Harrington: Strong field lined up for Monday's Quillen Memorial
Some of racing’s top aged pacers will battle in the 13th Annual $150,000 Bobby Quillen Memorial on Monday, September 16 at Harrington Raceway.
The race is named in honor of long time Delaware legislator Bobby Quillen, who passed away in 2006. Quillen was a regular at the racetrack who enjoyed coming to the races and was a board member of Harrington Raceway.
The Quillen is carded as the 8th race on a 14-race program.
The field is an accomplished bunch that includes Canadian Pacing Derby champ Courtly Choice (7/1, James Macdonald). Owned by Hutt Racing Stable, Mac and Heim Stables and Touchstone Farms, the 4-year-old Art Major stallion is still revered for his impressive Little Brown Jug and Meadowlands Pace wins as a sophomore and has elevated his game nicely as a 4-year-old.
Joe P Racing and Oldford Racing’s None Bettor A (3/1, Jason Bartlett) has plenty of half-mile experience and his $317,470 in seasonal earnings is second only to Courtly Choice in the field. He recently won the $100,000 Great Northeast Open Series final at Pocono Downs on September 9.
Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and J&T Silva’s Backstreet Shadow (6/1, Tim Tetrick) hails from a barn that has won the most Quillen finals for trainer Ron Burke. Burke has had unparalleled success in the track’s signature event, winning the Quillen on six previous occasions.
Last year’s Quillen runner up, Northfork Racing and Chuck Pompey’s Scott Rocks (12/1, Eric Goodell), is back as the elder statesman in the field at age 9 and one of two million-dollar earners in the field.
Local standout Slick Tony (12/1, Russell Foster) is fresh off two straight wins over the track and has racked up 28 wins in 62 lifetime starts. He is the only horse in the field who has a win over the track for owner/trainer George Leager.
Completing the field are Laurie Poulin and Mike Deters’ Prairie Panther (6/1, Tyler Buter), Harold Bauder’s Sectionline Bigry (5/2, Tyler Smith), and Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz and American History Racing’s American History (9/2, Joe Bongiorno). The aforementioned American History has recently regained top form after a stellar sophomore season in which he banked $539,682 for trainer Tony Alagna. Sectionline Bigry may be dubbed the field’s “mystery horse.” The 4-year-old Pet Rock gelding has been the scourge of Open level events in Ohio and won an Ohio Sire Stakes event in a lifetime best of 1:49 2/5, but is relatively untested versus Monday’s competition.
Racing fans will also have access to the richest Standardbred in harness racing history, Foiled Again, who will have a special “meet and greet” located in the parking lot west of the grandstand area at approximately 4:30 p.m. It is only fitting that the only three-time winner of the Quillen Memorial be present the night of the race.
Also on the wagering card will be three $20,000 first leg divisions for 2-year-old pacers of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund. Two divisions with 15 combined male pacers will be contested in the 7th and 9th races, while one five-horse filly division is on the card as the 13th, with one non-wagering event at 4:10 p.m. As is often the case with 2-year-olds, the fields feature many first-time starters as only three horses have notched wins already in their career. Two Les Givens trainees, American Nitro (Victor Kirby) and Bag Of Jewels (Kirby) and Virginia Louthan-trained Spin Sumthin (Foster) are the only freshmen with wins thus far among the lightly raced group.
Post time is 4:30 p.m.
-edited release (Matt Sparacino for Harrington)