Meadowlands: Promising Bax duo visit U.S. for Hambletonian, Oaks

There's a substantial Canadian presence to this year's Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks and perhaps no stable is better equipped to handle the competition than that of trainer Matt Bax, who will arrive on Friday with a potent pair hoping to qualify for both 3-year-old classics.

Righteous Resolve was one of the top 2-year-old trotting fillies in North America when she captured eight of 10 races for the Bax team in 2022. Southwind Coors was erratic at best, winning just one time in 11 tries as a freshman, but has put it all together this year and arrives for the first of two $100,000 Hambletonian eliminations in peak condition.

"She came out of the race in Ottawa [Rideau Carleton] feeling great, and I'm very happy with her," said Bax of Righteous Resolve, who crossed the line first in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold event on July 16 but was set back to second.

"We're appealing that decision," said Bax, who revealed that the judges set back his filly to second though she won the race because they deemed while she was on the lead she veered into the passing lane.

It was just the second race of the year for Righteous Resolve, and that's not exactly the way the stable had planned things, but the result of other issues.

"We had a lot of sickness in the barn and since she wasn't 100 percent we weren't going to race her [in the June 13 Ontario Gold]," said Bax.

Despite missing six weeks, Righteous Resolve was an easy winner in her sophomore debut on July 6, coming from well off- the-pace to win at Woodbine Mohawk Park in a 1:53 mile. James MacDonald has gotten acquainted with the filly that was driven in all her pari-mutuel starts by Paul MacDonell as a freshman.

"James gets along with her well," said Bax. "He gets along with most horses well."

Righteous Resolve landed post eight in the $40,000 second eight-horse Hambletonian Oaks elimination (race eight). The homebred daughter of Resolve has the versatility to leave the gate or come from off-the-pace, and Bax feels confident coming in that she'll thrive over the Meadowlands surface.

"It's a more forgiving track than Woodbine Mohawk," said Bax, who seemed relieved that one horse will be absent from the festivities. "With Special Way out I think she [Righteous Resolve] is as good as anyone in there."

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It was Special Way that defeated Righteous Resolve in last year's Breeders Crown, one of only two losses in her freshman season.

Though Ake Svanstedt's Special Way is sidelined with a bone infection, he has a rather good back-up in Bond (post one), who is likely to give Righteous Resolve a real test. A winner in 10 of her 13 career starts, Bond was roughed up in the Del Miller Memorial and finished third in that July 15 contest at the Meadowlands. She'll look to regain winning form on Saturday.

The first $40,000 elimination for the Oaks (race seven) also offers a field of eight, with Railee Something tabbed as the morning-line favorite going for her third straight win. She'll leave from post five for the team of driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke.

Last year's Jim Doherty Memorial winner Instagram Model (post three) enters the first Oaks split in top form. The Chapter Seven-sired miss has won but once this year but finally draws well in a major contest.

For Bax, the exciting evening will begin in the sixth race when he sends Southwind Coors to the track for the first Hambletonian elimination.

"He was a little nervous last year," said Bax, commenting on Southwind Coors, a horse that showed plenty of talent but couldn't put it together in 2022. "He's got plenty of high speed."

The transformation from 2 to 3 has been breathtaking, as the Walner-sired gelding, just a $65,000 yearling purchase, has captured three of his six starts this year, including a game first-over victory in the Goodtimes on June 17 at Woodbine Mohawk Park in a career-best 1:52 clocking.

Idle for 23 days, Southwind Coors returned to Woodbine Mohawk on July 10 with a solid 1:52 4/5 victory in preparation for the Hambletonian.

"The time off was by design," said Bax. "We didn't want to have too many starts over that track and wanted him to be peaking for this race."

Southwind Coors also landed post eight in a field that includes Stanley Dancer Memorial winner Oh Well (post two), as well as Goodtimes runner-up and last year's Breeders Crown champion Gaines Hanover (post nine).

The second $100,000 elimination for the Hambletonian, race nine on the program, could be the stronger of the two with Yonkers Trot winner Up Your Deo looking to qualify in order to capture the second jewel of the Triple Crown. A son of Walner, Up Your Deo drew post three in the field of 10 for driver-trainer Ake Svanstedt.

The sport's leading trainer Ron Burke will send out Celebrity Bambino (post five), a son of Muscle Hill that last raced in the Stanley Dancer on July 15, a fourth-place finish while racing from well off-the-pace into a solid final half. A 1:51 3/5 winner this year, Celebrity Bambino will be driven by Yannick Gingras.

Air Power looked to be a Hambletonian favorite just a few weeks ago but a break in stride in the Stanley Dancer put some question marks on that assessment. Still, the Muscle Hill-sired colt has shown sub-26 second final-quarter speed and remains a serious contender in this division from post six.

Trainer Domenico Cecere hopes to bring Lindy Farms back into the Hambletonian winner's circle again with Winner's Bet, a Walner-sired colt that has won both of his sophomore starts in stakes action, including a 1:51 personal-best in the Stanley Dancer. Winner's Bet must overcome post 10.

The top five finishers in each of the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks eliminations will comprise the fields of 10 for the August 5 finals, worth $1,000,000 and $500,000, respectively.

Post time for the Saturday Meadowlands card, which also includes four divisions of the Tompkins-Geers and a solo Miss Versatility leg, is 6:20 P.M. (EDT).