Meadowlands: Shartin returns to the track in Dorothy Haughton Memorial

Shartin N, the 2019 Horse of the Year, returns to action Saturday (July 18) in the $172,850 Dorothy Haughton Memorial for older female pacers at The Meadowlands Racetrack after missing a start because of a minor foot issue. The 7-year-old mare, unbeaten in two outings this season, was scratched from a conditioned race July 5 at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Prior to the brief setback, Shartin N won an invitational for fillies and mares at Dover Downs on March 4 and an open handicap for fillies and mares at Yonkers Raceway on June 30. Her victory at Yonkers, where she lost a shoe during the race, came from post eight.

“It's unfortunate she had to be scratched, but it was something that was easily taken care of,” trainer Jim King Jr. said. “She's had a good week. She had a good group to train with — Soho Burning Love, Bettor Joy, Donttellmeagain — and showed her dominance. That was good because those are some pretty good ones.”

Shartin N is owned by Richard Poillucci, Jo Ann Looney-King, and driver Tim Tetrick. She has won 36 of 45 career races and $2.07 million since arriving in the U.S. from New Zealand.

King has been more than pleased with what he's seen from Shartin N in her limited action this year.

“Oh my goodness, I don’t know how she could have done it any better,” King said. “Both times coming from off the pace and doing her job. It is special to have a horse like her. In so many ways, she's just ordinary, another horse. But in so many other ways, she's not.”

Shartin N will start the Dorothy Haughton Memorial (formerly the Golden Girls) from post two and is the 8-5 morning-line favorite. Her training partners/stablemates Soho Burning Love A and Bettor Joy N also are in the race, with the former at 4-1 and the latter at 15-1.

Kissin In The Sand, who has a 1:47 4/5 win from two starts, is the 7-2 second choice and Caviart Ally, last season’s Breeders Crown Mare Pace winner, is 5-1.

The Dorothy Haughton Memorial (race 10) is part of a stakes-laden slate at The Big M.

--Courtesy USTA