Today’s NY County Fair Stake (purse $5.940) for monte/RUS performers at Saratoga drew a full nine horse field and produced an impressive 2:02h harness racing victory for In Nomine Patri (8g Credit Winner-Blue Skies Hanover-Donerail) with Ashley Eldred aboard.
The Joe “Irish” Hanney trainee is owned by American Dream Racing and Liisa Vatanen of New Jersey.
The winner rallied from an eight length deficit at the three-quarter station to surge past leading The Franchise, that made a miscue at top stretch, and then held off second finishing A Lister for the score. A Lister finished well with a final panel of :29.4 for Heather Reese and trainer Jennifer Sansone, he also erasing an almost ten length deficit at the three-quarter mile post. The Franchise recovered to the third for Michelle Crawford with the veteran RUS NY performer Funny Photo reporting home fourth for Sophie Engerran.
It was announced this week that monte trotters will be back in action at the new Meadowlands on November 5th in a non-wagering event. A second race that evening may be conducted depending on number of entries. In order to qualify, a horse must show a clean, charted RUS line within 90 days of the race date with a time requirement of 2:08 or better over a half-mile track, 2:06 or better over a five-eighths oval, 2:04 or better over a seven-eighths-mile or larger oval.
Qualifying races for RUS horses will be offered for those horses intending to race in the Meadowlands event after regular qualifiers starting Oct. 14.
A minimum of three horses will be required for a qualifier to be scheduled.
Trainers intending to start a horse in a RUS event but have not started a horse at the Meadowlands this year are advised they must complete and submit a racing application to the Director and Race Secretary of Standardbred Racing Peter Koch prior to Oct. 21 (or prior to Oct. 14 if planning to qualify on the first day of qualifiers).
Monteamerica.com
Thomas H. Hicks