Vernon: Greenshoe looks to get back on the right foot in Zweig Memorial

Greenshoe looks to regain his winning form as one of four colts from the Marcus Melander stable entered in Saturday’s $330,000 Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial at Vernon Downs. The heat winner in this year’s Hambletonian and runner-up in the final drew post six in the field of nine on Saturday.

For Melander, the Hambletonian is now in the rearview mirror and thus he’s expecting a solid performance from Greenshoe in the Zweig. “I’ve been very happy with him,” Melander said. “He’s trained back a few times and is sound and ready.”

Though beaten just a neck in the final of the Hambletonian by Forbidden Trade, Greenshoe’s loss as the 3-10 public choice was a major topic after the August 3 contest had ended.

“All of the horses had to deal with the same conditions,” Melander said, not wishing to put his horse on a pedestal for some difficulties experienced prior to and within the Hamboletonian final. “Maybe if there was more time between the heats he would have been calmer.”

Daytime racing and heats will be off the table in the Zweig that will be contested in just one dash and more than likely with a lot less buzz in the building. “Overall he raced very well,” said Melander. “He won the first heat in 1:50 2/5 and still went a good race in the final.”

Greenshoe enters the Zweig with five wins and two seconds in seven starts this year and must now focus on the second half of the stakes season to make his mark on the division. Joining him in the Zweig will be another of Melander’s Hambletonian elimination heat winners in Green Manalishi S (post 2). “I was very happy with his races in the Hambletonian,” said Melander. “He had to race hard in both elimination and final.”

Green Manalishi S took a lifetime mark of 1:50 3/5 winning his Hambletonian elimination and then made two strong moves in the final before fading to fifth. “He’s just a big horse and it has taken time with him,” said Melander. “Originally we were going to send him to Sweden for some races but that plan has changed and we’re going to keep him here.”

While Melander does have another pair in the Zweig in Gerry (post 9) and Hatikvah (post 4), he conceded that the outside post will likely compromise Gerry and that he was hoping that a consolation would be necessary when Hatikvah was entered for the race.

The Zweig is by no means a two-horse race as a few other Hambletonian veterans will look to gain footing, most notably Don’t Let’Em, who drew post three for trainer Nancy Johansson. The 1:50 2/5 victor in the Reynolds at The Meadowlands was a solid second behind Greenshoe in his Hambletonian elimination heat but made a break in the final. Yannick Gingras will drive Don’t Let’em.

Marseille is the only horse in the field with a victory over Greenshoe this year and trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt hopes that lightning can strike twice in the Zweig. Marseille captured the Beal Memorial on June 29 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono going wire-to-wire after a soft opening half. The son of Muscle Hill drew post five looking for his fourth victory in 2019.

Cantab Fashion has yet to win in 2019 but trainer Jim Campbell’s stable has been hitting its stride in recent weeks and the son of Cantab Hall showed some of the speed that made him one of 2018’s fastest juveniles while finishing fifth in his Hambletonian elimination. Cantab Fashion landed the pole position for the Zweig.

Melander hopes that Miss Trixton (post 2) can get a decent piece of the pie in the $135,000 Zweig Memorial for sophomore trotting fillies, race eight on the card.

“She raced well from a bad post in the Oaks,” Melander said of Miss Trixton. “There are some pretty good fillies in there like The Ice Dutchess and Evident Beauty.”

Melander suggested that after the Zweig Greenshoe may find himself in Lexington racing in Kentucky Sire Stakes action while Green Manalishi S could be heading north of the border for stakes races at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Jim Doherty Memorial winner Hypnotic AM will return to stakes action on August 22 in the New York Sire Stakes at Yonkers according to Melander.