Derick Giwner

When I read the news this Monday morning that driver George Brennan would no longer be allowed to race at the Meadowlands, I was beside myself. Did he commit a crime? No! He simply spoke his mind. The ban was said to be the result of comments Brennan made in a NY Times story about the suspension of trainer Lou Pena on 1,719 illegal incidents of administering legal medications too close to race time. Brennan, one of the top drivers in the country, had this to say in the story:

There were no screaming temper tantrums at the Meadowlands on Saturday morning (June 2) even though the babies were on the East Rutherford track for their first official action of the year. Let’s take a look at the more notable performers with some added commentary from our man at the track P.J. Iovino.

In case you have been in a remote part of the world, trainer Lou Pena was hit with 1,719 violations by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board on Thursday, May 24.

Harness racing has seen some very good 3-year-old pacers over the last decade. Somebeachsomewhere stands out as possibly the greatest of a group that includes Rocknroll Heaven, Rock N Roll Hanover, and others. While there have been some standout performers, you would be hard-pressed to find more than one or two other top quality sophomore pacers during the years that the previously mentioned horses competed. Often enough one or two horses shine while the others simply play catch-up and hope to get an upset victory somewhere on the Grand Circuit tour.

One of the key handicapping angles that Standardbred bettors love is the “driver change” angle. However, I find that the basic principles behind the angle are often misused and players jump at changes that are irrelevant and miss out on opportunities that require maximum monetary output. Drivers often have difficult choices and it can be nerve-racking to be stuck between two horses while forced to choose.