Meadowlands: Zeron brings a pair with big upside to Hambletonian Day

Two years ago, when trainer Rick Zeron showed up in East Rutherford at this time of year, it was to make history with the brilliant Atlanta and capture the Hambletonian. Zeron campaigns most of the time in Ontario but now has 18 horses stabled at Mark Ford's training center in New York, and that has allowed him to campaign in the Tri-State area with a host of potential star talent.

Primary to Saturday's Hambletonian Day, Zeron emerged with a pair of contenders for big-money events, with Solsbury Hill, a Muscle Hill-sired filly hoping for an upset in the $600,000 Hambletonian Oaks, and the surprising Plumville Prince, who emerged from last Saturday's lone Peter Haughton trial with a victory and prime placement in Saturday's lucrative final.

Rick Zeron was at Woodbine Mohawk Park last Friday night when his son Scott guided Plumville Prince to a victory that in early stretch had all the appearances of a potential disaster. Scott had chosen an inside path with the Father Patrick-sired colt and for a moment he seemed in danger of a collision when Caruso, driven by David Miller on the lead, started drifting into his path. Was the elder Zeron concerned?

"I'm never worried when Scott is driving," said Zeron, most confidently. "Scottie said that when he started to go, Andy's horse (Venerate) was drifting out and there was plenty of room, but then David's horse started drifting too." Needless to say the younger Zeron and the very professional Plumville Prince managed to keep their composure and navigate a small hole into a 1:54 2/5 maiden-breaking triumph.

Plumville Prince entered the Haughton trial following just two races, but the progression gave both Zerons enormous confidence. "In his first start he got a little sideways behind the gate and wouldn't settle," said the elder Zeron, explaining the break in stride in his July 14 debut at Pocono. Six days later, Plumville Prince returned to make his Pennsylvania Sire Stakes debut and finished well back of record-setting Captain Corey in second, but was powerful in his own regard trotting his mile in 1:55.

While many of the 2-year-olds entered last Friday in the major stakes eliminations were acting their age, Plumville Prince was extremely professional from the start. "Scott wanted him to get away close (only the top 7 finishers qualified) and so he put him in a good spot early," said Rick Zeron. Once again the slow fractions didn't seem to stymie Plumville Prince, who appeared full of himself and just waiting for his driver's cue. The win assured the colt prime placement in the final after starting from post eight in Friday's elimination.

Perhaps an elimination win was long overdue for owner and breeder Thomas Brice, who has remained loyal to this maternal family and has been this route before. In 2008, Dover Miss, the first foal of Miss Athens and half-sister to the dam of Plumville Prince, won her Merrie Annabelle (now Jim Doherty) elimination only to finish second in the final. In 2012, Major Athens, who would go on to be the richest foal from the dam, captured his elimination of the Peter Haughton at The Meadowlands but then came back with a sixth-place finish in the final.

Rick Zeron appreciates the patience Thomas Brice and his wife Priscilla have had and hopes he can help them realize the champion they have been seeking for all these years.

"They're great people," said Zeron of the Brices. "I met them a few years ago and they're in the furniture business in Plumville (Pennsylvania). They spend their winters in Florida near Sunshine Meadows where we train, so they get to see the horses all the time."

Zeron knows what it means to a breeder to reach this point. "This is what you do it for," said Zeorn. "You try to find the right mare and the right sire and put them together to get a horse like this to be in major stakes. This is what it's all about."

Charles Receski is co-owner and breeder of Plumville Prince.

Solsbury Hill finished third behind Hypnotic AM in a prep race for Saturday's Hambletonian Oaks and drew post nine in the field of 12, yet that's far from a reason to count her out.

"She's like Atlanta in some respects," said Zeron. "By that I mean she is best when we give her some time between starts." Solsbury Hill had a month between starts before surprising Hambo-finalist Sister Sledge in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Harrah's Philadelphia on July 15. The 1:52 4/5 victory was a career best and certainly gave his connections the confidence to take the next step.

Zeron said that Solsbury Hill was a bit of a handful as a 2-year-old but has matured and is easier to control. The filly did make a break in stride in her first sophomore start. "That was driver error," said Zeron. "I let her go too quickly and she went to pacing."

While seeming somewhat overmatched in last Saturday's prep race, the Oaks final, with a dozen horses, may set up as more of a driver's race and a horse with the manners and speed of Solsbury Hill could shine.

Rick Zeron is not someone to shy away from the big stage and there is none bigger than this Saturday’s Hambletonian Day at The Meadowlands. His talent may have been doubted by some in the late days of 2018, but it is clear with the caliber of horse he's bringing to East Rutherford that he knows how to prepare a charge and bring the best out of them when it matters.

Of course, like most trainers, Zeron wants to be a perfectionist, yet is quick to admit if he's made a mistake. "I've got a really nice filly named Eliza B that I should have entered in the Doherty," Zeron said last Saturday. "I had to make a decision whether to race her in the Sire Stakes (Batavia August 2) and I went there."

Eliza B raced impressively at Batavia, cutting the mile and finishing second behind potential standout Destined To Dance in a 1:59 1/5 clocking over the half-mile oval. Of course in hindsight, with many of the Doherty juveniles making breaks, Eliza B, a Chapter Seven-sired filly, could have qualified for the final.

Confidence is a major part of trotting success and Rick Zeron is quite confident in his horses and extremely confident in his son's ability to navigate the best path to success on the racetrack.