Weekend. Stratton looks to star in Levy/Matchmaker. Ohio Sires Stakes

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1 Weekend THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018 DRF HARNESS HOME DRF.COM/HARNESS DRF BETS HARNESS PPS DIGITAL HARNESS EYE ENTRIES NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE Featured Tracks Meadowlands (FRI) Analysis Woodbine (FRI) Analysis Yonkers (FRI) Analysis Stratton looks to star in Levy/Matchmaker Stakes season kicks off this weekend as Yonkers Raceway hosts the Blue Chip Matchmaker and George Morton Levy Memorial By Jay Bergman Meadowlands (SAT) Woodbine (SAT) Yonkers (SAT) Get Analysis Get Analysis What s Inside Analysis Analysis Analysis Zoccali: Risk should be assumed when wagering on sports, Page 4 Macedonio: Our industry needs to stay current, Page 5 Gisser: PETA has a target on horse racing, Page 5 Bergman: Slanted starting gate not the answer at Yonkers, Page 6 Giwner: USTA Directors adopt interesting new rules, Page 7 On the Backstretch: Profile of driver Marcus Miller, Page 8 Handicapping: Best bets, spot plays and upcoming schedule, Page 9 Industry News: Merriman going for 10,000; Kakaley in accident, Page 10 It s clear that driver Jordan Stratton has made a name for himself at Yonkers Raceway. More specifically, Stratton has gotten noticed in a big way capturing significant stakes races over the last two years. With Mackenzie A, last year s Blue Chip Matchmaker champ, and Bit Of A Legend N, the Levy finale winner in 2016, Stratton opened the doors. Following a banner 2017 where his mounts earned in excess of $9 million, a career best, Stratton has seen his UDRS (Universal Driver Rating) climb this winter at Yonkers and he heads into first round of both the Matchmaker and Levy with serious players to match his impressive statistics. I just see things continuing this year the way they ended last year, said Stratton of his recent winning form. Driving stakes horses has helped. I think the biggest difference is that now when a horse doesn t do well it s the horse s fault and not the driver. Regardless of who takes the blame, Stratton certainly deserves the credit for finding the winner s circle with regularity and he hopes to be there this weekend. Elliesjet N opens the stakes action for Stratton on Friday in the first $40,000 Matchmaker division. I didn t really know how she would get around a half, Stratton said of Elliesjet N. But she sprinted out in 26 2/5 last week and then finished good. I think it proved she can go with these mares. One of Stratton s best mounts this winter has been Sell A Bit N. The regular driver Mike Lizzi Jordan Stratton will drive three horses in each of the Matchmaker and Levy series. for trainer Peter Tritton, Stratton confessed that the connections were thinking about leaving this mare on the sidelines for this series and aiming for lower hanging fruit. Peter (Tritton) wanted to skip the Blue Chip with her, but after the way she s been racing he decided to put her in, said Stratton. Sell A Bit N has won three of her six starts in 2018, all in Open company and all from outside posts. On Friday the import drew the rail. Defending champion Mackenzie A has been idle since December but Stratton liked what he saw when the mare qualified last Friday. I was concerned that she might need a start but Peter said she d be ready and she felt good, CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Ohio Sires Stakes Download 2018 Schedule & Nomination Forms at Four $40,000 to $60,000 Legs Eight $275,000 Championships Eight $60,000 Consolations $500 Nomination fee due today! March 15, 2018 for 2- & 3-year-olds Nomination form with payment included must be postmarked by March 15, 2018~No exceptions! 2018 Daily Racing Form, LLC rd Ave, 12th Floor, NY, NY 10017

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3 Mackenzie A and Jordan Stratton, 2017 Matchmaker champions, will look for a repeat performance this year. Mike Lizzi CONTINUED from page 1 said Stratton of the qualifying mile, a second-place finish behind Lady Shadow. Mackenzie A drew post seven and the driver was looking forward not just to this start but others down the road. She s such a big mare and I m really looking forward to seeing how she races on the big track. Peter has staked her to everything this year, Stratton said. On Saturday night there will be five divisions each for $50,000 of the George Morton Levy series and Stratton will first see action behind Mister Daytona N in the second division, race five. He showed he could go with Open company last year here, said Stratton, who will reconnect with the 6-year-old returning from some time off in Florida this winter. If we can get a good trip he s got a shot. Mister Daytona N has his work cut out in a very stacked division that includes last year s defending champion Keystone Velocity (post 7), the $2 million winning Christen Me N (post 3) and the most recent potential North American star to arrive from Down Under, Waikiki Beach A (post 5). Thisjetsabookin has been first and second in four of his six starts in 2018 racing against the top echelon at Yonkers. When he s been good, he s been very good. I think he s more of a one-run type, said Stratton, perhaps explaining last week s disappointing effort following a brisk 26 2/5 opening quarter. I don t know what happened, it was pretty windy out there and Rockin Ron didn t hold up either, Stratton said. Thisjetsabookin landed post five in the fourth Levy division, race seven of 12 on the Yonkers program. Bit Of A Legend N makes his 2018 debut from post three in the final Levy split, race 11 with Stratton aboard. Last year he really wasn t ready for the first few legs; he had a bit of a belly on him, said Stratton of Bit Of A Legend N s 2017 Levy performance. I think he finished last season as good as he s ever been and I m looking forward to driving him this year. Bit Of A Legend N will have company with the now-5-year-old Missile J, a multiple Levy leg winner in 2017 and third in the final, as he landed the pole position following a 1:50 victory in Preferred company at Dover Downs on March 8. The 10-year-old Great Vintage appears not to have lost a step after winning in 1:49 2/5 last week at The Meadowlands, just a fifth of a second off his career best taken as a 4-year-old. He ll start from post two. Long Live Rock (post 6) and Killer Martini (post 7) have both captured Open Handicaps this winter at Yonkers. First post at Yonkers is 6:50 p.m. DRF Harness Weekend 3 March 15, 2018

4 Certain risk should be assumed when wagering on any sport at the track By Darin Zoccali AtTheTrack7 In a recent column, I spoke about the fact that bettors in the racing industry are growing tired of the lack of accountability in trainers giving their horses illegal substances and a lack of protection for the bettors. The frustration doesn t exist on a moral level, but on a financial one. The problem is, even if they suspect a trainer is doing something to gain an edge, they don t know when they are going to be implementing that edge and when they aren t. Recently it was reported by the Associated Press that a horse bettor in Illinois was suing a trainer in New Jersey due to his horse, Tag Up and Go, being disqualified from purse money after testing positive for EPO in a race at The Meadowlands. Of course, the disqualification after the fact does nothing for the bettors. The reaction on social media was predictable. Those that could define themselves as bettors spoke about the fact that there is little protection for them and that this was a long-time coming. Horsemen of course took a different view. Many pointing to the fact that it s gambling after all and you aren t refunded, for example, if the horse you bet suffers a broken sulky mid-race. Regarding this specific lawsuit, I am not sure how the bettor and his lawyer determined the amount that the bettor would have won. Outlined in the suit is the point that the bettor would have cashed Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta Bets. Given that, if you removed Tag Up and Go from the equation the next four horses were 5-1, 5-1, 5/2 and 7-1. So unless the bettor had sizable wagers, I m not sure how he is arriving at $31,835.50, which includes punitive damages. In addition, the bettor and his legal team would need access to all pool information, including how all the exotic pools were split amongst all the possible combinations to determine the potential winnings. Therefore I am pretty skeptical from the beginning, but let s move on to the bigger picture. The suit is filed in conjunction with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an organization that I wouldn t have a nice word to say about if my life depended on it. At best, I can call them hypocrites. The suit alleges fraud and violations of the RICO laws which goes beyond the scope of the power of racing regulatory bodies, who have always held that bettors had no recourse when it came to disqualifications stemming from post-race positives. This lawsuit works around that fact. While I want to see more protection for bettors, specifically when it comes to trainers who are cheating, even I will admit this is rather extreme and sends the entire industry down a very slippery slope. In the unlikely scenario where this suit was argued successfully by the plaintiff, it opens up the possibility of a wide variety of lawsuits. If a driver is suspended or fined for lack of effort in a drive, a bettor could try and sue for damages. Perhaps the bettor would sue the racetrack for allowing a driver or trainer to compete at their facility, given the fines or suspensions they may have. They can sue regulatory bodies for licensing the individuals. This all seems ridiculous, but these are the kind of doors that will be opened if this lawsuit were successful. Again, I am a huge proponent for accountability. I fully support measures taken that protect the horses, drivers and the bettors and maybe there is something to be said for what the fear of being sued by a bettor will cause in the minds of trainers that are cheating. But I believe this does more harm than good. I believe it creates all kinds of potential problems down the road and will only create a more tangled web of nonsense that the industry does not need. I can even argue that this would create issues for all gambling industries. Is someone who bet the Phillies to win the 2009 World Series going to sue Alex Rodriguez because he was taking performance enhancing drugs that year while leading the Yankees to a championship? Perhaps someone can sue Tom Brady for deflating footballs in a game where he or she bet against the Patriots? Yes, gamblers deserve protection, but I also recognize that they call it gambling for a reason and there are certain intangibles that are a part of races and other sporting events that sometimes we can t do anything about. Just recently an individual with a live Rainbow Six ticket at Gulfstream Park was watching the Check out Keith Gisser s view of the lawsuit on page 5 horse he needed to take down the $571,744 jackpot pull away in the stretch. Suddenly, the horse veered in and the jockey fell off just before the finish line. Surely no lawsuit can stem from these events, but it just adds to the point, that there are some things that are just a part of gambling. You should expect a jockey or driver to give you 100% every time he steps on the track. You should expect trainers to be honest. But that s just not always going to be the case and unfortunately when you put your dollars through the window you are acknowledging that point and accepting the way the current system handles these situations. In my opinion, you can t bet on a race knowing that if a horse is disqualified due to a post-race positive after the fact, the results from a parimutuel standpoint do not change and then file a lawsuit because it cost you money. However, as I said a few columns back, be forewarned that the bettors are getting very tired of what is taking place. This is just the first extreme example of that point. Bolt The Duer s 1 st crop yearlings are good-looking with great conformation and look like athletes. - James Ladwig, Winbak Yearling Manager p, 2, 1:51; 3, 1:47.4f ($1,828,995) Ponder-Wonderbolt-Artsplace Winner of Adios in World Record 1:47.4 Winner of Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial (equaled World Record with 1:49 Mile) Standing at Winbak of NY for $4,000. Click Here for Online Booking Application. Dedicated to Putting You in the Winner s Circle! Noelle Duspiva, Winbak of NY Manager / stallions@winbakfarm.com / / BOLT THE DUER DRF Harness Weekend 4 March 15, 2018

5 PETA has a target on racing s back By Keith Gisser Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way. That is the header of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) website. And while I think we can all agree on the abuse part, it really comes down to definitions. In PETA s world, any human activity with animals is abuse. In December of 2015, I wrote Some of you may say reptiles are to horses as apples are to oranges. But we both face... the biggest threat that we will ever see. It will come from animal rights activists funded by wealthy groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and The Humane Society of the United States. These organizations want to end all human ownership of animals. PETA, through its President and co-founder Ingrid Newkirk, regularly espouses the idea that animal ownership is wrong, equating it to slavery. Newkirk also compared Jews in concentration camps to broiler chickens in the Washington Post, and back in 2005, she told the Huffington Post, The best bet for the horses would be to stop betting on the Derby and other horse races, and to stop breeding and racing thoroughbreds altogether. I did not realize horses were betting on the Derby, but I will forgive her the error in syntax. Now, PETA has an opening. Jeffrey Tretter, a gambler from Illinois is suing over a positive EPO test, stating that when the horse Tag Up And Go, trained by Robert Bresnahan, Jr., was disqualified in 2016, Tretter should have been paid for a winning superfecta wager since he had correctly bet on the four horses in the revised order of finish. The suit s claims include, fraud, federal and state anti-racketeering law violations (RICO-Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act). Tretter seeks recovery of his lost winnings (about $31,000) and punitive damages (not specified). Tretter s attorney, Michael Waller, is a partner in K&L Gates, a worldwide firm. He has won numerous multi-million dollar judgements. Why is Waller bothering with a suit that features $30,000 in alleged damages and perhaps $100,000 in alleged punitive damages, which if found to be a valid RICO claim would be tripled? It seems to be small potatoes for Waller. Cleveland attorney J. David Ingersoll thinks Waller may be looking at making this a class action suit, bringing in others who were harmed by the positive test, and opening the door to future class actions, but I disagree. I strongly believe this is the first shot in a strategy by PETA, which has millions of dollars to spend, to end horse racing. Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural also disagrees with my take. When I talked to the AP reporter, nothing was mentioned about PETA, he said. I am not sure how they are involved. I am not sure how AP even got the story. PETA clearly takes pride in the action, announcing on their website s homepage, FIRST EVER LAWSUIT, declaring, The drugs may not have been discovered without the efforts of PETA. In 2012, we asked Meadowlands to step up efforts to prevent drugging and excessive whipping. Gural did meet with PETA representatives previously, but says they had no influence on drug rules. I have always pushed for stronger drug measures. They did influence me on whipping. I have been going to the races for 50 years and it was always part of the sport, he explains. That changed. PETA has attacked racing before. Most notable was an undercover expose of Thoroughbred trainer Steve Asmussen in 2014, which the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ruled had neither factual nor scientific basis. PETA called on the public to never bet on or attend another horse race. Let s get real. Either action would result in the end of racing. I expect to see PETA on the offensive against horse racing, building on the publicity of this lawsuit, on future suits (which PETA is hopeful will follow), and other actions which would be expensive for horse trainers sued to defend. Gural estimates it could cost Bresnahan $25,000 to defend himself. According to the Associated Press, PETA is critical of horse racing, but is pushing for reforms rather than actively campaigning for an all-out ban. That is disingenuous, coming from an organization that proclaims, Eventually companion animals would be phased out, and we would return to a more symbiotic relationship, enjoyment at a distance. That WOULD mean the end of racing. DRF Harness Weekend 5 March 15, 2018 TROT TAKES By Ryan Important to stay current For anyone that doesn t know, I am 31 years old, born in In my lifetime there has been more progress and change in technology, culture, and sociology than the previous 200 years combined. It s very easy for me to adapt and move, because my entire environment has been adapting and moving. I m so used to the idea of new that I don t even bat an eye when a change happens and I think this is the focus of the generational disconnect. Think about this, in my lifetime Pluto ceased to exist as a planet, the food pyramid was rendered useless, and Barbie became a symbol for false hopes and body shaming. Remember when New Kids On The Block broke up? It was madness I tell you! Now, there are bands within bands! Someone will record an album and then go record something else... and it s no big deal! Think about how popular Blockbuster and video rental stores were. People would flood the stores on a Friday evening looking for that one copy of that new release. Now, I can rent that same movie on nine different devices in my home. Remember when dairy and beef were good for you? Pepperidge Farm remembers. Did you know that AOL still sends out cd s with FREE hours on them and they still get used! Who here remembers MySpace? Tom... what a guy! Did anyone use Angelfire to create a website? Can you pinpoint the exact moment that Facebook stopped being cool? For me it was when my mom sent me a friend request. Now, Instagram and Snapchat have taken control of the youth (make sure you add Newspapers ran king for a CENTURY, now everyone has their own way of getting their news. I would suggest spending a few hours on reddit.com/r/aww. See we move onto the next thing very quickly, so try and keep up with us! Have a little flexibility on your views and daily routine. There are some pretty cool things out there that can be put to good use. Take a step out into the uncomfortable and try something new... the new filters on Snapchat are fantastic! Does this relate to Harness Racing? Maybe... Keep it Brockmire #wakandaforever

6 A slanted starting gate is not the answer at Yonkers Raceway jaywalking By Jay Bergman BergmanJay Change is good. Not all change is good. The recent success in increased handle at Yonkers Raceway has given rise to calls for more change to make the existing product even better. In some ways it s exciting to hear voices piling on if you will considering that just one factor eliminating a passing lane has given added attention to the races at Yonkers. While credit for that move should be equally parsed among those who played a role in its arrival, there s no reason to jump ahead with ideas that have proven faulty in the past. There have been rumblings for more change at Yonkers and while I d still love to see a full screen replay after each race instead of one reduced to a size that you can hardly see the numbers or the horses, I m more than willing to wait for that. What I m not interested in seeing is a revised starting gate that some apparently believe is a magic wand that will entice every horse drawing post seven and eight to enter the fray without inducement. You see we ve had these ideas in the past where we ve tried to adjust the races by giving a so-called fair start to those on the outside that struggle to get around or make the front. The slanted starting gate is one of those inventions that proved better in principle than in fact. What the slanted starting gate or any version of it will be unable to do is to predict which horses draw outside and which drivers regularly want to take risk from that spot. As I ve said quite often in the past, the economics is the answer and not physics when it comes to horse racing. Will there be more of an economical reason for a driver to blast out from post seven or eight or leave slowly and work his way up just because of a few added inches or feet behind a gate? I watched the races at Yonkers this past weekend and noticed two drivers that repeatedly had no problem leaving the gate from the outside. Despite a recent injury that might sideline some drivers, Joe Bongiorno apparently is not one of them. He has proven to be a breath of fresh air at least when it comes to aggressiveness. Bongiorno in many ways behind the starting gate reminds me of the old George Brennan. Brennan, when he raced regularly at The Meadowlands, had no problem at all firing a horse up from post 10 and crossing to the front before they hit the first turn. His hands were magical and many of the horses he drove appeared to respond in an instant when called upon. Bongiorno appears to have the same electricity running through his veins and showed it on two occasions this weekend. On Friday night (March 9) anyone that saw the explosion of the imported Franco Rayner N, a Levy eligible that was in cheap, will be watching that horse in weeks to come. It s hard to tell just how good this horse is from one start against lesser foes, but that he was five lengths ahead of his rivals in what appeared to be an instant after the starting car pulled away, was let s just say frightening in a good way. On Saturday (March 10) night Bongiorno blasted with 20-1 shot Alotbettor N from post eight with the same speed as 5-2 second choice Don tcallmefrancis was leaving from post seven. That didn t deter Bongiorno in the least, as he moved his horse to the front in a sharp 26 3/5 opening quarter. Obviously Franco Rayner s explosion and class had something to do with that victory, but Alotbettor N s fourth-place finish was more significant because it showed racing fans that they could have a contender supporting a longshot if the driver was willing to take a chance. Bongiorno wasn t the only driver at Yonkers to mix it up or change tactics from the outside fence. Larry Stalbaum is another that has breathed life into the feared outside draw. Stalbaum s Chumlee A had won parked the mile from the outside lane two Saturdays back and once again the raging import found himself on the outside looking in on this occasion. Stalbaum, perhaps not like most drivers or trainers we ve seen here in a long time, did not elect to take this week off because he was handicapped at the draw. Certainly with six grueling weeks ahead in the Levy no one would have complained that loudly had Chumlee A done what countless before him had considered routine and World Wide Racing Photos A slanted starting gate could give outside horses an advantage. that is take a back seat. Instead Stalbaum floated the horse out from his outside post and meticulously worked his way up on the outside. Chumlee A appears to like the style of racing and competed until the last stride, finishing fourth beaten a length at odds of As a strong proponent for years of eliminating the passing lane at Yonkers, I loudly applauded the move when it was finally made at the end of Judging from the races I ve watched over the last two months at Yonkers, it would seem safe to say that the product has in fact improved dramatically. That said, looking forward it s hard to imagine a slanted starting gate will have any positive benefits at all to the drivers or the bettors. Confidence from both sides of the fence comes from consistency and understanding what will happen once the gate swings open. In the case of Joe Bongiorno and Larry Stalbaum, bettors who have watched the races at Yonkers may now get the feeling that they can be backed because neither is looking to take the week off when drawing the eight ball. So instead of slanting the gate any further, perhaps more from the driving colony will take the lead from these two outsiders and put their horses in play. That s a slant I can live with. Sire of 2017 DSBF 3-Year-Old Filly Trotter of the Year, Spoonful 2, 1:58; 3, Q1:56.2 ($312,743) Donerail-Scent Of A Woman-Worthy Bowl Sire of Windshield, 3, 1:56.2f ($327,200) Sire of 2017 DSBF Final Winner, Spoonful, 3, Q2:00h - 17 ($248,474) Standing at Winbak of DE for $2,000. Click Here for Online Booking Application. Dedicated to Putting You in the Winner s Circle! Garrett Bell, Winbak Farm General Manager / stallions@winbakfarm.com / / POLITICAL BRIEFING DRF Harness Weekend 6 March 15, 2018

7 USTA Directors adopt some interesting rule changes for 2018 When the USTA s Board of Directors convened in Ohio last weekend, 24 proposed changes to the rules and bylaws were discussed. Of the approved changes, four stood out as worth mentioning from a handicapping perspective since they could have a major role in the everyday contesting of races. Below are each of the rule changes and my comments. Assuming tracks and jurisidctions actually abide by the new rules, they are meant to commence on May 1 of this year. Clarification of a length EDITOR S EYE By Derick Giwner Add new subsection to Rule 4 as follows: 4.95 Length - A distance defined as extending from a horse s nose to the posterior of the hindquarters. A length shall not include the space occupied by the driver or sulky beyond the horse s hindquarters. [Renumber existing rules 4.96, 4.97, 4.98 etc.] This rule is very important because it sets a standard for charting races. Previously if a horse was in the pocket following tightly behind the leader he could be charted as 1 length of 1 1/4 lengths off the leader depedning on who was doing the charting. Now 1 length will no longer be acceptable and the more accurate 1 1/4 lengths will likely take hold universally, though one could argue that if a driver leans back far enough the distance can be 1 1/2 lengths. No more getting left behind Amend 16 to add new section: Fair Start Pole - (a) At all extended pari-mutuel tracks the fair start pole shall be erected at a point before the start that is clearly identifiable. The pole shall be distinctive in color in relation to existing pylons and at least two feet above the existing pylons. (b) If a horse has not reached the fair start pole when the horses are released at the starting point by the starter, the Judges shall cause the inquiry sign to be displayed immediately and shall request the horse be refunded. Here is something many bettors have been waiting a long time to see adopted. If your horse is left behind with no chance at getting a fair start, you ll actually get a refund. No longer will newbies to the game be stuck wondering how they lost money on a horse that never even made it close to the gate. One interesting point is that the rule gives each track the liberty of deciding where the pole should be located. Also, is it possible some tracks won t go to the trouble to comply? All drivers are not created equal Amend to read as follows: Removal or Substitution of a Driver - If in the opinion of the judges a driver is for any reason unfit or incompetent to drive or refuses to comply with the directions of the judges, or is reckless in his or her conduct and endangers the safety of horses or other drivers in the race, he or she may be removed and another comparable driver substituted at any time after the positions have been assigned in a race, and the offending driver shall be fined, suspended or expelled. The substitute driver shall be properly compensated. We saw this issue come into play numerous times last year with late changes after the start of multi-race exotics. In theory, though it is still up to the Judges discretion, drivers will now be replaced by someone of similar ability as opposed to just any available body. There are few things worse than thinking you have the track s top driver and finding out you are stuck with the trainer in the bike. Be careful with that whip Amend by adding the language in Whip Regulations/Prohibitions - Drivers will be allowed whips not to exceed four (4) feet, plus a snapper not longer than six (6) inches. The following actions shall be considered as excessive or indiscriminate use of the whip: (a) All drivers must keep a line in each hand beginning when the horse is behind the starting gate and continuing through the finish of the race. (b) Whipping shall be restricted to elbow and wrist action only and the whipping arm shall not be raised about the driver s shoulder height. (c) Drivers shall not move their whipping arm in an exaggerated manner and the lines shall remain reasonably taut during the race. (d) Driver shall not use the whip below the level of the shaft, forward of the race bike s wheels. (e) Drivers shall not place the whip between the horse s legs. (f) Drivers shall not strike another horse or driver with the whip. (g) Drivers shall not use the handle of the whip on a horse. (h) Drivers are permitted to use their hand or the whip in a sliding or gliding manner above the level of the shaft. (i) Drivers shall not use the whip on a tired horse, on a horse that is not visibly responding, or when a horse is not in contention in a race. (j) Drivers shall not use the whip without giving the horse time to respond to a previous application of the whip. (k) No leather or unusual materials may be used. The conventional snapper shall not be knotted and tape is only permitted on the handle of the whip. All other modifications of the whip are prohibited. (l) Excessive, indiscriminate, visibly injurious or abusive use of the whip is prohibited. You may want to take note of horses which seem lazy and require excessive whipping to motivate them, because those horses may not be such great plays once these rules come into existance. Part (e) stands out as well for me because nearly every race contains a few drivers which place their whips between the legs of horses. This even occurs at tracks were rules are in place to prevent it. The above changes, as with all current rules, require the Judges to enforce them to be meaningful. If the Judges do their jobs properly, the USTA may have taken some nice strides to wards improving the sport. For a complete list of rules considered at the recent meeting, click here. Florida trip notebook I spent the morning of March 10 watching horses and talking to owners and trainers at Sunshine Meadows in Florida. It was a decent turnout, though I don t show up every week so I had nothing to compare it to. Myron Bell had high praise for American History, who finished third behind champion Lost In Time and Breeders Crown winner Stay Hungry in last year s Governor s Cup. Unfortunately I showed up about 30 minutes too late to catch them in action. Derick Giwner 3-year-old pacer American History. Trainer Paul Kelley said that Obrigado is coming along nicely and he hopes to have him on the track by the start of June. Kelley said that he didn t pay the now 8-year-old winner of over $1.7 million into any stakes until the Cleveland Trotting Classic on June 30 at Northfield Park. Owner Eric Cherry said that while George Morton Levy starter Waikiki Beach A is more of the complete package, fellow Down Under import Heaven Rocks is more freaky fast and erratic. He could be capable of big things when he behaves. DRF Harness Weekend 7 March 15, 2018

8 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 marcus miller What kind of car do you drive? Toyota Corolla to the races. It gets good mileage. I ve done 200,000 miles in four years. For fun I have a Jeep Wrangler. Favorite dinner meal? Snack? What is your favorite track to race at? Beef & Potatoes, Popcorn Springfield in Illinois. I grew up there and it was wicked fast. When you leave the track, are the races still on your mind? I try really hard to use the time when driving home to process and forget the races so when I walk in the door it is out of my mind. What is the longest time you ve sat in traffic trying to get to a track? Getting to Chester (Harrah s Philadelphia) can be brutal. It should take me one hour and forty minutes. One time it took three and a half hours to get there. I watched the first race and then they cancelled the card. It took me nine hours to get home. Do you study the past performances before showing up at the track? It depends. If I m at a new track or driving some interesting or stakes horses, I ll watch the replays to see what they are like. At my regular track, I already know the horses and don t need to look. I m generally the first one at the track anyway. I hate being late. Who is your best friend on the backstretch? I have many friends. I don t know if there is a best one. If you are going to grab a drink after the races, which horseperson would you want to hang out with? Kyle Husted. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not racing? It depends on the season. In the winter, I try to ski as much as possible. When it is nice out I love riding my bikes. What is your favorite sport? Team? If not harness racing, skiing. What is one thing about you most fans/bettors don t know? I Google everything. I can t let anything sit and not be answered. And I try to remember it all. One day I m going to put all of that useless information to use. Nigel Soult (Above); Derick Giwner (Below) (Above) Marcus Miller winning with Top Expectations as a 2-year-old at the Red Mile. Horses driven by Miller earned over $4.2 million in What is one word that describes harness racing for you? Life. It feels wrong even saying that now that my son is born, but it has pretty much been my life up until this point. Do you have a driving style? I think I m patient, sometimes to a fault. I think that it helps me working with my dad (Erv Miller) with all of the young horses. Other than your wife, he is the #1 person on your speed dial? My mom. If you weren t a driver, what would you be doing? Definitely something with animals. Maybe work in an aquarium or do something with fish. What is the best advice you ve ever gotten about harness racing? My go-to answer comes from my uncle Andy (Miller). After one of my first wins he said, Good job, now turn the page and go on to the next race. Where will you be racing in the coming months? Mostly Pocono and Chester. That has really worked well for me. Hopefully I ll catch on with some nice babies and be able to race them on the Pennsylvania and New York circuits. Which horse are you looking forward to driving this year? Top Expectations. She was a really nice 2-year-old filly last year. If she matures and gets sounder, she could be really good. Unfortunately she is the same age as Manchego. DRF Harness Weekend 8 March 15, 2018

9 Weekend Spotlight At DRF Harness we strive to prvode 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. Happy Handicapping! RACE 9 Thursday, MARCH 15 Derick Giwner & Matt Rose discuss the Matchmaker & Levy from Yonkers Raceway this weekend. Friday, March 16 Yonkers (6:50 p.m.) $40,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker Mare Pace (Races 7-10) cal expo (9:10 p.m.) Pick 6 Carryover ($12,658) (Races 6-11) Saturday, March 17 the meadows (1:05 p.m.) Pick 4 Carryover ($4,903) (Races 4-7) yonkers (6:50 P.M.) $50,000 Levy Memorial Open Pace (Races 4-7, 11) Looking Ahead Yonkers (3/23) - $40,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker leg 2 Yonkers (3/24) - $50,000 Levy Memorial leg 2 Yonkers (3/26) - $50,000 Petticoat Final Yonkers (3/27) - $50,000 Sagamore Final (All post times are E.D.T.) DRF Harness Weekend 9 March 15, 2018 (1) LARRYS PETROCK debuts for some new connections here and there s no reason to think his roll won t continue in this field. -Garnet Barnsdale RACE 2 (5) FASHION CREDITOR posted an even mile off the bench versus a much better field last week. I m expecting much more in his second start back from the layoff. -Derick Giwner RACE 10 (4) BERNADETTE raced much better last time and if she is getting close to as good as she was last year, she handles these. -Barnsdale RACE 12 (4) MACON GEORGIA A can be excused for last week s effort where he was used twice and still battled stubbornly; he s clearly back in top shape and should be able to handle these. -Matt Rose RACE 6 (5) MASTER OF PUPPETS missed six weeks between starts and tried to close from last into slow fractions last Saturday; a certain recipe for failure. His prior try at this level resulted in a win; should offer value. -Giwner Friday, MARCH 16 Saturday, march 17 Want full-card analysis? Visit DRF.com/harness

10 TRACK NEWS FROM ACROSS NORTH AMERICA Merriman looks to join 10,000 win club Driver Aaron Merriman, who once again sits atop the wins leaderbaord among drivers in 2018 with 173, will begin his racing day on Friday (March 16) just one win shy of 10,000 for his career. Merriman picked up four wins at The Meadows and three at Northfield Park on Wednesday before a regularly scheduled Thursday off. He ll resume his quest to become the 13th driver in history to reach the 10,000 milestone on Friday night at Miami Valley Raceway in Ohio. Merriman, who had a 30-win lead over Ronnie Wrenn Jr. in 2018 after Wednesday night action, is listed on 13 horses on the 14-race Miami Valley card. The leading dashwinning driver from Chris Gooden Aaron Merriman is one win away from 10,000 in his career. 2017, Merriman could easily climb into the top 10 all-time with a current-year showing equal to any of his previous three years. Accident at Yonkers sends Kakaley to the sidelines An incident in the 10th race at Yonkers Raceway on Tuesday night (March 13) caused drivers Matt Kakaley and Jim Marohn Jr. to hit the track. Marohn was able to continue driving on the card but Kakaley was taken to the hospital where he was discovered to have multiple injuries, including a broken collarbone, nose and facial fractures according to the Yonkers Raceway Twitter account. While on the sidelines for the immediate future, Kakaley hopes to return to the bike soon. The news was even worse on the equine side as the classy Lawgiver Hanover, a 9-year-old with over $623,000 in career earnings, suffered a fractured right cannon bone and was euthanized. Hoosier Park gearing up for 2018 opening With the return of live harness racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino just a few weeks away, final preparations for the 2018 season are well underway throughout the property. Opening day of the 160-day meet is set for Friday, March 30. With a daily post time of 6:30 p.m., the live racing season will be conducted through November 10. Live racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will follow a Friday, Saturday schedule the opening week, a Thursday, Friday, Saturday schedule the second week and then commence a Tuesday through Saturday schedule throughout the remainder of the season. The barn area officially opened on Saturday, March 10 for those horsemen allotted stalls to begin moving in horses and equipment. The track opened for training on Monday, March 12 from the hours of 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will remain open during these hours until live racing begins. Once racing begins, training hours will be from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. throughout the duration of the season. The track will be closed on Sundays and all days of training will be subject to weather permitting. The Paddock and ship-in area will also be open for those horsemen wishing to ship in and train. All horses entering the grounds must have all valid paperwork required before being allowed entry to the grounds. Condition sheets and stakes schedules will be posted on Hoosier Park s website as soon as they are made available. Hoosier Park recently announced several overnight and late closing events to be contested in early April and May along with a variety of overnight series for Indiana-sired horses. All of the overnight series will be on Hoosier Park s condition sheets and more information can be found on Hoosier Park s website by clicking here. Building upon the successes of the 2017 live race meet, Hoosier Park s 25th season of live harness racing will offer a very lucrative stakes program throughout the season highlighted by the 25th anniversary of the $300,000 Dan Patch Stakes on August 10. -edited release (Hoosier Park) Downs at Pocono meet begins Saturday The 2018 live season of harness racing at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono opens this Saturday night (March 17), with the first of fourteen races set to go at the track s new normal post time of 7 p.m. A pair of $17,000 events for developing younger horses tops the bill of fare on the curtainraising card. In the 13th race pace, the brother team of trainer Rene and driver Simon Allard will send out the American Ideal 4-year-old Art Scene, who was one of eight qualifying winners last week for Team Allard with a 1:56 2/5 open-length victory. Purchased at the start of 2018, Art Scene earned over $290,000 in 2017, and he threw a scare into last year s Pacer of the Year Downbytheseaside in the Messenger Pace, coming within a nose of victory. Art Scene does draw the difficult post eight in this nine-horse contest. The Allards could sweep the opening night features at the mountain oval, as they have the Muscle Mass gelding Zagster starting from post three in a field of seven in the third race trot. Zagster comes off an impressive two-move victory in 1:57 3/5 over Saratoga s half-mile oval, but he must shake off some recent bouts of indecorous behavior to have a good chance to take the co-feature. Simon Allard has been named on 11 horses for Saturday s card; the Napolitano brothers show up even more frequently Anthony, who currently leads all drivers at The Meadowlands, is named in 13 races, while brother George, seeking his seventh straight Pocono dashwinning crown, is set to face the gate 12 times. This first week of racing, Pocono will follow this Saturday card with a card on Tuesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. In the next two Saturday through Tuesday standard racing weeks at Pocono, Sunday will be added to the mix, and the April 1 card on Easter Sunday will have a special post time of 5 p.m., in addition to hosting the first competition in this year s Bobby Weiss Series for developing 3- and 4-year-olds. The basic four-card-a-week schedule will first be employed with the addition of racing on Monday, April 9. The highlight of the season will come in late October, when Pocono will be the host for the third time to the $6M Breeders Crown Championship series, with eliminations on Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20, with the best in these races coming through to their lucrative Championships on Saturday 27, a night that will see many divisional championships settled It all comes down to the Breeders Crown. -edited release (Jerry Connors for PHHA/Pocono) March payments for Hambletonian stakes due March sustaining and nominating payments for Hambletonian Society stake events are due Thursday, March 15 and per USTA Rule 12 section 4, must be postmarked by midnight on Friday, March 16. The Hambletonian Society services 132 of harness racing s richest and most prestigious events and provides one-stop shopping for your staking needs. The website Hambletonian.org contains all the tools and information necessary to stake your horse yourself. Race conditions, payment forms and much more information is now available online. For additional information call the Society offices at or davidjanes@hambletonian.org. -edited release (Hambletonian Society) DRF Harness Weekend 10 March 15, 2018