Freehold, NJ—For the third time in the last four weeks John Calabrese has won the American Harness Drivers Club trot at Freehold Raceway. On Saturday, Dec. 5 he guided aptly named Slated To Win to a gate to wire 2:01.3 triumph over a sloppy race course. And each of Calabrese's recent harness racing driving victories was with a different trotter.
Sent off as the betting favorite from the five-hole Calabrese gunned his charge immediately to the lead and they had two lengths on the field when the quarter mile timer flashed :29.1. Matt Zuccarello, who had the pole position with Splashed, was content to let Calabrese cut the fractions and once alone on the front-end Calabrese let his trotter ramble and they passed the half-way point in :59.
At the third stanza in 1:29.3 it was apparent that Slated To Win was going to be living up to his name and the 4-year-old Uncle Peter gelding drew-off to an oh-so-easy 3-1/2-length triumph. With a strong late rally, Allindotime, in rein to Joe Lee, came from far back to finish second; a nose ahead of Zuccarello and Splashed.
It was Calabrese's sixth seasonal triumph and the 74th of his amateur driving career.
And for Slated To Win, a grandson of Cantab Hall it was his 4th seasonal triumph and he returned a $5.40 win mutuel. He's owned by George Beck and trained by Terry Morgan. .
by John Manzi for the AHDC