Meadowlands: Ramona Hill to face the boys in the Hambletonian eliminations

With entries due for the 2020 Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks eliminations by Tuesday morning (July 28), it is decision time for the elite 3-year-old trotting fillies in the division.

Ramona Hill, a convincing winner in the Del Miller versus her peers on July 18 at The Meadowlands, will indeed try her luck versus boys in the $1.2 million Hambletonian.

"We are so excited as her breeder and co-owner," said Michelle Crawford via text on Monday. "Brad (Grant) owns the majority. We deferred heavily to Tony (Alagna, trainer) and Brad, of course, but we are all about going for it."

Crawford and Grant will hope that lightning strikes twice for them, as they won the 2018 Hambletonian (with co-owners Howard Taylor and Rick Zeron) when the filly Atlanta best her male counterparts. The pair share ownership in Ramona Hill with Robert Leblanc and In The Gym Partners,

Ramona Hill, 2019 Dan Patch winner as the top 2-year-old filly trotter, was third in her first start of 2020 on July 11 but followed that up with a powerful 1:50 3/5 win in the Del Miller, besting fellow filly standouts Panem, Hypnotic Am and Sorella.

A topic of conversation over the last few weeks, fans of the sport have been wondering about which fillies may choose the Hambletonian over the Oaks. Trainer Nancy Takter said via text that her pair - Panem and Sorella - are planing to stick with the Oaks, though she added that sometimes plans change. Trainer Marcus Melander confirmed Monday evening that Courant Inc.'s Hypnotic Am would go in the Oaks.

"It was a very close decision," said Melander, who will send out four colts in the Hambletonian. "In the end, we thought it was a better decision to go with the fillies."

Eliminations for the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks will take place on August 1 at The Meadowlands. The top finishers from the eliminations will return in the finals on August 8.