JAYWALKING. By Jay

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1 Weekend THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019 DRF HARNESS HOME DRF.COM/HARNESS DRF BETS HARNESS PPS DIGITAL HARNESS EYE ENTRIES NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE If it is good enough for the NFL, why not us? 300% DEPOSIT MATCH BONUS JOIN NOW Top Links & What s Inside Get Analysis ICYMI: Surick reinstated from suspension READ MORE Zoccali: Stronger product could inch Meadowlands to heyday, Page 4 Curtain comes down on career of Foiled Again, Page 5 Cullipher expaning his horizons with an East Coast operation, Page 6 On The Backstretch: Profile of driver Joe Bongiorno, Page 7 Handicapper s Corner: Best bets & video analysis, Page 9 Industry Headlines: Miami Driver Challenge, Hanover sets record, Meadowlands Survival Challenge, Page 10 Have something to say? Editor Derick Giwner - DGiwner@drf.com The National Football League has made major changes to improve its product yet Harness Racing remains mostly stagnant JAYWALKING By Jay A year ago at this time there was so much promise a major change at Yonkers Raceway would cause the half-mile track to reshape it s racing product and deliver more racing fans and bettors a reason to pay attention. Sadly, other than gimmicks such as moving post times out of conflict or gaining the attention of new wagering hubs, the experiment appears to have done very little to convince a larger audience that the races are much different. It would be easy to define the reasons, but it is perhaps better to look at efforts in other sports to indicate that subtle and more pronounced change is necessary to garner and maintain attention. There are no better marketers of sport than the NFL and in the recently concluded regular season the league redefined the quarterback position in significant manner. First, it essentially made it illegal to hit the quarterback under most any circumstance. High hits, low hits, forceful hits and almost anything that remotely looked like a football play in 2010, are now cause for yellow flags. Second, the move to restrict hard hits on the quarterback allowed the league to give those on-field generals the freedom to move around with less threat and opened the game up to more exciting plays. The days of the pocket passer have changed back to the days of Fran Tarkenton, where the quarterback can now run and add an exciting dimension to the game. While purists may argue that defenses have now become somewhat defenseless, the league appears to be more interested in a creative product that is not an instant threat to mothers and fathers allowing their young kids to play football. Essentially the league appears to be covering all areas of concern in modifying its product and engaging its audience. Harness racing is relying on gimmicks that will have no long-term ability to change the marketplace and in the process fooling itself if future success and survival is an issue. How can it not be? We can argue that years of purse money supplemented by alternative gambling has done little to help change the sport in a way that attracts a new audience. A simple solution offered by some is to add marketing money and see what it can do. A more complex issue is less expensive but much more difficult to swallow in that it suggests a deeper look at ourselves, or for a better word, self-interest. Harness racing as a whole has been sold out by self-interest in so many ways. Horsemen are no different than most and what s best for each individual often conflicts with what s best for the whole. Looking at Yonkers, the largest benefactor of alternative gaming revenue for purses, we have seen a steady supply of racing dates since the money poured in more than a CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 the 2019 Ohio Sires Stakes schedule & nomination forms are available at Contact OSDF Administrator Kimberly Rinker at kim.rinker@racing.ohio.gov or at for information on the 2019 Ohio Sires Stakes 2018 Daily Racing Form, LLC rd Ave, 12th Floor, NY, NY 10017

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3 CONTINUED from page 1 decade ago. In theory, keeping the number of dates constant allowed all horsemen to share in the purse money more fairly. In reality, the guarantee of money and opportunity has sucked away the need to compete for the prize. It s as if the NFL guaranteed playoff status to all teams whether they won or lost games. When the passing lane was shut down at the dawn of 2018 at Yonkers, the hope was that it would significantly change the way races were run. While the drivers did their part at the outset, a condition sheet did not change. In other words, the rules of winning and losing races remained the same. Eventually when drivers recognized what moves were required to win races, they adapted to the new stretch and races slowly moved back to the older standards. Mike Lizzi Removing the passing lane at Yonkers Raceway was a short-term fix which quickly lost its luster. To me the combination of guaranteed purses and a wide number of racing opportunities has cratered the competitiveness this sport is surely capable of. The loss of mares bred while not reducing racing dates in kind is also damaging to the product because it forces classes to be combined to fill races and that hurts competitiveness. The grim reality of our past decisions explains why we can t have our cake and eat it too. Eventually the product must stand on its own and be supported by either those attending racetracks or those wagering on it from afar. Of immediate concern is falling prey once again to the false front of purse supplements. By themselves they offer money that can be shared by a wider group and keep people gainfully employed. Yet that s where we ve already seen little impact with negative growth. What s that definition for insanity again? It s time for horsemen to recognize what must change as a group. That may mean sacrificing racing days in some locations. That may mean offering added horses in some races with fewer earning checks. That may mean rewarding success at a higher level and offering fewer consolation prizes to those who don t. What this sport has become over years is perhaps what may be considered a poor social experiment in capitalism. As more and more un-earned money was thrust upon us people got more and more comfortable. This led to maintaining the status quo. As we begin the next year in the history of harness racing, we should all take a look at a successful entity as the NFL and recognize that even those at the top need to evolve in order to go forward. The horsemen in this industry are more than capable of producing a better product both visually and to wager upon. Leadership at racetracks and among horsemen s groups must finally align with just one concern, and that is how to create a product more appealing and sustaining. It won t happen accidently. It won t happen if the rules of engagement remain the same. The legalization of sports wagering could create a much wider and younger base of future gamblers. If we expect or even care to change the demographics of those taking interest in harness racing, it s time to meet potential new player demands. DRF Harness Weekend 3 January 3, 2019

4 A stronger product could inch The Meadowlands towards its heydey Lisa Photo With higher quality racing on a regular basis, could The Meadowlands return to $3 million, $4 million and $5 million handles? at the track By Darin Zoccali AtTheTrack7 You should have been around for its heyday, is a phrase I have heard a great many times throughout my 35 years when a life-long harness fan spoke to me about The Meadowlands. Interestingly, I remember quite vividly, some pretty darn good years in the 1990 s and early 2000 s (post-heyday according to most harness racing historians). Every Saturday night, my father and I would wait for the gates to open at the Clubhouse entrance, in anxious anticipation of the call that would cause the phone at the Clubhouse gate to ring, signaling it was time to let the patrons in. The Clubhouse teletheater awaited us and being the youngest person in that room, I would of course fly up the escalators to beat everyone to the ticket counter so my father and I could have our choice of seats. Back then, there were no televisions at each seat, so seats near the wall of televisions were at a premium. Eventually the time would come where the teletheater would be open for daytime simulcasting, making things rather difficult on us nightgoers. We no longer had our choice of a seat, instead having to stand along the wall of the room waiting for one of the daytime simulcast players to get up. Often, we wouldn t get two seats together and would have to negotiate our way to sitting together. The point being, that it was 5:00 and there wasn t a seat to be found for the night of racing to come, over two hours away. Yet, I missed the heyday according to most people. The Meadowlands will always hold a special place in my heart. It is where my father and I spent the most time together. Without The Meadowlands, I am certain my career path would have been entirely different. As the New Jersey legislators bring us closer and closer to the reality of a purse subsidy that would provide The Meadowlands with an additional $6 Million for overnight purses, the 13-year-old in me is once again anxious with anticipation. Furthermore, there is at least another $1 Million from sports betting earmarked for overnight purses as well. Given my previous role at The Meadowlands, I know quite well what $7 Million-plus being injected into overnight purses means. Long story short, it equates to somewhere between 60 and 70-percent more money for overnight races. The team at The Meadowlands is very aware of the fact that their entry box is in high demand from December through early-march and seemingly ignored in the spring and summer, with the exception of stakes races. From a business standpoint, a dramatic increase in the overnight purse structure during the winter makes little sense. That dramatic increase is best served from mid-march through Hambletonian Day, when The Meadowlands needs horses. Assuming the same number of race dates and using 2019 as an example, The Meadowlands could increase their overnight purses through March 2nd by 30%, an approximate cost of $540,000 and still increase their overnight purses from March 8th through Hambletonian Day by 75% at an approximate cost of $4.3 Million, leaving another $1.2 Million for the remaining dates in September and the late-fall. What does that mean? In the spring and summer, the bottom level nw3500l5, which is now at a purse of $6,500 would become $11,375 (if that class would even be needed any longer). The top condition event, which is currently the nw15000l5, goes for $15,000. In the spring and summer, that would become $26,250. At present Yonkers top-condition event, a nw30000l5, sports a purse of $29,000. Translation, The Meadowlands becomes competitive with Yonkers purses. It is a certainty that with this additional money, the horsemen of New Jersey will ask for more racing dates; Likely asking for three-day race weeks throughout the winter at the very least. It s understandable. However, I believe that the horsemen cannot just make that request without a gesture of good faith, if you will. In order to show the management at The Meadowlands that more days can work, and the product will not be watered down, the horsemen of New Jersey should flood the entry box right now. In doing so they can present numbers to Meadowlands management which proves that a third day each week can lead to a successful product. Personally, I am skeptical that adding dates is in the best interest of business right now. We are still at a point where standardbred breeding is not trending in the right direction and it will be years before this purse subsidy leads to there being more horses for the racetracks to draw from in New Jersey. In addition, the language of the purse subsidy bill states that the industry must show that this subsidy has led to improvements in the industry. The racetracks and horsemen of New Jersey cannot afford to simply increase dates, water down their product and negatively impact handle in doing so. A 13-race program on a Saturday night in April with a 75% increase in purses would be a sight to see. Admittedly, my position has long been that simply increasing purses and race quality does not increase handle. However, I believe that is different at The Meadowlands. It is because The Meadowlands is a different animal in harness racing; it always has been. For example, on Saturday March 2, 2002, a 13-race card was presented at The Meadowlands. The bottom level race offered on the program was a nw12500l5 pace for $15,000, the best race was a $35,000 Open. The race card produced a handle of $5.1 Million. Sure, a lot has changed since 2002 and I am not saying that we will see those kinds of numbers again, even with a purse subsidy. But we have seen what top-quality racing at The Meadowlands can do. Today my father and I won t be able to attend the races together anymore. He s not well and it s just not possible. But I still remember those nights of watching $150,000 claimers battle it out. I still remember warriors like Dr No, Allstar Bluejean, Casimir Camotion and Florida Boy being mainstays at the East Rutherford oval week-in and week-out. That wasn t the heyday, but it was a pretty good time, and if implemented properly, this purse subsidy can lead to a pretty good time ahead that I can share with my son, like my father did with me. DRF Harness Weekend 4 January 3, 2019

5 Curtain comes down on the remarkable career of Foiled Again Foiled Again and his connections pose for one final picture in the winner s circle at The Meadows. Chris Gooden Photos By Greg Reinhart It wasn t the storybook ending that everyone had been hoping for, but Foiled Again capped off his illustrious career on Monday night at The Meadows with a fifth-place finish. With Yannick Gingras coming in to drive the gallant 14-year-old son of Dragon Again, Foiled Again left well from the outside post eight and was able to get to the lead passing the 28-second opening quarter. When he backed down the half to just 57 4/5 over the sloppy going, it looked like the rest of the field would be in trouble, but a first-over Knocking Around (David McNeight III) had different ideas. Knocking Around surged past Foiled Again, who tried his darndest to battle back and repel the challenge, passing the 1:25 three-quarters, and Knocking Around would go on to win the race in 1:53 4/5, giving McNeight III the 1,000th win of his driving career. Foiled Again just came out on the short end of a three-way photo for third, finishing officially 3 1/2 lengths behind the winner and timed in 1:54 2/5. An emotional farewell, including the pulling of Foiled Again s shoes, occured in the winner s circle after the race, and his connetions commented on some of their favorite Foiled Again memories. It didn t matter what you did, he just put out every single time like he did tonight, said Gingras. Every time he stepped on the racetrack he gave you 150 percent of what he s got. When asked about his favorite race with Foiled Again, Gingras didn t hesitate, saying the 2013 Breeders Crown Open Pace triumph at Pocono headed the list. The gate opened up, and we were going as fast as we could go the minute the gate opened, an emotional Gingras recalled. They took shots at him, it was a $500,000 race, and the whole race he never got one step of a breather. Down the stretch there were fresh horses coming at him, but he just refused to lose. That s my favorite race ever, not even from him but every race. Foiled Again, who was a private purchase by owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., and JJK Stables LLC. in March 2009, concluded his career with 109 wins, 70 seconds, and 46 thirds from 331 starts, good for earnings of $7,635,588. He was bred by Barbara Matthews, sold for $20,000 at the 2005 Standardbred Horse Sale, and started his career in the barn of trainer Hermann Heitmann. He flashed some talent in the Heitmann barn, most notably winning two legs and finishing second in the final of the 2007 Hopeful Series at Yonkers Raceway, but blossomed as an aged horse after joining the Burke operation. (above) Foiled Again places his head on the gate one final time. (below) Evan Pattak interviews trainer Ron Burke. Everybody else is looking at it different than I do, said trainer Ron Burke. This is a great night for me. Two years ago I said we were going to keep racing this horse, and thank God to him he backed up my mouth and kept going for me. (The farewell tour) has been fun. Everywhere we ve been he s well-received. It s been amazing to me. I thought it would be well-received, but I never thought it d be this wellreceived. I d like to thank everybody for coming out. Sylvia Burke represented the ownership group in their comments, saying, This is just tremendous. All the people and everybody around, everybody talking about him, and seeing him on television has been tremendous. You just can t believe how much that horse has done for everybody. All of us at DRF Harness wish Foiled Again a long and healthy retirement, and thanks for the memories. DRF Harness Weekend 5 January 3, 2019

6 Cullipher expanding his horizons with an East Coast operation By Jay Bergman Hoosier Park s leading trainer Jeff Cullipher has expanded his reach this winter with anticipation of a wider focus in Cullipher has been a regular on weekends at The Meadowlands this fall and expects things to change a bit this year. It was a little late to bring horses to Yonkers, said Cullipher from his Indiana base. I m getting more horses ready and we re pointing to race throughout the northeast. While Cullipher is happy with the progress he and co-owner Thomas Pollack have made racing primarily in Indiana, he has run into a similar problem over the last month at The Meadowlands. Essentially because he has more high-level horses than other stables, quite often he has two horses in the same race. Such is the case again this weekend as on Friday his pair of Stylish Beachwhere (post 2) and Kak s Shark Attack (post 3) are part of the $17,500 eighth race for Nonwinners of $15,000 in last five conditioned company. She s been a little disappointing, said Cullipher in reference to Stylish Beachwhere, who finished seventh to Darlinonthebeach in last week s feature. I think she s the better of the two. Kak s Shark Attack won impressively at the same level two starts back but faded badly last week. Saturday s $21,000 Preferred Handicap is another situation where Cullipher faces an uphill battle with two from his collection. I think Stonedust (post 1) is up a little high in class after racing well in a series earlier this year, said Cullipher. New Talent is an Open horse wherever he races. New Talent, a hard-hitting son of Mach Three, has been a mainstay over the last two seasons for Cullipher as he s carved out a solid niche in Hoosier country. He was an impressive winner from post 10 against weaker foes last week and now gets post six on Saturday for the feature. Joining Cullipher s pair in Saturday s Preferred Handicap is Constntlysidewys (post 10), a winner in three of his last four starts including two 1:49 1/5 efforts. The Tahnee Camilleri-trained import was stymied in his first trip against this company finishing fourth on December 22. Turning horses around has been part of the Cullipher success story and the trainer whose stable is based at White Birch Farm in New Jersey has seen Dubious Claim advance quickly since his first Meadowlands start on December 8. We scoped him after that race (seventh-place finish) and he bled, said Cullipher. We put him on Lasix and that seems to have made a difference. That s quite the understatement as Dubious Claim was just a neck off in a 1:50 mile in his very next start and then last week romped in 1:52 while racing at the bottom conditioned level. On Saturday, Dubious Claim landed post three and will be jumping a couple of classes. With some 50 horses in his stable, The Meadowlands is the first stop for Cullipher s horses in 2019 but it won t be the last. I m getting some Linscott Photo Wisdom Tree was one of Jeff Cullipher s stable stars. She won the Nadia Lobell at Hoosier among other stakes races. horses ready now and I m looking to have horses for the half-mile track at Yonkers, Cullipher said. We re also looking to get set up to race in Pennsylvania over the five-eighths mile tracks when they open in the spring. Cullipher s is an interesting story in that he started as a driver but did not pursue that career for that long. I wasn t very good, Cullipher stated bluntly. I actually got out of the business for a while and worked as a correctional officer. It was one of those things that I just kept following the horses and the results all the time and had to get back in. Cullipher s break so to speak came when owner Thomas Pollack sent him a horse to race in Indiana that was entered in a series. The horse did well enough and according to Cullipher, the owner and trainer had a lot of thoughts in common. The result is now a partnership with the two sharing ownership and always on the lookout for new blood. It s a lot of work hiring people and setting up a new stable in New Jersey, Cullipher said. At the same time it has become obvious to both owner and trainer that racing 12 months a year is more of a necessity now than it ever has been. Right now the stable is more focused on horses that will fit all sized tracks in the northeast, a departure in some ways for Cullipher, who in years past primarily looked for horses that would do over the seven-eighths track at Hoosier Park. With 119 wins just at Hoosier, Cullipher was its leading conditioner in Expect those numbers to rise considerably in % DEPOSIT MATCH BONUS DEPOSIT $50, BET WITH $200 JOIN NOW DRF Harness Weekend 6 January 3, 2019

7 Did you ever want to know more than just the statistics of your favorite trainers and drivers? Derick Giwner took to the backstretch to ask them some more unorthodox questions. Driver joe bongiorno What kind of car do you drive? Favorite dinner meal? Snack? Peking Pavilion, Ice Cream What is your favorite track to race at? Mercedes E350 Anyone would love racing at The Meadowlands. I ve made Yonkers my home track because the horses that we have are best over there, so I love racing at Yonkers. When you leave the track, are the races still on your mind? I used to take it a lot harder when I was younger. Now that I drive so many races and I ve grown up as an individual, any time you leave the track safe at night, there is always another day to race. So I don t take the races too hard. If there is a race where something happens, obviously I won t just forget about it, but I wouldn t say I take races as hard as I used to. What is the longest time you ve sat in traffic trying to get to a track? One night it took me about 4 hours and 15 minutes to go from Chester to Yonkers. I hit ridiculous traffic on the turnpike and then more traffic on the bridge (George Washington). It should take about 2:20, though I ve made it in about two hours. Do you study the past performances before showing up at the track? It depends. When I think I have a big night with a lot of drives, sometimes I start looking forward to it beforehand and I ll take a look at the program to see what my chances are and come up with a little gameplan. Who is your best friend on the backstretch? I m very close with Ronnie Burke and Scott DiDomenico. As far as drivers, I get along with everyone pretty well. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not racing? I m not a big going out or party guy. I don t mind sitting home with my fiancee and my two dogs and watch Netflix. What is your favorite sport? Team? I played baseball, basketball and hockey as a kid. To watch, I really enjoy football the most, but to play I d say baseball. With football I m a Demver Broncos fan. What is one thing about you most fans/bettors don t know? Some drivers just focus on driving horses, but I m big into going to the barn. I like to help Jenn (Bongiorno, sister) out training. Nikki Sherman Joe Bongiorno won the Golden Girls at The Meadowlands with Diva s Image in What is one word that describes harness racing for you? Family. I was actually just on my phone last night and some old videos popped up where drivers and trainers were being interviewed at The Meadowlands. They were asked who their biggest influences were and I would say 75% of them said their father or uncle, or whatever. I just think a lot of this sport is family. Not a lot of families can do things together. I started because my dad was a trainer and it is cool, now I get to be in the barn with my sister and train alongside of her, and obviously my dad has his own barn. He does his own thing, but it is cool to be around family. Do you have a driving style? I would say aggressive, but I think you have to be to be successful. What top drivers do you see that aren t aggressive? But there is a time and place for everything. I race horses the way they need to be raced. I look at their past performance lines and if a horse isn t sharp, I m not going to over-race them early if they haven t been finisning well. I ll race them from behind and hope that will help them. If you weren t a driver, what would you be doing? I ask myself that every day. I really don t know. I didn t go to college. It would be something with horses because I love the animals and love being around them. What is the best advice you ve ever received about harness racing? Mike Lachance told me a long time ago, when you are doing bad and things aren t going your way when you are racing, don t overdrive. Maybe even sit in a little more than you normally would and things will start working out. What was your best moment in harness racing? One of two things. Winning the Valley Victory when I deadheated with Make Or Miss. Also, winning the Golden Girls with a big longshot Diva s Image, which is a horse I had just bought a piece of, so that was definitely an enjoyable win. What is the one race would you d most like to win? I would love to win a Hambletonian some day. I just try to see a CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 DRF Harness Weekend 7 January 3, 2019

8 Downbytheseaside, Huntsville and Fear The Derick Giwner CONTINUED from page 7 little improvement each year. This year I got lucky, we had a couple of nice horses out of Jenn s barn that were my drives, Diva s Image and Evenin Of Pleasure, I got to win the Gerrity with him. We just have to get lucky. I know Jenn s owners bought Shadow Cat out of the Harrisburg sale this year ($130,000), so hopefully he can make a really nice 4-year-old and win one of those stakes races. Which is the best horse you ve ever driven? I got to sit behind Foiled Again. That is something amazing. Not everyone can say that. It wasn t when he was at the height of his career, but I still got to sit behind probably the best horse ever. If you had the power to change one thing in the sport, what would it be? There are a couple of things. All I hear about is how back in the old days everyone got along and once they left the races they would go out and hang out together. There are a few select people who are closer to each other now, but you don t see a lot of people who have each other s back. You wish that everyone was more friendly and hung out more. The other thing is that it feels like cards get longer and longer. I don t know whether keeping us out on the track for a long time at zero or the time between races works. That s not my job to figure out. Obviously they are doing it because they think it works. Did you always want to be a driver? I think I was 13 or 14 and my dad owned a horse with Buzzy Sholty. Buzzy asked if I wanted to go out and jog and right from that moment I knew I wanted to drive horses. I didn t know if it was going to be feasible for me to actually do it or not, but I started training and Buzzy thought I had a natural ability for it. I took my time. I started at the bottom, cleaning stalls, putting horses away and stuff like that. When Buzzy thought I was ready, I would train horses with him and help him shoe horses. I ve been around a lot of things and a lot of people. I went up to Saratoga and worked with (Mark) Beckwith. There are a lot of people I have to thank for how I am now. Your career took off with 399 winners in 2016 but then you cut down your starts by 20% each of the last two years. Why? I was running around like a madman when I was 22 or 23. Three years ago I probably had a thousand more starts but the same amount of money made as today. The reduced schedule wasn t me being lazy, I just decided not to race as much. I was going to Northfield to race on Monday and Tuesday, then I would be back on Wednesday to race at Chester, Thursdays at Yonkers, Friday at Chester and Yonkers. I was racing four or five different tracks a week and getting run down. I m Derick Giwner At just 25 years old, Joe Bongiorno has won 1,530 races in his career and averaged just shy of $4 million in earnings each of the last three years. sure this upcoming year I ll try to race a bit more at Chester and put in a bit more time so I can hopefully increase my earnings for the year by a half-million or a million. That would be cool. What s it like to work side by side with your sister on a daily basis? There are obviously disagreements at times, but at the end of the day she is the boss and gets the final word. It is really cool because my sister and I are really close and to be able to do something that we both love, and be around each other in the barn, it s cool. A lot of brothers and sisters at this age are away from one another and don t get to see each other as often, so it s really cool to be around her all the time. Our barn is really cool. My fiancee works over there now and she jogs horses in the morning. Hopefully she ll be ready to drive an amateur race here and there. She really enjoys it too. How much of driving do you think is the horse and how much is the driver? I think the order that it goes in is horse first, good trainer second and then the driver. Obviously you have to have somebody that knows what they are doing sitting behind your horse, but in the whole package, I think that is the right order. Is your career where you thought it would be at this point? It is beyond where I thought it would be. When I was 17, I couldn t wait to just drive races professionally. After that, when I went from my P to my A license, I just wanted to drive at The Meadowlands. Then I wanted to win a race at The Meadowlands and it went from there. When I won the Valley Victory I was a little spoiled getting a win like that so soon. I appreciated it but it took me a while to get my next major stakes victory. I ve been very fortunate. I have a lot of people behind me, whether it be trainers or owners, who give me opportunities and I m very thankful. Advertise your stallion with THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017 Weekend DRF HARNESS HOME DRF BETS HARNESS PPS DIGITAL HARNESS EYE ENTRIES NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE Featured Tracks Meadowlands (FRI) Mohawk (FRI) Hawthorne (SAT) Meadowlands (SAT) Mohawk (SAT) Scioto (SAT) Get FREE Analysis PPS Sophomores gather for North America Cup Huntsville, Downbytheseaside & Fear The Dragon lead elims By Derick Giwner The fastest and richest 3-year-old pacers of 2017 will all gather at Mohawk Racetrack on Saturday (6/10) night to vie for one of 10 spots on the starting gate in the C$1,000,000 North America Cup Final the following week. Three C$50,000 eliminations led by Multiple placement discounts For more information or to place an ad, contact Derick Giwner at dgiwner@drf.com or Get Analysis Top Links & What s Inside Antonacci excited about his Goodtimes prospects READ MORE Dan Patch Awards heading back to Orlando in 2018 READ MORE Jay Bergman: Final times need perspective, Page 4 Darin Zoccali: Brower & Prewitt appeal to bettors, Page 5 Obrigado makes his 2017 debut in Scioto s $200K Charlie Hill, Page 5 Ducharme trio looks to make noise in Vernon s EBC eliminations, Page 6 Ryan Macedonio: Harness Racing needs FUN!, Page 6 Hambletonian trail heats up + Tioga hosts Graduate, Page 7 Weekend stakes schedule + V Dragon featuring a total of 25 horses should provide some early season clarity in the race for supremacy among the sophomore elite. While the point can be argued, the road to the winner s circle in the Final still goes through Huntsville. The Dan Patch 2-yearold champion from 2016 drew post two in the second elimination (race 8) with regular driver Tim Tetrick slated to drive. Trained by Ray Schnittker, Huntsville opened up his year with a 10 length Pennsylvania Sire Stakes win at The Meadows in the slop that opened some eyes, but was soundly defeated in his next PASS start at Pocono by Fear The Dragon. That loss had some secondguessing the possible dominance of the son of Somebeachsomewhere-Wild West Show for a brief moment. All doubters were put back in line in his third start of 2017 when he left hard from post seven at Harrah s Philadelphia and marched down the road despite hot fractions (26 3/5, 54 2/5 & 1:21 4/5) to demolish his PASS foes on that afternoon by more than seven lengths in a career best-equaling 1:49. He was very good the other night, said Schnittker on the Huntsville was the 2016 Dan Patch award winner as top 2-year-old pacing colt. you for speed, but I thought he looked really good. While the trainer feels his horse is ready for the test at hand, he stopped short of making any bold predictions. I think he is ready to peak. He s had three starts now, but I guess we ll find out for sure up in Canada, said Schnittker. Huntsville is joined in his elimination by newcomer to the Grand Circuit scene Beckhams Z Tam, an Indiana bred who has won each of his four sta DRF Harness Weekend 8 January 3, 2019

9 Vitale USHWAN of the Year Heather Vitale, secretary of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA), international harness racing video journalist, self-proclaimed Harness Racing s Firework, two-time Sam McKee Broadcasters Award winner, and probably the only person in harness racing who both holds Madonna as a role model and also has her own Wikipedia page, has been announced by USHWA President Shawn Wiles as the organization s Member of the Year. Make no mistake about it, there is only one Heather Vitale! USHWA president Wiles said. Her colorful and lively persona always adds excitement to any event. We look forward to seeing Heather again at this year s Dan Patch Awards Dinner, on the Red Carpet, as we have for many years. She has been a great voice and face for Harness Racing in her region and for USHWA. Heather comes from a multi-generational harness family in Delaware. Her mother, Jo Ann Looney King, was the first woman to drive a winner at The Meadowlands, and she is the co-owner of 2018 s outstanding pacing mare Shartin, trained by husband Jim King Jr. Heather is a graduate of Monmouth (NJ) University, with a focus on public relations/journalism, and she chose to follow that career path rather than working with the horses. Her show Post Time has aired on the CBS affiliate in the Delmarva region for some 20 years, and she also co-hosts the weekly show Pennsylvania Harness Week, a position in which she has served for nearly a decade. She has worked for ESPN and for the Little Brown Jug network. But a person of Heather s ambition, flamboyance, and talent cannot of course be confined to any one country. Her journalistic travels have taken her not only to Canada, a logical extension because of the fluency of the U.S./Canada harness crossing, but also to Ireland and Australia, where she appeared as an on-air reporter during a major stakes day (And speaking of international recognizability, Heather was also a driving force behind getting the richest harness horse world-wide, Foiled Again, into the famous stable of Breyer collectible horse models). Heather is a prolific user of social media since its inception, with many followers of her frequent postings on the various platforms. I m not a bettor, she says, so I focus my stories on the horses and the people in the sport, trying to tell their interesting stories, and trying to appeal to people to come out to the track and watch the races. I want to expose the sport outside of the fans we already have. Her presentation is tirelessly upbeat and positive in the service of harness racing. Perhaps the best summation of Heather Vitale was offered by Joe Thomson of Winbak Farms, who once told her, The best business I could be in is to bottle your attitude and sell it. The Harness Writers Association has benefited a great deal from her attitude and her talents, and that s why she has been named USHWAn of the Year. Heather Vitale (and her family in their connections to Shartin) will be honored at USHWA s annual Dan Patch Awards Banquet, celebrating the best and brightest of harness racing in the past year. The banquet honoring the champions of 2018 will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando FL, the climax of a weekend that also finds USHWA holding its annual national meetings. -edited release (USHWA) DRF Harness Weekend 9 January 3, 2019 Jordan Paolello Heather Vitale is tireless in her efforts to market harness racing. At DRF Harness we strive to provide the best handicapping information in the sport. Each week we ll use this space to bring you some of our handicappers best bets, value plays and horses to watch. Use this information as one of your tools when wagering or simply click on the link above and head to DRF Bets to wager now. RACE 2 (6) OK HEAVENLY drops down in class this week to face a field she should be able to handle. You ll have to accept a short price but it is better than tossing your ticket in the garbage. -Derick Giwner RACE 1 (3) STRATOCASTER is back at The Meadowlands in a class where he typically does some damage. -Giwner Friday, January 4 Saturday, January 5 Derick Giwner & Matt Rose discuss races from The Meadowlands and Cal Expo this weekend. full card analysis / past performances Meadowlands (FRI) Analysis Meadowlands (SAT) Analysis Mohawk Park (SAT) Analysis DHP PPs harness eye PPs trackmaster PPs FREE PPS Want full-card analysis? Visit DRF.com/harness

10 NEWS FROM AROUND THE HARNESS INDUSTRY Dunn wins post draw in Miami Valley Driving Championship The battle lines have been drawn for the third annual $25,000 North America Drivers Championship at Miami Valley from Sunday (Jan. 6) through Tuesday (Jan. 8). Three consecutive matinee programs will decide which of the 30 talented drivers in the contest will emerge with the title, the trophy and the $10,000 first prize. Each driver has four randomly drawn horses and post positions on each of the first two programs. Following Monday afternoon s results the top 10 in points will advance to Tuesday s championship round and race head-to-head starting with a clean scoring slate over eight races on the card. Thirty points are awarded to the winner of each contest race with points earned for second through ninth place finishes. Based on post positions alone, Dexter Dunn the Down Under sensation who won the 2015 World Drivers Championship gained a slight nod over his competitors. With an average post position draw totaling 44 over each driver s eight opportunities on Day 1 and Day 2, Dunn s starting posts equal 30. A total of seven drivers drew post positions totaling under 40. The others were Anthony Napolitano (31), Bruce Ranger (32), Jeremy Smith (33), Brett Miller (34), Randy Tharps (35) and Drew Monti (36). On the flip side, there are six drivers who drew post positions adding up to over 50. Joe Bongiorno will have his work cut out for him with a total of 64, although that number is skewed by an assigned outside post behind Grana Padanno a winner of two straight at the top level at Northfield Park in the $27,500 Open Trot on Sunday. Others who didn t fare particularly well at the draw are Roger Plante Jr. (55), Bob McClure (55), Dan Noble (53), Pat Berry (51) and Simon Allard (51). Dunn will be looking to get off to a fast start as his four Day 1 drives include two rails and just nine in total post positions. Others who will have a slight advantage as they try to top the leader board early are J. Bradley Harris (11), defending champion Trace Tetrick (13), national dash champion Aaron Merriman (16) and top Chicago-land reinsman Casey Leonard (16). Those with an excellent chance of moving up the leaderboard on Day 2, based on post positions alone, will be Hollywood Dayton Raceway s recently named dash champ Jeremy Smith (9), Billy Davis Jr. (13), Anthony Napolitano (14), 8,959-time winner Bruce Ranger (14) and the all-time winningest African-American driver Randy Tharps (16). We look forward to an exciting championship that goes right down to the wire, just as the first two editions of this competition did, said Tournament Director and Race Secretary Gregg Keidel. Unless someone gets really hot, the winner isn t usually known until they hit the wire in the last race. These drivers have over 120,000 collective wins so they all know how to reach a winner s circle. I hope the fans and the participants enjoy this unique contest format and may the best man win! -release (Miami Valley) Hanover Shoe Farms sets seasonal earnings mark for breeders Hanover Shoe Farms, the southern Pennsylvania harness racing breeding operation which has led all of North American harness racing in seasonal money won by its graduates since recordkeeping began in 1949, has just broken its own mark for one-year earnings by those raised at the nursery. The $31,451,117 total it posted in 2017 was eclipsed on December 27 of last year, with the final number for 2018 reaching $31,589,496. Dorsoduro Hanover, recently voted champion 3-year-old pacing male of the season, led the contributors to the record total with $1,284,562, the second-highest total of 2018, behind only McWicked. The 2017 Little Brown Jug winner Filibuster Hanover, making the difficult step up to the free-for-all ranks (and horses such as McWicked), still brought in winnings of $661,601, the most money earned by any 4-year-old in 2018 North American racing. DRF Harness Weekend 10 January 3, 2019 Meadowlands Survival Challenge starts Friday Contestants have until 6:45pm tomorrow, Friday, January 4 to register and make their selections in the always popular Meadowlands Winter Meet Survival Challenge powered by 123Racing. The grand prize is $1,000 & 2019 WHHC Spot The second-place prize is $500 & 2019 WHHC Spot The third-place prize is $250 & 2019 WHHC Spot Most winners prize is $250 The game covers the Meadowlands Winter Meet and concludes on March 30, The winner is determined by the highest total bankroll at the end of the Challenge based on a $2 across the board wager [win, place and show] on selections for three designated races each program. However, to continue in the game, entrants have to survive by finishing in-the-money [first through third] with at least one of their selections each day. Failing to do so or not making selections knocks the player out of the game. To aid in the player s survival a lucky horseshoe is given. The lucky horseshoe is a free pass given to all Challenge participants that allows the player to survive if he does not make selections for a race card or all three of his selections fail to hit the board. The free contest is open to legal residents of the United States and Canada 18 years and older, and all selections must be made through the format provided on the Survival Challenge website page. No selections will be accepted by phone, fax, or any other means. Trackmaster Platinum Past performances for the three designated races will be provided through the game board. To login or to register as a first time player, visit -edited release (Meadowlands) Northfield schedule calls for 221 dates in 2019 Northfield Park is offering live harness racing four nights a week to start the 2019 racing year. January through June racing is scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. The exceptions to this schedule are the additions of Friday, January 4 and Sunday, May 26. There is no live racing on Memorial Day Monday. Beginning in July Northfield replaces Tuesday with Friday evenings and continues with a Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday schedule through September. The exception to this schedule is the addition of Sunday September 1 due to no racing on Labor Day Monday. READ MORE Grant to receive January Davies Humanitarian Award When horse owner Brad Grant heard the news last April about the accident that claimed the lives of 16 people aboard a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team, he knew he wanted to help. Grant, whose own involvement in Canadian junior hockey stretches more than three decades, was uncertain what to do, but came upon the answer as he looked at a page of racing entries. Earlier in the year, Grant had bought a pacer named Humboldt. Grant decided to donate the horse s earnings for the remainder of the month to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Assistance Program, which was created to raise funds for all people affected by the accident. READ MORE