Meadowlands: Ford with nine lives this weekend
Mark Ford put on his training hat this week. The head of the SOA of New Jersey who also runs a successful training center in New York answered the call and entered nine horses to help The Meadowlands fill its Friday and Saturday programs this weekend. Ford is clearly in this business for the long run and understands at times sacrifices must be made.
“They’re not racing on Sunday this week at Yonkers,” Ford said. “I could have given a few of these a week off but I decided to race them at The Meadowlands instead.”
The French-bred and 2018 imported Undici is the first of five trotters on Friday night from the Ford stable in action in East Rutherford. The 10-year-old gelding landed post four in a short six-horse collection carded as race two.
“Actually I was kind of lucky with him. He’s made two breaks in a row and would have had to qualify in order to race back at Yonkers. I’m hoping we can get a flat start out of him,” Ford said. “He was just OK when I got him and we were fortunate to race against the others that came from France. He’s in pretty tough on Friday.”
Dynamic Edge, who drew post two in Friday’s fourth race, is your typical Ford-trained horse. “He’s just a nice horse,” said Ford, who knows his horse is stepping up considerably in class after a victory last Sunday in an added distance race at Yonkers.
Dynamic Edge makes his 42nd start of 2018 on Saturday night and that blends in with Ford’s philosophy for a racing horse these days, especially those he owns. “I’m not going to spend the kind of money people are spending pre-racing these horses,” said Ford. “Some have taken horses from me and done well for four or five starts but after that it’s different.”
Ford takes a more long-term approach. “With all of the vet bills, the annual cost to some owners is nearly $100,000. I have to do things differently and more economically,” Ford said.
The brothers Cinnabar Hall (race 6 on Friday) and Con Air Hall (race 3 on Saturday) are a pair that likely fit better at Yonkers but will give the mile track a try this weekend.
Moose Madness makes his 44th start of the year in Friday’s seventh race and drew post four. A regular at added distance races at Yonkers on Sundays, Moose Madness has forged a good living with but three wins in 2018 and $54,275 banked.
Cressurrey, Ford’s entrant in Friday’s ninth race, was expected to have a big year as a high-priced purchase at the beginning of this year. “I bought him off of Jeff Gillis,” Ford said. “He’s a nice horse and I’m going to give him some time to develop.”
Ford sends out three pacers on Saturday night in addition to the aforementioned Con Air Hall. Dull Roar, an 8-year-old son of Mach Three, has had a solid year finishing on the board in 20 of his 44 starts heading into Saturday’s action. “With the right kind of trip he can do well,” said Ford of Dull Roar, who admittedly is in a little deeper this time around than the last time he raced at The Meadowlands in early November.
Awesomeness is approaching $300,000 in career earnings and Ford is most definitely thinking this is a long-term project after his past conditioners shot for the stars and came back disappointed. “He’s a tough horse,” said Ford. “He can be a problem to steer at times.” Awesomeness has seemed at home on the big track and Ford doesn’t expect him to race at Yonkers, more likely get him ready for Pocono in the Spring.
Mariner Seelster (post 7) closes out Ford’s weekend collection and may have the best chance of the lot. The Ontario-bred is approaching $500,000 in career earnings and lands in a non-winners of $12,000 class, a notch below his comfort level.
Putting on his SOA of NJ hat, Ford was happy to have completed negotiations that give horsemen a share of sports wagering proceeds and hopes legislation clears soon to support additional purses.