Opener Pushed Back Two
Weeks
According to the Lowell Sun, the harsh New England
winter is forcing Plainridge to postpone its 2015 opener.
The track will now open April 15, two weeks later than
previously scheduled. Track maintenance crews needed
added time to deal with the excessive amount of snow that
fell in Massachusetts over the winter.
Harness Racing Wagering is Not Dead, It Just
Needs a New Direction
Last August on Canadian Pacing Derby Night, the Super
High Five carryover at Mohawk was $650,000 and was set
for a mandatory payout. With over $2 million bet, the pool
soared to near $3 million. This spurred the largest handle
night ever on any Canadian harness racing card - over $5
million was bet, besting the old record (Breeders Crown
night in 2000) by over $600,000.
It was also the largest single pool in North American
harness racing history.
On Saturday night, the Woodbine Super High Five pool
will be mandatorily paid out once again. At press time there
is upwards of $847,000 in the pool, and that money will be
added to Saturday's wagering to create a final pool, to be
shared with all bettors.
Why does this phenomenon occur? How are people
attracted to bet a so-called "dead" sport like harness racing
- some who have never even bet the sport before, in
Breeders' Cup or Kentucky Derby type numbers? It's not
because people might win a million dollars or more; it's not
a lottery because hundreds of people will likely share in a
payoff that could pay less than $500. It's not because of
TV ads, big stakes races or purses or slots. It occurs
because on Saturday, harness racing is offering a bet with
positive expected value.
Michael Antoniades, via a comment on the Horseplayers
Association of North America blog this week, summed it up
like this:
"Woodbine will offer a mandatory payout the night before
Easter Sunday. With a 15 per cent takeout and a twenty
cent minimum, I estimate a pool of $3,000,000. More
importantly, it is a certainty that the bet will pay out
significantly more than the money that is wagered on that
night because of the combination of low takeout and a
carryover, creating the rarest of wagering opportunities.
“Using the $3,000,000 estimated pool as an example, an
$800,000 carryover combined with $2,200,000 in new
money would create a net pool of $2,670,000. This
example would show a surplus of $470,000, making the
player advantage over 21%. The low takeout is the sole
reason this opportunity exists for the players."
Leaving aside the fact that to get to that point,
horseplayer money is sucked out of circulation through a
high takeout bet (which hurts overall handles and is not
something this sport wants to do much more of), Michael is
right. Vision, forward thinking, marketing and promotion
work, and when you sell something of value to customers,
they respond.
Eight or ten years ago I was presenting at a horse racing
conference. To show the power of value I used an example
of a bet created in Australia called the "Fat Quaddie".
Australia is a little more forward thinking regarding
gambling than in the US or Canada, and the powers
mandated that no more than 16 cents out of every betting
dollar could be taken out of gross pools. Sure, they could
have a 22% takeout bet, but at the end of the year if all
revenue, blended, was over that 16%, the excess had to be
given back. They could not send out checks in the mail to
bettors, of course, so they created the Fat Quaddie.
The Fat Quaddie was a pick 4 with zero percent takeout.
The pick 4 pools, which normally ran much less than
$100,000, would most times end up over $3 million for the
Fat Quaddie; this in a country that is much smaller in terms
of GDP than the state of California (and the bet was not
able to be offered on simulcast). The bet provided free
column inches in newspapers, celebrities would be asked
to submit tickets for charity and otherwise. It was a brand
growing bet, as well as a lucrative one for punters.
As with most of my presentations at that time about new
ways to bet, lower rake, and not yet embraced carryovers,
or seeded pools, the auditorium yawned. Someone stood
up and told me why it would probably not work here, and
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• 4/3/15 PAGE 7 of 11
the conference moved on to talking about purses, or ways
to get more slots. But, I believed then, as I do now, it is this
type of value thinking that will lead this sport out of the
gambling abyss.
Offering value is not a foreign concept for a gambling
game, it is the only concept for a gambling game. Harness
racing could spend millions upon millions in purses for a
stakes card and receive no more than $2 million in handle
for it. Harness racing could spend hundreds of thousands
to get on NBC Sports and not realize the same handle
bump. The Super High Five carryover at Woodbine, or a
Fat Quaddie in Australia, could and has supplied more
handle than an entire stakes card.
It is something harness racing needs more of.
Betting on harness racing is dead. That's all we seem to
hear, and frankly, I think that's a bunch of hooey. Around
10 or 11PM Saturday night, pop onto your ADW feed or
visit the Woodbine website. You will see hundreds of
thousands of dollars being bet. You will see people tuning
in from everywhere. There will be a buzz as the pools grow,
on the feed, or on twitter or facebook. I bet you might even
log in and make a bet.
The way harness racing betting is presented and priced
can be archaic and built for another time. It is often focused
on the wrong things. It forwards suspect betting policies. It
needs a lot of work.
But, believe me, if done right, it is surely not dead.
Race 7, G-Notes Dash Final Pace
HOME TURF made his debut last week under trainer Ron
Burke and if he'll figure in here at a square price if he
continues to move forward off that. This one left into that
torrid opening split and made a big middle move only to be
outkicked by one rival; he's always shown flashes of
potential. MUSCOLO got the trip right in behind the hot
pacesetter last out and was able to get the 1:54:1 score
despite closing in over :30. His division went two full
seconds quicker than the other and he may end up going
off as the favorite. SWEET JUSTICE tried to bottom them
out on the front end last week and tired. He isn't the same
horse we saw last year but maybe that try from last week
tightened him up for tonight. CIAO BELA had good late trot
following a shuffle last week and WALLTOCOUSINS was a
game winner on the front end in that same race.
Race 8, F&M N/W $10,000 L5 Pace
BEACH GRANNY takes a deceiving step up on paper but
in reality this field isn’t as good as the condition suggests.
This one finally showed some good signs last week for
Elliott last week when she exploded late on the scene to
just miss and doesn’t look much worse than anyone else;
offers a fair price. HOT LIST is taking the biggest drop but
is also compromised by the outside post following a sick
scratch; seems to come up short more often that. THE
SUMMER WIND comes off a solid looking 1:51 win but
she’s struggled when hiked up to this class; two of her last
four wins have come at the basement level. BEAUTIFUL
LADY carries a similar profile in that she too won at the
bottom condition two back but then lost with no excuse two
back; returns from Yonkers as one of the contenders
nonetheless. PAN LUIS OBISPO has lost seven straight
since an early January win but that last was something to
build on; picks up Callahan as well.
Race 9, F&M N/W $6,000 L5 Pace
ART IDEAL outperformed expectations last week while
making her first start of the year and now drops. This one
faced much better throughout the fall last year at Philly and
she’s no stranger to this track either; should be leaving as
she goes from Berry to Andy. BLACK MAGIC EYES exits
the $20K claimers and this group doesn’t look any more
difficult and the barn is starting to pick up a bit; the sick
scratch from last Friday may be a pause for caution though.
SIR LEHIGH Z TAM tried to show speed two back and it
didn’t work out; she’s a tough luck mare and not out of the
question with the right set up. FOUR STARZ ROE was
able to beat C-2 types in a fast time earlier this meet but
that now seems like ages ago. SOUTHWIND TRINI is
generally accustomed to Open types on the smaller tracks
but didn’t exactly leave Pompano on a winning note and
that was a month ago; likely to need a start or two.
Race 10, N/W $7,500 L5 Trot
SPLITSVILLE rallied willingly last out in a race won by Stan
The Man and that rival came back to jog Thursday at Philly.
It was only four races back where this one was sent off at
3/1 against Not Afraid in the Open at Yonkers and he
should loom in here even from the outside barring a
miscue. POUNCE HANOVER has been sharp for the past
month and was claimed away from Virgil Morgan last out;
let’s see if he can stay good in the new barn for McDermott.
GENIUS AT WORK makes his first start at this track and
second overall since the move to Julie Miller; expected to
take a good deal of tote action off that 10/1 morning line.
AGGRESSIVE broke last out and that followed the sick
scratch; prior to that however was a 1:53:4 win. BL CLASS
ACT and VIBE BLUE CHIP are both seemingly short priced
horses that haven’t been inspiring of late. DON’T MIND
ME qualified very well but is just a 3-year-old making his
first start of the year; I’d imagine he’ll be coming from far
back.
$8 ticket ($0.50 base): 10 / 2-3-6-7 / 4-8 / 3-10
$27 ticket ($0.50 base): 5-7-10 / 2-3 / 4-7-8 / 3-9-10
For TrackMaster pps for the Meadowlands Pick 4 click
here For all other pps go to www.trackmaster.com
Missed an Edition of the HRU?
Check out our archive at www.harnessracingupdate.com
HarnessRacingUpdate.com
• 4/3/15 PAGE 8 of 11
Monday’s Results
1, DD, $20,000, T, DELAWARE STANDARDBRED
BREEDERS FUND 3 Year Old Fillies Second Elimination First Division, 28.3, 59.1, 1:28.1, 1:57.2, FT
I Got Spunk (f, 3, Super Punk--Gogetitdun, by Go Get
Lost) O-Leigh A Raymer. B-Judith L Jarman. T-Leigh
Raymer. D-Brett Miller, $10,000, Lifetime Record: 11-5-2-2,
$79,205
2, DD, $20,000, T, DELAWARE STANDARDBRED
BREEDERS FUND 3 Year Old Fillies Second Elimination Second Division, 29.0, 58.4, 1:30.0, 2:00.0, FT
My Fire Cloud Too (f, 3, Cr Commando--Winbak Flame,
by Donerail), $8,000 2013 CHICKS O-Richard M
Lombardo & Jj&M Stable. B-Winbak Farm. T-Josh Green.
D-Eddie Davis Jr, $10,000, Lifetime Record: 6-1-2-0,
$23,200
2, DD, $20,000, P, DELAWARE STANDARDBRED
BREEDERS FUND 3 Year Old Fillies Second Elimination Second Division, 29.0, 57.2, 1:26.2, 1:54.1, FT
Spin Vision (f, 3, No Spin Zone--David's Art, by David's
Pass) O-Virginia L Louthan. B-Virginia L Louthan.
T-Virginia Louthan. D-Allan Davis, $10,000, Lifetime
Record: 19-9-5-0, $87,480
4, DD, $20,000, P, DELAWARE STANDARDBRED
BREEDERS FUND 3 Year Old Fillies Second Elimination Third Division, 27.0, 56.0, 1:24.4, 1:52.0, FT
Purrfect Bags (f, 3, Roddy's Bags Again--Purrfectly
Bad, by Badlands Hanover), $2,000 2013 CHICKS
O-Joann Looney-King. B-Winbak Farm. T-Jim King Jr.
D-Victor Kirby, $10,000, Lifetime Record: 10-9-1-0,
$146,750
10, DD, $20,000, T, Winners Over $12,000 in Last 6 Starts
or $50,000 Lifetime / Open Handicap Post Positions 1 thru
3 Drawn Post Positions 4 & 5 Drawn Post Positions 6 thru
8 Drawn, 27.4, 56.2, 1:25.1, 1:52.3, FT
Wind Of The North (g, 5, Cantab Hall--Talk To The
Wind, by Pine Chip), $5,000 2011 SHS-HBG O-Daryl
Scott Bier & Joann Dombeck. B-Quantum Farms Corp.
T-Daryl Bier. D-Daryl Bier, $10,000, Lifetime Record:
56-14-11-6, $235,981
4, DD, $20,000, T, DELAWARE STANDARDBRED
BREEDERS FUND 3 Year Old Fillies Second Elimination Third Division, 29.1, 59.1, 1:29.1, 1:59.2, FT
Penny Paratrooper (f, 3, Cr Commando--Cr Penny Lane,
Thursday’s Results
by Lindy Lane) O-Carlo J Poliseno & Foulk Stables Inc.
1, DD, $20,000, P, DELAWARE STANDARDBRED
B-Rod Allen Inc. T-Carlo Poliseno. D-Ross Wolfenden,
BREEDERS FUND 3 Year Old Colts & Geldings Second
$10,000, Lifetime Record: 8-7-0-1, $119,500
Elimination - First Division, 27.1, 56.4, 1:24.1, 1:51.2, FT
Sonofa Sizzle (c, 3, Life Sizzles--Jk Lady Like, by
Tuesday’s Results
Artiscape) O-Michael F White. B-Charles W & Diane R
1, DD, $20,000, T, DELAWARE STANDARDBRED
Coursey. T-Josh Green. D-Victor Kirby, $10,000, Lifetime
BREEDERS FUND 3 Year Old Colts & Geldings Second
Record: 12-6-3-1, $135,516
Elimination - First Division, 27.3, 58.1, 1:28.3, 1:58.3, FT
Egosnattitudes (g, 3, Great George Two--Aerobic Linda, To view race click here
by Dream Vacation) O-William B Roberts & Graham
Grace Stables LLC & M & W Stables, LLC. B-Graham
2, DD, $20,000, P, DELAWARE STANDARDBRED
Grace Stables LLC. T-W Bib Roberts. D-Jonathan Roberts, BREEDERS FUND 3 Year Old Colts & Geldings Second
$10,000, Lifetime Record: 9-4-1-1, $88,400
Elimination - Second Division, M, 26.3, 56.1, 1:24.2, 1:52.4,
FT
2, DD, $20,000, T, DELAWARE STANDARDBRED
Roddy's Hot Again (g, 3, Roddy's Bags Again--Step
BREEDERS FUND 3 Year Old Colts & Geldings Second
Lively, by Real Artist) O-George & Tina Dennis Inc & Ask
Elimination - Second Division, 29.0, 59.2, 1:28.3, 1:58.3,
W Stables Inc. B-George & Tina Dennis Inc & Ask W
FT Political Foe (g, 3, Political Briefing--Paris Filly, by Giant Stables Inc. T-George Dennis. D-George Dennis, $10,000,
Hit) O-Stephanie A & Brian D Cassell, CA. B-Winbak Farm. Lifetime Record: 14-4-3-2, $61,091
T-Eddie Dennis. D-Eddie Dennis, $10,000, Lifetime
To view race click here
Record: 12-6-4-0, $132,625
4, DD, $20,000, P, DELAWARE STANDARDBRED
Wednesday’s Results
BREEDERS FUND 3 Year Old Colts & Geldings Second
1, DD, $20,000, P, DELAWARE STANDARDBRED
Elimination - Third Division, M, 28.0, 57.2, 1:24.4, 1:54.0,
BREEDERS FUND 3 Year Old Fillies Second Elimination FT
First Division, 28.0, 56.2, 1:24.2, 1:52.1, FT
K J Ben (g, 3, Riggins--Winsmith Karen, by Matt's
Totally Rusty (f, 3, Rusty's For Real--Rusty's Joy, by
Scooter) O-Scott D Woogen. B-Scott D Woogen. T-Duane
Badlands Hanover) O-Carter Racing Stable LLC. B-Carter Wagner. D-Victor Kirby, $10,000, Lifetime Record:
Racing Stable LLC. T-Douglas Lewis. D-Corey Callahan,
10-5-1-2, $61,763. To view race click here
$10,000, Lifetime Record: 11-10-1-0, $149,250
HarnessRacingUpdate.com
• 4/3/15 PAGE 9 of 11
T-Brewer Adams. D-Jim Morrill Jr, $7,500, Lifetime Record:
32-3-8-6, $66,524
Sunday’s Results
10, Phl, $22,000, P, NW $20,000 in Last 5 Starts AE: NW 9
Ext. PM Races or $90,000 Lifetime, 27.4, 56.4, 1:24.1,
1:52.1, FT
Sweet Rock (g, 4, Rocknroll Hanover--Penny For
Nickel, by Artsplace), $65,000 2012 SHS-HBG O-Legacy
Racing Of De Inc & Reginald A Hazzard II & Gary P
Calloway. B-Vieux Carre Farms. T-Wayne Givens. D-Brett
Miller, $11,000, Lifetime Record: 38-9-9-4, $262,981
Thursday’s Results
11, Phl, $22,000, T, NW $25,000 in Last 5 Starts AE: NW 9
Ext. PM Races or $90,000 Lifetime, 27.1, 58.0, 1:26.0,
1:55.0, FT
Il Mago (h, 6, Kadabra--Northern Style, by Earl)
O-J L Sadowsky LLC. B-Chris Alexander, CA. T-Robert
Bresnahan Jr. D-Yannick Gingras, $11,000, Lifetime
Record: 99-24-13-8, $519,252
To view replay click here
Tuesday’s Results
3, PcD, $15,000, T, "Bobby Weiss Series" L.C. No. 2 - 2nd
Leg 3 & 4 Year Old Colts, Stallions & Geldings NW 3 Ext.
PM Races or $40,000 Lifetime as of & including 1/1/15 1st
Division of 2, 28.1, 57.1, 1:25.4, 1:55.1, SY
Bourbon Bay (g, 4, Sand Vic--America Alive, by Cr
Excalibur), $7,500 2012 MORRIS O-John Paul Cummings
Jr. B-Winbak Farm. T-Megan Wilson. D-John Cummings Jr,
$7,500, Lifetime Record: 26-12-2-1, $94,011
4, PcD, $15,000, T, "Bobby Weiss Series" L.C. No. 2 - 2nd
Leg 3 & 4 Year Old Colts, Stallions & Geldings NW 3 Ext.
PM Races or $40,000 Lifetime as of & including 1/1/15 2nd
Division of 2, 29.0, 58.0, 1:26.3, 1:55.0, SY
Walk The Walk (h, 4, Muscle Hill--Letsjustalkaboutme,
by Self Possessed), $20,000 2012 SHS-HBG
O-Christopher J Ryder & Sidney Korn & Robert A Mondillo
& Max Wernick. B-Diamond Creek Farm LLC & Exquisite
Farms & Melvin Hartman, CA. T-Chris Ryder. D-David
Miller, $7,500, Lifetime Record: 18-7-4-0, $75,659
11, PcD, $15,000, P, "Bobby Weiss Series" L.C. No. 3 2nd Leg 3 & 4 Year Old Fillies & Mares NW 3 Ext. PM
Races or $40,000 Lifetime as of & including 1/1/15 1st
Division of 2, 27.0, 56.3, 1:25.0, 1:53.4, SY
The Beach Nextdoor (m, 4, Somebeachsomewhere--On
The Choo Choo, by Camluck) O-Adams Racing LLC &
Brian Joseph Clark. B-Danterra Racing Stable, CA.
12, PcD, $15,000, P, "Bobby Weiss Series" L.C. No. 3 2nd Leg 3 & 4 Year Old Fillies & Mares NW 3 Ext. PM
Races or $40,000 Lifetime as of & including 1/1/15 2nd
Division of 2, 28.0, 58.0, 1:26.0, 1:54.4, SY
Allthatjazz De Vie (f, 3, American Ideal--Todalu, by
Artsplace), $4,000 2013 SHS-HBG O-Burke Racing Stable
LLC & Weaver Bruscemi LLC. B-Joie De Vie Farm LLC.
T-Ron Burke. D-Andrew McCarthy, $7,500, Lifetime
Record: 7-5-0-0, $27,630
Wednesday’s Results
6, PcD, $15,000, T, "Bobby Weiss Series" L.C. No. 4 - 2nd
Leg 3 & 4 Year Old Fillies & Mares NW 3 Ext. PM Races or
$40,000 Lifetime as of & including 1/1/15 1st Division of 2,
27.3, 56.1, 1:25.2, 1:53.3, FT
Classic Belisima (m, 4, Crazed--Classic Yankee, by
Muscles Yankee), $30,000 2012 LEX-SEL
O-William D Cantrell. B-Albert C & Michelle C & Patricia D
Crawford. T-John Cabot. D-David Miller, $7,500, Lifetime
Record: 29-12-8-3, $88,690
11, PcD, $15,000, T, "Bobby Weiss Series" L.C. No. 4 2nd Leg 3 & 4 Year Old Fillies & Mares NW 3 Ext. PM
Races or $40,000 Lifetime as of & including 1/1/15 2nd
Division of 2, 27.2, 57.3, 1:26.1, 1:55.1, FT
Dress For Success (m, 4, Infinitif--Padme Hanover, by
Credit Winner), $18,000 2012 LEX-SEL O-Stacey J
Ruddick & Denise L Dennis. B-Reve Avec Moi
Dreamwithme, CA. T-Christopher Freck. D-Matt Kakaley,
$7,500, Lifetime Record: 38-6-6-8, $96,254
Monday’s Results
2, Wdb. $15,000, Pace. Blossom–1st Leg- 3-Yo Fillies. 29,
59.3, 1:29, 1:57 FT
Maplelea (f,3 - Sportswriter-Maple Lady-Run The Table)
O-Andrew A. Moore. B-Concord Stud Farm. T-Andrew
Moore. D-Rick Zeron, $7,500. Lifetime Record: 11-6-2-1,
$60,330.
8, Wdb. $15,000, Pace. Blossom–1st Leg- 3-Yo Fillies.
28.2, 58.1, 1:27.1, 1:54.3 FT
Cast No Shadow (f,3 - Shadow Play-HypnotizeArtiscape) O-Millard Adams. B-Winbak Farm. T- Des
Tackoor. D-Chris Christoforou, $7,500. Lifetime Record: 84-0-2, $27,380
HarnessRacingUpdate.com
• 4/3/15 PAGE 10 of 11
Tuesday’s Results
5, YR, $25,000, P, SAGAMORE HILL SERIES
CONSOLATION 3&4 YEAR OLD COLTS, HORSES &
GELDINGS, 27.4, 57.0, 1:25.2, 1:54.0, FT
Ideal Willie (h, 4, American Ideal--Ladyotra, by On The
Road Again), $15,000 2012 SHS-HBG O-Paul J Harvey &
Scott M Blackler. B-White Birch Farm. T-Scott Blackler.
D-Mark Macdonald, $12,500, Lifetime Record: 27-5-3-4,
$65,556
6, YR, $62,200, P, SAGAMORE HILL SERIES FINAL 3&4
YEAR OLD COLTS, HORSES & GELDINGS, 28.0, 57.2,
1:25.4, 1:54.0, GD
1-Rediscovery (h, 4, Tell All--Dream Card, by Dream
Away), $6,000 2012 LEX-SEL O-Burke Racing Stable LLC
& Weaver Bruscemi LLC & Phillip Collura. B-Robert B
Burgess, CA & Karin B Olsson Burgess, CA. T-Ron Burke.
D-George Brennan, $31,100, Lifetime Record: 25-10-6-1,
$93,988
2-Bettorever (g, 4, Bettor's Delight--Forever Cam, by
Western Hanover), $80,000 2012 LEX-SEL O-Bamond
Racing LLC. B-Walnut Hall Stock Farm. T-Jeffrey Bamond
Jr.. D-Jason Bartlett, $15,550
3-Jk Patriot (g, 4, Bettor's Delight--Jk Majorette, by Art
Major), $52,000 2012 SHS-HBG O-Matthew K Bencic &
Samuel J Schillaci. B-3 Brothers Stables. T-Linda Toscano.
D-Tim Tetrick, $7,464
Calls: 1H, 1H, 1H, 1H, 1Q
Finish Order: Ys Lotus, Roger Mach Em, Fort Knox, Khan
Blue Chip, Vance Bayama
10, YR, $23,800, T, NON-WINNERS OF $8,000 IN LAST 6
STARTS WINNERS OVER $40,000 IN 2015 NOT
ELIGIBLE. AE. 3,4&5 YEAR OLD NON-WINNERS OF 8
P-M RACES. WINNERS OVER $150,000 LIFETIME NOT
ELIGIBLE., I, 29.2, 1:31.0, 2:00.2, 2:29.3, SY
Massacaia (g, 4, Muscle Mass--Ghirardelli Square, by
Like A Prayer), $16,000 2012 SHS-HBG O-Robert D Main.
B-Perretti Farms. T-Jason Robinson. D-Jason Bartlett,
$11,900, Lifetime Record: 40-7-6-7, $131,493
11, YR, $23,800, T, NON-WINNERS OF $8,000 IN LAST 6
STARTS WINNERS OVER $40,000 IN 2015 NOT
ELIGIBLE. AE. OPTIONAL CLAIMING ALLOWANCE
$20,000 AE. 3,4&5 YEAR OLD NON-WINNERS OF 8 P-M
RACES WINNERS OVER $150,000 LIFETIME NOT
ELIGIBLE., I, 29.1, 1:29.3, 1:59.3, 2:30.0, SY
Western Credit (g, 7, Credit Winner--Getaway
Cheyenne, by Sierra Kosmos) O-William M Adamczyk.
B-Paolo Rosanelli & John C Siena. T-William Adamczyk.
D-Tyler Buter, $11,900, Lifetime Record: 117-13-12-15,
$132,277
SRF Saves Two More Horses
Thursday, April 02, 2015 - from the Standardbred
Retirement Foundation
Millstone Township, NJ --- The Standardbred
Retirement Foundation was able to take the last few horses
from the "kill pens" thanks to the caring people who
stepped up to help.
One gelding, Quantum Gliderman, who people say is one
of the largest of the breed they have ever seen, is in good
weight but appears to have a skin condition and has lost a
good deal of hair. The other unidentifiable horse looks to be
in fairly good condition but appears to have some age on
him.
Both horses have been shipped to a facility nearby for
quarantine, evaluation, veterinary attention and blacksmith
care. In a few weeks, if sound and healthy, they will go to
another facility for training, or retire to pasture under SRF's
lifetime care.
If they need retirement, more support will be needed.
Horses like these two usually come from the Amish
community and were used for transportation, or working the
fields. With so many horses available they generally turn
them over for younger horses upon age 11 or so.
SRF is the only Standardbred charity that takes horses
over the age of 12, and offers unadoptable horses a
chance to live out their lives in pasture. To help with these
two or the other 206 SRF is caring for, to sponsor in any
amount, or to adopt one, contact Tammy at 732.446.4422,
HarnessRacingUpdate.com
• 4/3/15 PAGE 11 of 11
e-mail [email protected], or go to www.Adoptahorse.org.