Pick for Saturday July 27, 2024 (Saturday Night Post Time: 1st race 6:00 p.m. ET; First Elimination where Karl runs is at 9:40 p.m. EDT)
HARNESS RACING AT THE MEADOWLANDS!
HARNESS? -- ARE YOU KIDDING ME [you might say] ?
Did I say that I'm a horse racing junkie?
Yes, that is right: I like harness horse racing, too.
OKAY, THE HAMBLETONIAN IS JUST ONE WEEK AWAY -- AUGUST 3, TO BE EXACT -- BUT MEANWHILE LET'S KICK THE HAMBLETONIAN ELIMINATIONS STAKES RACES OFF WITH A "BANG!"
There are two eliminations (or races) to qualify for the Hambletonian next Saturday.
In other words, a pair of stacked $100,000 eliminations with 10 entrants each for the 99th Hambletonian will head to the gate on Saturday at The Meadowlands to qualify for the Hambletonian next Saturday.
So in order to earn a protected draw between posts 1 and 5 in next Saturday's $1.2 million final a horse must win the elimination.
A horse can still qualify for the Hambletonian if he doesn't win this Saturday but if he wants to qualify to be drawn between posts 1 and 5 in next Saturday's $1.2 million final a horse must win the elimination this Saturday, hence the "Eliminations."
But if winning is out of reach, just finishing in the top five suffices to then have a shot at harness racing's greatest prize.
Friday night (July 26) at The Meadowlands -- a stakes-laden Friday night event full of stakes races for 2yos and it is sort of like the "Stars of Tomorrow" programs that Churchill Downs has each year.
Check out the entries for yourself and enjoy Friday night full of harness stakes races at The Meadowlands.
As for Saturday night (July 27) at The Meadowlands -- a stakes-laden Saturday night event full of stakes races as well highlighted by the two Hambletonian Eliminations and the Hambletonian Oaks -- a race similar to the Kentucky Oak.
Check out the entries for yourself and enjoy Saturday night full of harness stakes races at The Meadowlands.
One race of interest is race 9 (post time 8:23 p.m. ET) -- the first of two this Saturday's Hambletonian Elimination heats where 3yo sensation Karl is tuning up for his Hambletonian race against 9 other 3yos in a stake race worth $100,000.
Karl is listed as 4/5 in the morning line for this race and he is drawn in post 6.
The next closest morning line odd is Highland Kismet (post 3) with 3-1 and the rest are 6-1 or longer.
I guess post position in this race or next Saturday's Hambletonian doesn't matter for Karl as he is a very versatile horse who can come from the back of the field and win races going away.
In past races where he was drawn outside the driver opted to sit behind the field and make a move on the backstretch and by the turn for home Karl was usually full head of steam gobbling up grounds and making everybody else look like standing still racehorses.
So position 6 is not such a hinderance for Karl -- I'm not concerned about post 6 or the outside post position for that matter.
Another race of note is, of course, race 11 (post 7:10 ET) -- the second heat of the Hambletonian Elimination where TCI (post 1) with morning line odd of 2/1 and he'll ring around the Meadowlands oval with no one can get near him at a probable final odd of 3/5 or lower.
But before that we have the Hambletonian Oaks where French Champagne is the morning line favorite at 2-1, and she, too, will ring around the Meadowlands oval with no one can get near her at a probable final odd of 4/5 or lower.
Here are the races for Saturday July 27, 2024:
Sixth Race
HAMBLETONIAN OAKS NO. 99 Elimination - 3 Year Old Fillies (Declaration Fee - $7,500)
Purse: $50,000.00 | Gait: Trot | Distance: 1 Mile
PP Horse Driver Trainer Year's Best ODDS
1 French Champagne (Dexter J Dunn) this year's best 1:51.4 ML 2-1
2 Chaparmbro (James A Macdonald) this year's best 1:56.4 ML 10-1
3 Sadbirdstillsing (Jason James Bartlett) this year's best 1:58.4 ML 15-1
4 Paulina Hanover (David S Miller) this year's best 1:55.0 ML 6-1
5 Soiree Hanover (Tim A Tetrick) this year's best 1:54.4 ML 3-1
6 Allegiant (Scott Richard Zeron ) this year's best 1:52.1 ML 8-1
7 Spy Coast ML 15-1
Bet French Champagne (ML 2-1) to win.
First Elimination.
Ninth Race
HAMBLETONIAN NO. 99 Elimination - 3 Year Old Open (Declaration Fee - $15,000 )
Purse: $100,000.00 | Gait: Trot | Distance: 1 Mile
PP Horse Driver Trainer Year's Best ODDS
1 Bella's Musclehill (David S Miller) this year's best 1:52.0 ML 6-1
2 Waterfall (Todd P McCarthy) this year's best 1:52.0 ML 20-1
3 Highland Kismet (Bob C McClure) this year's best 1:51.3 ML 3-1
4 Benny J (James A Macdonald) this year's best 1:51.2 ML 10-1
5 Supernova Hanover (Dexter J Dunn) this year's best 1:53.0 ML 15-1
6 Karl (Yannick Gingras) this year's bestn1:51.0 ML 4-5
7 Security Protected (Tim A Tetrick) this year's best 1:53.0 ML 12-1
8 Sig Sauer (Andrew John McCarthy) this year's best 1:50.0 ML 8-1
9 Caballero (Scott Richard Zeron) this year's best 1:54.1 ML 20-1
10 Situationship ML 15-1
Bet Karl (ML 4-5) to win.
Second Elimination
Eleventh Race
HAMBLETONIAN NO. 99 Elimination - 3 Year Old Open (Declaration Fee - $15,000)
Purse: $100,000.00 | Gait: Trot | Distance: 1 Mile
PP Horse Driver Year's Best ODDS
1 T C I (David S Miller) this year's best 1:52.2 ML 2-1
2 Amazing Catch (Dexter J Dunn) this year's best 1:53.4 ML 10-1
3 Secret Agent Man (Andy Ray Miller) this year's best 1:50.3 ML 4-1
4 Mars Hill (Todd P McCarthy) this year's best 1:52.4 ML 15-1
5 Private Access (James A Macdonald) this year's best 1:52.1 ML 5-1
6 Life On The Bluf (Yannick Gingras) this year's best 1:52.4 ML 20-1
7 Dame Good Time (Scott Richard Zeron) this year's best 1:51.1 ML 3-1
8 Bright Star (Andrew John McCarthy) this year's best 1:52.1 ML 8-1
9 Wild Ticket (Tim A Tetrick) this year's best 1:53.2 ML 15-1
10 Daiquiri Hanover (Ake Svanstedt) ML 8-1
ENJOY A SATURDAY NIGHT FULL OF HARNESS STAKES RACES, EVERYONE!
