The Joe Seekman Stable’s Let’s Drink On It, the winner of Balmoral Park’s Invitational two Saturdays ago, has a notable date Saturday night at The Meadowlands. He’ll compete in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Championship for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Let’s Drink On It was a close-up third in his elimination last weekend in New Jersey, finishing only one length behind the 1:50 winner Always B Maki for Seekman, a former Michigan horseman who now resides in Beecher, Illinois.
The 50-year-old conditioner has been racing his horses both on the Chicago circuit and in Indiana.
Let’s Drink On It was timed in 1:50.1, rallying from seventh and last at the half-mile pole with last two quarters of :27.1 and :26.3 for his four-owner partnership that includes Joe’s wife Tina.
Let’s Drink On It was the runner-up in both Maywood’s Windy City Pace and Little Brown Jug Final in Delaware, Ohio.
ICF Star Belongs: Speaking of The Meadowlands, Al’s Hammered, the No. 1 aged Illinois bred pacer, had a strong debut at the New Jersey track, dropping only a head decision in the $30,000 A1 Free For All Pace.
The second place finish put another $7,500 on Al’s Hammered card, his first start since his former Balmoral based owner and trainer Bob Phillips sold the 5-year-old ICF pacer to long-time Illinois horseman Harry Von Knoblauch, formerly of Beecher and now a Pennsylvania resident.
Tim Tetrick raced Al’s Hammered out of the four-hole through fractions of 27.4, 54 flat and 1:21 by the pacesetting State Treasure to ended up seven and last but less than 3 lengths behind the 19-1 winner Asian.
Al’s Hammered, who now races out of the barn of trainer Peter Tritton, went off as the 7-2 second choice behind the 6-5 sixth place finisher Clear Vision.
Left Out to Dry: Through the years I’ve frequently categorized the 8-post at Maywood Park has its “dreaded 8-hole” and for good reason. It always produces a low-percentage of winners and 2014 has been no different with only a 5.7 winning percentage rate on the half-miler.
Who would have thought that its sister track Balmoral Park with its one-mile oval would produce an even lower percentage winning post?
Nevertheless, the 10-slot at the Crete, Illinois big track has been a graveyard for bettors and trainers and owners with horses coming out of that outside post. It’s supplying winning horses this year at a meager 4.6 per cent frequency.
Both tracks are generating a higher than customary percentage of winning favorites. Balmoral is at 43 per cent, a lofty figure for a mile track while Maywood has a high-than-normal winning favorite clip of almost 47 per cent for a half-miler.
Numbers Will Grow: The Balmoral Park horse colony will be getting much needed boost with the racing season over at Hoosier Park in near-by Indiana. Some of their drivers, including Illinois native veteran Sam Widger, are also expected to now compete on the local circuit.
by Mike Paradise, for IHHA
