Meadowlands: Sam McKee favorite McWicked keeps getting better with age

Hall of Fame driver Brian Sears knows he is going to have to work to earn his 5 percent on Saturday.

McWicked has been tabbed as the 2-1 morning line favorite going into the $260,100 Sam McKee Memorial for Free for All pacers at a mile and an eighth but faces an obstacle to overcome, having drawn post 12, placing him in the second tier behind the starting gate at The Meadowlands.

“We’ll make the best of it,” said Sears, a former Meadowlands driving champion. “We’ll see if we can stay close enough to make something happen.”

[DRF HARNESS LIVE: Watch the Hambletonian Day card LIVE with real-time analysis + Get Free Harness Eye PPs + 5% Rebate on exotic wagers.]

McWicked is no stranger to adversity.

The horse earned a Dan Patch Award as a 3-year-old in 2014 but was winless in a combined 14 races over the next two years due to breathing issues. He underwent multiple throat surgeries and came back to competition in 2017, where he compiled seven wins in 27 starts. This year, McWicked has been proving that age is just a number, with six wins in eight starts as a 7-year-old, earning $556,831 on the year.

“It just seems like he’s getting better and better the older he gets,” said trainer Casie Coleman. “It’s crazy to think that at 7-years-old he’s getting better, but it seems like it.”

McWicked has won four of his last five starts, the most notable being the William Haughton Memorial at the Meadowlands on July 14 with a time of 2:02 2/5 for the mile-and-an-eighth distance. The son of McArdle started from post five and was in sixth place tracking cover at the half-mile mark. After launching a wide move, he stormed down the stretch and won by a half-length as the 4-5 favorite.

McWicked looks to become the first pacer to ever win a Dan Patch Award at age 2 or 3 and capture another trophy beyond the age of 5, but faces some stiff competition from an impressive field.

Last year’s champion, Check Six looks to defend his title. He’s listed at 30-1 on the morning line and drew post 10. The Ron Burke-trained charge is looking to repeat in the McKee at a big price. Last year, he scored in the event at odds of 36-1.

McWicked will also face 4-1 second choice Miso Fast, who leaves from post position eight with Tim Tetrick driving. A week ago, the Virgil Morgan Jr. trainee missed a length in Western Joe’s 1:47 3/5 victory in the Preferred Pace at the Big M.

For McWicked, drawing post 12 doesn’t help, but Coleman remains optimistic. “I texted Sears last night and said ‘well that’s your job. You’ve got to earn your 5 percent this time and map out a journey from there’. The horse is great. He’s sharp, sound, healthy. I couldn’t be any happier. But we’ve got to hope and pray some kind of trip works out from that post. He’s as good or better than he was when he was 3.”

The Sam McKee Memorial, which has an approximate post time of 4:10 p.m., honors the memory of the Big M’s Harness Racing Hall of Fame announcer and broadcaster, who passed away last year.

This year’s race will be shown on the CBS Sports Network’s (CBSSN) live 90-minute Hambletonian Day broadcast that begins at 4 p.m. EST. Post time for the 16-race card is noon.