For photos from the Meadowlands contact Lisaphoto@playmeadowlands.com

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Take This Title... Please!

So who wants to be the three year old male trotter of the year?  This year it appears no one wants it; at least by winning the title in convincing manner.  Muscle Massive started of his candidacy for the title with his victory in the Hambletonian only to have the frontrunner's status taken away by Lucky Chucky in subsequent battles.  At this point, it certainly looked like the title was all Lucky Chucky's for his taking.

Then came the Breeders Crown where Break the Bank K threw his hat into the ring with his win in the Breeders Crown.  Lucky Chucky it turns out had a foot problem which may have explained his poor performance in the Crown and Muscle Massive decided it was time to toss his hat out of the ring with an ill-timed break which took him out of the race.  Was Break the Bank K just a case of a trotter putting things together towards the end of the season and deserving of end of season honors?  On to Lexington.

With the Kentucky Futurity over. all we can say for sure is, at least for this division, it doesn't come down to the Breeders Crown as another trotter, Wishing Stone, took top honors by winning the Kentucky Futurity in two straight heats for driver George Brennan and trainer Dewayne Minor.  Not that Wishing Stone is a bad horse, he has been racing under the radar (at least to the East Coast elitists).  After all, how many Kentucky Futurity winners are found winning a NYSS event at Tioga Downs, especially after being defeated by the top colts in the Colonial Trot at Chester in August?  But here Wishing Stone was, after two wins this season (in the Am-Nat at Balmoral and the NYSS event at Tioga), the king of harness racing at least for one day.

So who will be the three year old trotting colt and gelding of the year?  We may know Saturday as the top contenders are eligible to the Bluegrass on closing day of the Red Mile meet.  This year, it all boils down to The Red Mile.

For those that missed the Futurity, here is the replay of both heats.

Here is the first heat.



The second and final heat.


 

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