Northfield: Marion Marauder heads Cleveland Classic field
2016 Trotting Triple Crown winner Marion Marauder has been installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite in the $175,000 Cleveland Trotting Classic on Saturday night (June 30) at Northfield Park.
Co-owned by Ontario residents Marion Wellwood and Devin Keeling, and trained by Ontario-based Paula Wellwood, Marion Marauder will start from post position 2 in the accomplished field of eight veteran trotters. Ohio native Jordan Stratton will travel home from his current base of New York state to drive the winner of over $2.6-million. A 5-year-old son of Muscle Hill, Marion Marauder rose to prominence during his 3-year-old campaign in 2016 by sweeping trotting’s Triple Crown – the $1,000,000 Hambletonian at The Meadowlands (NJ), the $500,000 Yonkers Trot at Yonkers Raceway (NY) and the $431,000 Kentucky Futurity at The Red Mile. Marion Marauder is the only Hambletonian champion to race at Northfield Park in the past quarter century.
Main competition in Saturday’s feature event may come from 2017 Cleveland Trotting Classic champion Crazy Wow. The Ron Burke trainee, a $2.2-million career earner, tied the all-age Northfield trotting track record of 1:52 3/5 while winning last year’s event. Millionaire Homicide Hunter, and multiple stakes winners In Secret and Will Take Charge, will also see heavy support at the betting windows.
The Cleveland Trotting Classic is the featured event on a 16-race card Saturday night with a first race post time of 6:00 PM (Eastern). It will be race 11, with an approximate post time of 9:55 PM. Top events on the undercard will be four $25,000 Finals of the Spring Late Closing Series. A $7,500 Guaranteed Pick 4 pool beginning in race 8, and ending with the Cleveland Trotting Classic, tops the wagering menu.
$175,000 Cleveland Trotting Classic – Race 11
| POST | HORSE | DRIVER | ODDS |
| 1 | IN SECRET | R. WRENN, JR | 7-2 |
| 2 | MARION MARAUDER | J. STRATTON | 2-1 |
| 3 | ANOTHER BREATH | TBA | 15-1 |
| 4 | I KNOW MY CHIP | G. GRISMORE | 12-1 |
| 5 | DIA MONDE | M. WILDER | 20-1 |
| 6 | CRAZY WOW | C. PAGE | 8-1 |
| 7 | HOMICIDE HUNTER | A. MERRIMAN | 4-1 |
| 8 | WILL TAKE CHARGE | J. MORRILL, JR | 6-1 |
-edited release (Northfield)