Meadowlands: Harris bringing newcomers, veterans to weekend wars

Trainer Andrew Harris is expecting big things from a few recent arrivals that will see action this weekend (Dec. 2-3) at the Meadowlands. Harris has a fine mix of veteran racing performers that recently got a boost with a few potential stars from Down Under joining the ranks.

Harris's weekend will commence at the Meadowlands on Friday night where, unfortunately for him, a pair of pacing mares were put into the same race.

"I really didn't want them to race against each other. They have different ownership," Harris said of Cousin Mary and Sunday Afternoon, his pair in Friday's $12,500 multi-conditional event carded as race four.

"I've had Cousin Mary off and on for six years," said Harris of the 9-year-old daughter of Camluck. "She's just a nice hard-hitting mare. We made $200,000 with her as a 4-year-old."

While those days may be in the rearview mirror, Cousin Mary (post four) has been more than durable and will be making her 198th start of a career that has seen her visit the winner's circle 42 times.

Of Sunday Afternoon (post eight), Harris has had her racing at Harrah's Philadelphia and Bally's Dover this fall before moving her to the Meadowlands for a November 26 engagement against better company. "She runs in on the turns, so she needs a big track," said Harris. "If we can't get her raced separately here, I'll have to send her up to Woodbine [Mohawk Park]."

Harris will send out a pair of six-figure purchases in race three on Saturday night, a conditioned event for non-winners of $10,500 in last five starts. The Ideal Dancer A (post six) and Arden Messi N (post seven) both qualified on November 26 for Harris in advance of their North American debut.

"Enviro Stable has come into my barn for the first time with Arden Messi N," said Harris, who said that the veteran son of Bettor's Delight had been campaigned in Australia by Enviro before arriving in the States. "He qualified solidly with the earplugs in."

Arden Messi N paced home in 27 flat for a 1:53 3/5 victory.

The Ideal Dancer A wasn't far behind his stablemate, finishing second in the same qualifier while coming from eighth at the half to do so. "I'm really high on this horse," said Harris bluntly.

While both will be making their first starts on North American soil on Saturday night at the Meadowlands, Harris is hoping to see them in action at Yonkers, perhaps sometime next spring. "I think they could both be Levy [Borgata Series] horses," said Harris.

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Shadow Phantasy N makes his Meadowlands debut for Harris in race four, a TrackMaster rating of 74 conditioned event with an $8,000 purse.

"He actually qualified for me the other day and was pretty good," said Harris of Shadow Phantasy N, who added Lasix in his November 26 qualifier at the Meadowlands and was timed in 1:55 3/5 after cutting the pace. "He got sore racing on some hard tracks up in Canada, but he's been good since he got here, and I'm looking forward to racing him."

The 5-year-old Jay Bracken A was most impressive in his November 26 Meadowlands qualifier, sprinting home in 26 2/5 to win in a field that included this year's Borgata champion Funatthebeach N.

"He's a horse that could race in this class and do well," said Harris of the 5-year-old son of He's Watching that has but $38,508 in career earnings and debuts in a $17,500 event for winners of two but not more than four races and a higher earnings ceiling (race six). "Right now, I like the horse and I don't know where his ceiling is."

Reagan Blue Chip returns from Yonkers for Harris in the TrackMaster rating 86 condition carded as race seven at the Meadowlands on Saturday.

"I needed to get him back to the big track," said Harris. "He's had too many outside draws at Yonkers." Reagan Blue Chip once again drew outside with post eight on Saturday but may be dropping in class just a bit.

Major Fernco N had missed over a month before returning to action this past Saturday (November 26), and the 6-year-old by Art Major may be ready for big things.

"I think he's one of the best horses in my barn," Harris said of Major Fernco N, already a 1:50 3/5 winner at Harrah's Philadelphia this year. Major Fernco N drew post eight but returns to the non-winners of $14,000 level (race eight) where he was victorious at the Meadowlands in September.

Harris currently has a stable of around 35 horses predominantly of the overnight variety, but he's added three yearlings that have all been broken and begun their lessons to hopefully race at a high level in 2023. "That was all William Pollack," said Harris when questioned about the three yearlings he purchased this fall for a total of $1 million. "There's one pacer and two trotters, and they are all good right now. Let's hope they are next July."