Harness: Talented group of fillies on the Road to the Hambletonian Oaks

With the last major prep for the Hambletonian – Stanley Dancer Memorial – behind us, it is in theory the proper time to focus on which horses will drop in the box on July 30 for the $1,000,000 final on August 3 at The Meadowlands. However, considering the major gap between Greenshoe and his competition leading up to the trotting classic, perhaps our pre-race attention is better spent on what is shaping up as the more competitive race, the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m eagerly awaiting the Hambletonian, first to see if more than 12 other owners are going to part with $15,000 for what currently seems like a chance to max out at $210,000 for finishing second behind Greenshoe. Under normal circumstances where only the top five finishers cash, putting up $15,000 might be a deterrent, but with the Hambletonian paying all finishers at least $10,000 for showing up, the net cost to the connections is really just $5,000.

Secondly, if we get between 11 and 13 entrants, what happens if Greenshoe draws in the second tier for the Hambletonian? Does he continue to show the maturity we’ve seen in every start this year and behave behind the gate or do past demons return?

[GERRITY MEMORIAL: Watch all of the action from Gerrity night at Saratoga on Saturday & get real-time insights from Garnet Barnsdale on Harness Live.]

Finally, assuming the 2019 version of Greenshoe shows up, will driver Brian Sears extend him enough to produce the first ever sub 1:50 Hambletonian?

All of the above questions will answered in the coming weeks and we may have a better idea of how many will enter the Hambletonian after Saturday’s Geers stake at The Meadowlands, as many eligibles are in-to-go.

The Road to the Hambletonian Oaks should be more crowded than the Hambo, and while there are some leaders in the pack, the filly companion race could be a great one. Let’s take a look at my top 10 as it stands just over a week prior to the eliminations on July 27 at The Meadowlands. The first four have the edge right now but I wouldn’t count out the rest quite yet.

1) Millies Possesion – She extended her unblemished career record to 7-for-7 by overpowering her foes with a 27 1/5 final quarter after chasing uncovered through slow fractions. The Jim Campbell trainee is also the second fastest 3-year-old trotter in 2019 behind only Greenshoe with a 1:51 1/5 win to her credit already.

“After her second or third start she really showed a lot, but last week is when she really broke through,” said Campbell on when he knew Millies Possesion could be something special. “Her greatest asset is her determination to win.”

2) Evident Beauty – We got to see a new dimension from her in the Del Miller when she went to the front and battled gamely for the win over Jim Campbell’s “other” Oaks player Cloud Nine Fashion. The daughter of Trixton is now four for five this year and her only loss came in a race where she was handled very conservatively off a five-week layoff.

“She fought gamely right through the wire,” said David Miller about the recent win in the Del Miller. “I shouldn’t say I wasn’t worried, but I felt confident.”

3) When Dovescry – It is hard to know how well she has progressed over the winter because she only has two starts this year. Last time she was blindswitched while following cover and rallied with steady trot while hardly all out. For those who have forgotten, she won a couple of stakes as a 2-year-old last year and was second in the Breeders Crown.

“She’s going in the right direction and will get one more start Sunday before going to the Hambo Oaks,” said trainer Rene Allard, who intimated that he was in no rush to “let her loose” until the Oaks.

4) The Ice Dutchess – She only finished third in the Del Miller but was blocked in the pocket by leader Starita and lost momentum trying to find a seam. Bluegrass and Peaceful Way winner at age 2 has looked tremendous at times this year and seems capable of stepping up with a big mile.

“With a clear shot she was a winner,” said driver Yannick Gingras about the filly’s effort in the Del Miller.

5) Cloud Nine Fashion – An impressive sweeping move from third over for a victory in the Reynolds was followed up with a gutsy first-over neck loss to #2 on this list in the Del Miller. Stablemate of #1 above is a clear contender.

6) Golden Tricks – Picked up some confidence in overnights and built on that with a big mile to finish second behind Millies Possesion in the Reynolds with an individual clocking of 1:51 2/5. That type of mile says she belongs in the conversation. We’ll find out even more on Saturday when she goes in the Geers at The Meadowlands.

7) Queen Of Trixs – She wasn’t on my radar until last week when the Lucas Wallin trainee uncorked a 26 4/5 final quarter in the Del Miller to finish second. There is more to prove, but clearly if they mix it up she can pick up some pieces.

8) Starita – Came up with back to back wins including in the Reynolds but laid a bit of an egg in the Del Miller after setting pedestrian fractions. Maybe she just needs to be following horses.

9) Asiago – Raced reasonably well in the Reynolds finishing a couple of lengths off #s 1 and 6 on the list. Her next start resulted in a break in the Del Miller, but she’s usually pretty sure-gaited.

10) Princess Deo – This is another filly coming off a break that raced well in her start two back. The Nifty Norman charge will need a nice effort in the Geers on Saturday to earn a spot on the gate for the Oaks.