Derick Giwner

Hambletonian Day provided plenty: World Records; Unexpected Upsets; Budding Stars. With all due respect to the world record setters, 2-year-old trotting filly To Dream On put on the most visibly impressive show of the afternoon. Behind bad cover and five lengths behind at the head of the stretch, the daughter of Credit Winner powered through the lane to win by a bit more than a length.

In case you missed it, the Hambletonian is tomorrow! Every harness fan will have their eyes firmly planted on the track at the Meadowlands on Saturday watching the best trotters and pacers in the country do battle. For those thoroughbred players out there who have considered rolling the dice on a few harness plays, Saturday is the day! Hambletonian Day has the biggest pools and best wagering opportunities you will find throughout the harness year. There are four guaranteed multi-race wagers on the card. Race 1- $25k Pick Five

They are dropping like flies in the Adios. An original field of eight has been reduced to just six with the subtraction of Hurrikane Kingcole prior to the draw and Allstar Legend on Friday afternoon. Hurrikane Kingcole elected to skip the $500,000 highlight of the Meadows’s schedule for a softer spot in the New Jersey Classic at the Meadowlands. Trainer John McDermott felt his star 3-year-old colt did not like the track surface and elected to go elsewhere. According to a press release sent out Friday afternoon, Allstar Legend will miss the final due to sickness.

Everyone has mixed feelings from time to time. Those are the emotions I’m feeling after hearing the news that the spectacular filly Check Me Out will skip the Hambletonian and a date with the boys to instead tackle her peers in the Hambo Oaks. At first I agreed with co-owner/trainer Ray Schnittker’s decision. Honestly, if I owned the filly and could be 3-5 to win half of $750,000 in the Oaks or 4-1 to vie for $1,500,000 in the Hambletonian, the decision would be quite easy. I’m certainly not in a position to give away money.

We all learned a lesson on Saturday after watching the Meadowlands Pace final. Too much time and thought can get you in trouble. How else do you explain Heston Blue Chip and Bolt The Duer not showing any signs of early speed? Each driver must make decisions before and during a race. That is what separates the good from the great drivers – making the right moves at the right times. Almost any regular driver can guide a 3-5 shot to victory in an overnight race. It is the driver that gets the job done when the spotlight is on them that deserves the most respect.