Weekend. Tritton charges ready to roll in Yonkers stakes

Weekend THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018 DRF HARNESS HOME DRF.COM/HARNESS DRF BETS HARNESS PPS DIGITAL HARNESS EYE ENTRIES NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE Featured Tracks Meadowlands (FRI) Analysis Mohawk Park (FRI) Analysis Yonkers (FRI) Analysis Tritton charges ready to roll in Yonkers stakes With Sell A Bit N in the Blue Chip Matchmaker and Bit Of A Legend N in the George Morton Levy, trainer Peter Tritton has a pair of aces. By Jay Bergman Meadowlands (SAT) Mohawk Park (SAT) Yonkers (SAT) Get Analysis Get Analysis Analysis Analysis Analysis Top Links & What s Inside Giwner: New spin on Survivor bet & other wagering thoughts, Page 4 Bergman: Trond Smedshammer gearing up for big 2018, Page 5 Marks: Legacy of Rocknroll Hanover continues, Page 6 Macedonio: Hat in the ring for Social Media Manager, Page 7 Apple Bottom goes for Burning Point sweep at Meadowlands, Page 7 On The Backstretch: Profile of driver Brian Sears, Page 8 Handicapper s Corner: Best bets, stakes schedule & carryovers, Page 9 Northville Downs selling; staying open through 2020, Page 10 For the third consecutive year trainer Peter Tritton will arrive at Yonkers Raceway for the $373,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker and $532,000 George Morton Levy finals with a chance at taking home the winner s share of each race. In 2017 he tasted victory with Mackenzie A in the Matchmaker and 2016 produced a win by Bit Of A Legend N in the Levy. In 2018 Tritton shows up with a similar cast, though one of his finalists was close to sitting out the Matchmaker series. I didn t nominate her until the last day, said Tritton of Sell A Bit N, who finished second in the 2016 final of the event. The trainer admitted he was fonder then and remains a bigger fan of last year s series champion Mackenzie A. [Sell A Bit N] had been racing good in the Opens and I thought if we left her out of the series she would end up drawing post eight all the time. The move has been a more than pleasant surprise for Tritton, as Sell A Bit N enters Saturday s (April 21) final in prime condition and with a major chance. I definitely think Shartin N is the horse to beat, said Tritton. Tritton concedes that Shartin N has been superior to this division during much of the opening round action. Last week was a different story as Shartin N made multiple breaks and finished up the track. I think Jim (King Jr) and Tim (Tetrick) know what they are doing. I think that mare got fired up a little last week and they couldn t calm her down, said Tritton. While Shartin N has the draw advantage Mike Castellano Sell A Bit N finished second in the 2016 Blue Chip Matchmaker final. over Sell A Bit N, the trainer wasn t exactly concerned. My mare can leave out of there pretty good and she does her best racing on the front end. The Blue Chip Matchmaker final will see Shartin N start from the pole with Sell A Bit N in post two. There could be plenty of early speed with Lady Shadow (post 4) and preliminary leg winners Twinkle (post 7) and Lakeisha Hall (post 8) likely to be involved. Mackenzie A didn t qualify for the final after coming up a little short in last week s final prelim. She ll have a chance to pad her career earnings in the $75,000 Consolation carded as race seven. I think she s the best in there. Had L A Delight (post 8) drawn inside I might not be saying that, Tritton said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 2018 Schedule & Conditions at www.racingohio.net 2018 Ohio Sires Stakes 2- & 3-Year-Olds Four $40,000 to $60,000 Legs Eight $275,000 Championships Eight $60,000 Consolations Contact Kimberly Rinker 614-779-0269 kim.rinker@racing.ohio.gov 2018 Daily Racing Form, LLC - 708 3rd Ave, 12th Floor, NY, NY 10017

Bit Of A Legend N tries for his second Levy Memorial title on Saturday. He won the 2016 edition at Yonkers Raceway. Mike Lizzi CONTINUED from page 1 Mackenzie A has had some issues in the series and Tritton said that he would likely give her some time off after Saturday night and may skip a few races. We ve got her eligible to the Roses Are Red and Breeders Crown. If she s good I may go in the Betsy Ross (Harrah s Philadelphia on May 27), said Tritton. Race 9 - $373,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker Final Post Horse Driver Morning Line 1 Shartin N Tim Tetrick 8-5 2 Sell A Bit N Jordan Stratton 7-2 3 Medusa Yannick Gingras 6-1 4 Lady Shadow Jason Bartlett 7-2 5 Motu Moonbeam N Brent Holland 20-1 6 Dudesalady Scott Zeron 15-1 7 Twinkle eric Goodell 20-1 8 Lakeisha Hall George Brennan 15-1 There s no doubt in either Tritton or driver Jordan Stratton s mind how good Bit Of A Legend N is right now. Jordan said after last week that if we draw between one and three we would win this week, said Tritton of the Levy final. After the draw on Monday, Bit Of A Legend N got number seven for the $532,000 finale carded as race 10 of a dozen on Saturday night. We ll have to see how it goes, said Tritton. I ll leave it up to Jordan to decide what to do. The 2016 Levy champion won two preliminary legs and finished second twice, including an explosive closing effort in last week s contest. He s just a happy horse. He ll give you everything he s got, said Tritton of the 9-year-old son of Bettor s Delight that needs just under $9,000 to move over the $2 million mark in career earnings, with a majority of that earned since arriving in North America. He s just a great gaited horse that s probably just as good on a big track, said Tritton. It s just that he has an advantage over many on the small track. The Levy final will be imposing and that could play to a closers advantage if the pace gets testy. Western Fame (post 1) and Dr J Hanover (post 2) may make it very difficult for other leavers to get the front end. At the same time, Evenin Of Pleasure (post 4) has shown the capacity to out-leave the starting gate. Last year s Levy champion Keystone Velocity also enters the race in top form for trainer Rene Allard and driver Dan Dube. With post three he could benefit greatly from early over-activity. The rugged Somewhere In L A (post 5), Mach It So (post 6) and Rockin Ron (post 8) round out an exceptional field. Tritton indicated that Bit Of A Legend N would likely be pointed towards the Camluck (May 26) at Western Fair and then go on the following week to the Battle of Lake Erie at Northfield Park, both over half-mile ovals. Race 10 - $532,000 George Morton Levy Final Post Horse Driver Morning Line 1 Western Fame Mark MacDonald 7-1 2 Dr J Hanover Brett Miller 9-2 3 Keystone Velocity Dan Dube 5-2 4 Evenin Of Pleasure Joe Bongiorno 8-1 5 Somewhere In L A Jason Bartlett 5-1 6 Mach It So David Miller 4-1 7 Bit Of A Legend N Jordan Stratton 9-1 8 Rockin Ron Yannick Gingras 20-1 DRF Harness Weekend 3 April 19, 2018

A new spin on the Survivor bet and other wagering thoughts EDITOR S EYE By Derick Giwner @harnesseyeguy While listening to Post Time With Mike & Mike last weekend, the conversation switched to creating a lottery bet which everyone could participate in and have a fair chance of hitting. The talk about a lottery bet stemmed from a discussion with Jason Settlemoir of The Meadowlands about the current Survivor wager, which has leveled off at a pool size of $18,000-$20,000. The wager requires you to select at least one horse in the first 10 races on the card and pick a winner in each of the races. If at any point during the 10 races a person is the only one to have that winning horse, they collect the entire pool. The pool can also be paid out to multiple winners if no one has the winner of a race or if more than one person makes it through all 10 legs. The problem as I see it with the wager is the amount of money necessary to take a stab and the amount of time the money is in limbo during the night. If you commit $64 to $96, a reasonable amount to have an opportunity to hit, that money is tied up until race 10. That means anyone with a modest budget of $100 to $200 is priced out of taking a shot. The wager eliminates a big part of the potential pool of bettors. My fix for the wager would be to make it a Survivor 7 (I d even consider a Survivor 6). The first key is that betting churn is increased because there will be more winners on most nights and the wager will pay off after just 6 or 7 races instead of 10. Secondly, the wager is now affordable for any player. A 3x3x3x3x2x2x1 ticket is just $64.80 for strong coverage. Find two singles in the sequence and you cut it in half to $32.40. Some will say that this will make the bet into a normal Pick 6 or Pick 7, but it differs in a couple of ways. 1) If you fail to select the winner in a race, you are out. In a pick 6, if you miss a race you can still get a consolation payout. So, there is a bit more strategy in the Survivor wager. 2) The wager pays out the entire pool every night with no carryover whereas a Pick 6 may only pay out 25% of the pool if nobody selects all six winners. Of course the likelihood that one person will take down the entire pool on any given night will be greatly reduced, but the upside is that more people will win, which should be the goal, because winners keep betting and losers go home. While switching to a Survivor 7 is something I think could drive more life into the Survivor 10 bet, the wager really has no lottery appeal, because the chances of playing one ticket and hitting are extremely remote and the payoff of $15,000 to $17,000 doesn t quite equate to the millions you could get with $2 in the Mega Millions or Powerball. Perhaps more importantly if you want to appeal to a mass audience, you need a more random outcome that can t easily be calculated by a sharp handicapper. In other words, every ball in the lottery games is random whereas the outcome of every horse race is far from random. My idea is a $5 Pick 4 wager where the winning combination for each race is determined by the total of the first three or four finishers. For example if the order of finish in the first leg is 4-7-2, the winning number for that leg is 13. Assuming a field size of 10 in each leg of the Random 4, the winning numbers for each race will range between 3 and 27. The number of potential combinations makes it foolish for anyone to attempt to use all of the possible winning numbers. There is enough handicapping involved that a sharp player could try to focus on a certain range but enough potential variance that one small mistake could destroy their chances. The Random 4 only pays off if someone correctly selects all four winning numbers. If there are no winners it carries over to the next racing card. The idea here is to provide a wager where you don t need to know anything about racing to play and is cheap enough that anyone that walks in the track would be willing to take a shot to potentially win a huge sum of money. I believe it could also appeal to all ADW players regardless of their favorite breed since no handicapping is necessary to win and the cost is cheap. I ll admit that the number of races may need to be adjusted depending on how difficult the wager becomes to hit, but whether it is a Random 4 or Random 5 is irrelevant. As long as I m throwing out ideas, I have another Pick 4 possibility. Each ticket costs $20 and you are only permitted to play one combination if you are using any trackable wagering account. If you are familiar with Daily Fantasy Sports, think of it as a Single Entry game. This would eliminate a whale from placing a hundred or thousand bets and limit them to one for every ADW account they use. The other interesting part of the wager is that if you show up at a track or Off Track Wagering location and don t use a rewards card, you can play as many tickets as you want. The only stipulation is that multiple combinations can t be played on one ticket, so you ll have to work a bit to place a bunch of wagers. The wager will pay out to the people with the most winning numbers. I see two very appealing aspects of this wager. First, you are providing a true benefit to anyone that comes to the track. If you spend your money to pay for gas, tolls, food, etc. to show up, you deserve a perk. 2) By limiting the number of combinations that can be played, any person who walks in off the street could potentially pick four numbers and take down the entire pool. With 325 million people living in the United States and over 7 billion in the world, how hard could it be to find 5,000 people a night to put up $20 to create a $100,000 pool? Even if the takeout was 15%, wouldn t you take a shot for $20 to win $85,000? Of course, someone could show up at The Meadowlands and play a 50 cent Pick 4 into a similar $100,000 pool and win, but since the number of outstanding combinations will be much greater, you ll be getting substantially less money back. I don t have a crystal ball to see whether any of the above ideas will work. I do know that you can t create something successful if you don t innovate. DRF Harness Weekend 4 April 19, 2018

Smedshammer preparing for Classics with top trotting talent jaywalking By Jay Bergman BergmanJay This is the time of year you start to get excited every time a new horse arrives and reaches the winner s circle. The long and dreary winter may have produced some competitive older events but lacked the chance to see any future sophomore stars such as the arrival of a Wiggle It Jiggleit-type figure. Last Friday it may have appeared as if things were about to change when trainer Trond Smedshammer cruised around the Meadowlands surface and scored an impressive 1:53 1/5 victory with Donatover. The 3-year-old by Donato Hanover was making just his second sophomore start and the clocking appeared fast enough to get him into the conversation for stakes competition. He was very erratic last year, said Smedshammer. He wasn t bad but mentally he wasn t ready. I raced him at Harrah s last August and he was cruising along on the lead and I thought we were going to go a mile in about 1:56 when he made a break for no reason. The break in stride allowed Smedshammer to give Donatover a break for the rest of the season and the decision was made to castrate the horse to hopefully find a more manageable 3-year-old in the process. Yes he s a little bit better this year but still learning, said Smedshammer. I wouldn t make much of the time the other night, a lot of horses were going pretty fast. The returning aged performer Sutton scored in 1:51 3/5 on the same April 13 program and perhaps that better puts Donatover s mile in some perspective. I think if he continues to improve he ll be a nice Pennsylvania Sire Stakes horse, Smedshammer said. Much like other major stables, Smedshammer s talent level starts arriving in waves and the best are likely to be returning a little later. If there is one horse in the stable that may garner attention in the near term (Saturday morning) and perhaps on the first Saturday afternoon in August, it is Classichap. He s a Chapter Seven half-brother to Market Share, said Smedshammer when discussing the colt that made just four starts a year ago. Smedshammer had Classichap in a New York Sire Stakes race at Tioga Downs on July 4 and was the 3-2 betting favorite in a field that included eventual juvenile champion Fourth Dimension, who was on the front end when Smedshammer pulled Classichap at the halfway point. When I pulled him and he picked up speed it felt like we were going to go right past Fourth Dimension, said Smedshammer, recalling the event. Then he went off stride. Bad luck continued for Classichap in his next freshman start as he impressively won in an overnight race at The Meadowlands before being taken down by the judges. It had to be one of the worst decisions I ve ever seen made there, said Smedshammer. We actually got interfered with and somehow got disqualified. Classichap again faced off with Fourth Dimension at Saratoga in August and showed solid trot coming from off the pace as a runner-up in a 1:57 mile over the track. He s been training back very well, said Smedshammer. We have him staked pretty well. Wanda Polisseni s Purple Haze Stables LLC owns the aforementioned male sophomores, but more than likely her attention may get diverted along the 2018 stakes schedule when Phaetosive sets foot on the racetrack. I m taking my time with her, said Smedshammer of the impressive daughter of Explosive Matter that had to take a back seat to the unbeaten Manchego a year ago but whom the trainer believes will have better luck in 2018. I thought I had her beaten in Canada, said Smedshammer, recalling the Peaceful Way final at Mohawk last September. She just got crooked on me and I couldn t get her straightened out. Manchego was in front and Phaetosive had come on the outside to challenge. At the head of the stretch it certainly appeared to be anyone s race, but Phaetosive, a daughter of Explosive Matter, finished three quarters of a length back of Manchego in the 1:52 4/5 mile. Smedshammer of course has enormous respect for Manchego and the rivalry that he hopes ensues in 2018, and produces better results for the home team. There is still clear frustration that Phaetosive didn t enjoy a better fate last year, especially how things unfolded in the Breeders Crown held at Hoosier Park in late October. You have to just throw out the mile. We were down to the half in 55 (4/5) on the New Image Media Trond Smedshammer said he would be disappointed if Phaetosive (above) didn t beat Manchego a few times in 2018. track and it was brutal. She really had no shot after that, Smedshammer said. Fortunately for Smedshammer and those who witnessed the efforts of Phaetosive in elimination races last year, there is more than ample reason to believe she will be a force in 2018. I m probably going to skip the first Pennsylvania Sire Stakes with her, said Smedshammer, aware of the long sophomore season ahead as well as the lateness of the freshman campaign. She s definitely a bit bigger this year, though she was a big 2-year-old. She s filled out a lot. I would absolutely be disappointed if she didn t beat Manchego a few times this year, said Smedshammer. While some sophomores will qualify for Smedshammer on Saturday, he s been happy with what he s seen so far this year from the 4-year-old Chromeo. I don t know how high he can go class-wise but he s showing to be a very good horse, said Smedshammer of the son of Donato Hanover that showed some stakes talent in limited action at 2 and 3-years of age in the Ray Schnittker stable. Chromeo most recently won in a non-winners of 4 at Yonkers by open lengths. With 19 juveniles in training Smedshammer likes the group collectively but wasn t ready to cast a light on one ahead of the next. Right now he s more focused on getting his 3-year-olds on the track and ready for impending stakes action. DRF Harness Weekend 5 April 19, 2018

Legacy of Rocknroll Hanover continues through his sons on the mark By Bob Marks @BobMarks3 Rocknroll Hanover may have left us at the premature age of 11, but it does appear that the great son of Western Ideal is not only continuing his sire s legacy of being a sire of sires but perhaps on the verge of enhancing it. Western Ideal accomplished something virtually unprecedented in the annals of harness racing siring performance by accounting for not one but two major stallion sons in his first crop, they being Rocknroll Hanover and American Ideal. Generally speaking, most great stallions leave one or possibly two of what could be termed line-extender sons over the course of their siring careers. It is virtually unprecedented for a sire to leave two in the same crop as did Western Ideal. This is not to say that great stallions can t leave siring sons in the same crop, as Adios, Albatross and Western Hanover surely did. It s just that they were not of the line-extender magnitude. Actually, Western Ideal has another son in Always A Virgin who in addition to producing the world s fastest harness horse in Always B Miki, has proven a solid regional sire in Indiana. Thus far, Rocknroll Hanover is responsible for the following stallion sons: Rock N Roll Heaven, Rockin Image, A Rocknroll Dance, Pet Rock, Foreclosure N, Panther Hanover, Rockin Amedeus World Of Rocknroll and Woodstock. Of those, Rock N Roll Heaven (Artistic Vision) has become an established sire with last year s 3-year-old filly champion Sassa Hanover as his headliner. Considered Rocknroll Hanover s most accomplished racing son, Rock N Roll Heaven, similar to Bettor s Delight, has performed brilliantly in the Southern hemisphere and is among the leading sires Down Under. Rockin Image catapulted to major league status from his home base in Indiana via his outstanding son the world champion and free-for-aller-freaky Feet Pete. From the brilliant Kikikatie, Rockin Image is generally considered the leading pacing sire in Indiana. He once again led all Indiana sires in the combined 2 and 3-year-old earnings category last year. A Rocknroll Dance (Wichita Hanover) managed a very auspicious debut with his first crop last season, highlighted by Metro and Governor s Cup winner Lost In Time in addition to Kentucky filly champion Band Stand. His colt Spectrum from Somewhereoverarainbow topped all pacing yearlings at the auctions last year bringing $330,000, thus validating A Rocknroll Dance s commercial status. Pet Rock (Casual Beauty) was not only the leading sire for freshman earnings in Ohio last year but led all of the first-crop stallions in North America in that category. In that he himself improved dramatically from ages 2 to 3, it ll be interesting to see if his offspring follow suit. Thus far he seems to have a rather formidable sophomore colt in Sectionline Bigry (Aquatic Yankee), who was rather impressive in last Saturday s Hackett elimination winning in 1:51 3/5. Foreclosure N, from the fast Fake Left mare Pleasing Package A, was actually foaled in New Zealand before venturing northward. The Rocknroll Hanover colt raced here prior to standing stud in Ohio for one year, getting 16 starters from just 21 foals in his only season. Of the 16 starters, 3-year-olds of 2017, 15 proved to be winners. One of those, Drunk On Your Love, became the apple of Meadowlands CEO Jason Settlemoir s eye being the leading money winning Ohio Sires Stakes 3-year-old last year. Foreclosure N has since relocated to Ireland and should prove a popular stallion on that side of the Atlantic pond. Panther Hanover (Panned Out) sired but four foals in his first two years in New York, but since being moved to Indiana his books have swelled some. As of this writing, the jury is pretty much out on Panther Hanover, but an educated guess is that he ll do ok in the Hoosier State. Rockin Amadeus (Kikikatie) will send his first crop to the races this year from his Ohio base. He s a Breeders Crown 2-year-old winning full brother to Indiana s stallion leader Rockin Image. Woodstock, a Rocknroll Hanover from Artsplace s full sister Gothic Lady, has been around long enough to establish that he s a respectable regional stallion in the Buckeye State of Ohio. Similar applies to World Of Rocknroll, the Rocknroll Hanover from Worldly Beauty who left us last year. His offspring seldom ventured to the Eastern raceways but have been noticeable in Ohio sires and fair circuits. Of course it remains to be seen if any of the major Rocknroll Hanover sons, in particular A Rocknroll Dance and Pet Rock, will approach their sire s status, though A Rocknroll Dance is at least off to a decent start. As for American Ideal, his potential line extenders like Heston Blue Chip (Shottogobluechip) and He s Watching (Baberhood) are just getting started, with Heston offering his initial crop as 2-yearolds this season. It should be noted that Heston Blue Chip is from the same maternal family as Rockin Image with his second dam being a full sister to Kikikatie. That certainly will not hurt his chances. The first crop of He s Watching will reach the sales this fall. Stay tuned. DRF Harness Weekend 6 April 19, 2018

Apple Bottom Jeans goes for Burning Point sweep on Saturday TROT TAKES By Ryan Macedonio @Trotcast Macedonio for Social Media Manager! Lisa Photo Apple Bottom Jeans posted a career best 1:50 1/5 victory on April 14 at The Meadowlands. By Derick Giwner Still a couple of weeks from the start of the championship meet at The Meadowlands when the A.J. Cutler Memorial will kick off the stakes season on May 5, the track looks to whet the appetite of fans with a trio of late closers this weekend featuring some hard-hitting older trotters and pacers. Taking center stage from the three finals is clearly Apple Bottom Jeans. The 5-year-old mare arrived from Dover Downs for the Burning Point series three weeks ago and has swept through the first two legs as she pleased for trainer Kevin Switzer and driver Victor Kirby. She s very sharp right now and definitely stamped herself as the one to beat in this series, said Kirby. Kevin Switzer has done a wonderful job prepping her along after a layoff. Coming off a career best 1:50 1/5 victory last Saturday (April 14), Apple Bottom Jeans has been nothing short of spectacular. In both wins she was able to move first-over and blow past her competition in the stretch. She s very versatile, said Kirby. She can leave as good as any of them and she can race the way I ve raced her the last couple of weeks, which seems to be the way she prefers it. As long as she has a target, she s going to get them. That s the way she s been the last couple of weeks and I thought the last week was more impressive than the previous week. While Kirby will enter the $54,500 Burning Point final for older pacing mares on Saturday (April 21) with plenty of confidence, the field does have some fierce competitors with the capability of pacing a mile in the 1:50 range likely needed to win. Bettorhaveanother was a first round winner in 1:51 3/5 and owns a career mark of 1:50 3/5 at Dover while Valuable Art responded to the addition of Lasix to score a 1:51 2/5 leg two victory. There are a few good mares in there, said Kirby, who will steer the Kdk Standardbreds-owned Apple Bottom Jeans from post two. The mare I drove last week of (trainer) Linda Toscano, she kind of got locked in and had a lot of pace finishing, that s Stormtracker. Valuable Art is obviously a good mare and (Ron) Burke s mare, Bettorhaveanother. Those are all good mares and I don t think you can take any of them lightly. Apple Bottom Jeans has to show up and be on the top of her game again or she can get beat, it is a horse race. The 10-horse Burning Point field is carded as race six on the 10-race Saturday night card that also features the first race $53,500 Whata Baron Final for older pacers. First leg winner Windsong Leo will face off with second heat victor Barimah A in the compact field of six. The trotters take the spotlight on Friday with the $52,500 Shiaway St Pat, race seven on the program. Sutton, who missed all of 2017, will look to build on an impressive 1:51 3/5 second round win in the final versus a strong field that contains Elysium Lindy, Opulent Yankee and Deep Impact. Post time for both the Friday and Saturday night cards is 7:15 p.m. DRF Harness Weekend 7 April 19, 2018 It was announced that the USTA will be hiring a social media manager, and spoiler alert, I applied. Who knows what will happen over the next few weeks as applications flood their email, people are weeded out and final interviews are set in place. Job opportunities should be a two way street. Both parties should complement each other in order to achieve the greatest success for the position. Who knows if the USTA and I would even be a great permanent fit, but that is something that will be sorted out at a later date. What most concerns me is the position itself, and not because it s the USTA specifically, but the position that the USTA is in. If this were a social media position for an individual athlete, track or promotion, it would be easy to fill and simple to do. Find matching sensibilities with that brand and just highlight that brand all the time! It s a simple recipe for success. But the USTA sort of has to be like MLB and others which umbrella everything! MLB has the luxury of owning its own content, so it can share videos and highlights all day, every day, but USTA does not because Roberts owns the rights to video content. So USTA is already behind on its content wagon. Maybe they could help facilitate and distribute content that already exists from each track, because that s what MLB does very well. They take each team s social media/content and retweets the hell out of it. But there s only a few tracks who contribute to social media on a regular basis. Is the USTA supposed to create content for tracks who can t even be bothered to create their own content? No, that is not its job. They should take the overall perception of the industry and reflect it back to the masses. USTA is too big to go scavenging for every little story and news item, because that is the job of individual tracks. Be mad at them, not the USTA. Be mad at the USTA when a big picture topic isn t brought to its potential. I think that the biggest opportunity and responsibility of this social media job will be to help teach everyone exactly how important it is and to teach the industry how easy it is to use. Creating USTA content is a small piece of the puzzle. If the USTA creates an awesome and consistent distribution method then they can show and prove that if you build it, it will be seen! The ability to unite all of harness racing is here, but it s not being used to the degree it can. Social Media Manager is a new position in every industry, some have figured it out and some have not. We ll all see soon enough how this story ends.

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 brian sears What kind of car do you drive? Favorite dinner meal? Snack? Jeep Fish, Candy When you leave the track, are the races still on your mind? Oh yeah. Stakes races especially stay with me longer. What is the longest time you ve sat in traffic trying to get to a track? Some time so long ago that I never made it and turned around. Do you study the past performances before showing up at the track? Definitely. Who is your best friend on the backstretch? I d like to think I m friends with everbody. If you are going to grab a drink after the races, which horseperson would you want to hang out with? Everybody sort of goes their own way because we live far from the track and you obviously can t drink and drive. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not racing? Recently it has been golf. I m a 15 handicap. What is your favorite sport? Team? Football - Miami Dolphins. Lisa Photo Brian Sears pulled off the Hambletonian/Hambletonian Oaks double in 2013. What is one thing about you most fans/bettors don t know? I m a very private person. What is one word that describes harness racing for you? Frustrating. Do you have a driving style? I m sure people would say I do, but I m not sure. If you weren t a driver, what would you be doing? Probably working as a wildlife officer somewhere in Florida. What is the best advice you ve ever received about harness racing? It was probably from my dad. When things get tough, don t worry about everybody and everything. Things will turn around. What has been your best moment in Harness Racing? I ve had great times everywhere I ve been but I really enjoyed my time at The Meadowlands. Hannelore Hanover to qualify Saturday By Ken Weingartner Hannelore Hanover is ready to get back on the racetrack and trainer Ron Burke thinks harness racing s defending Horse of the Year is entering her upcoming campaign feeling as good as she did at the end of last season. On Saturday morning, Hannelore Hanover will qualify at the Meadowlands with regular driver Yannick Gingras as she prepares for the Arthur J. Cutler Memorial on May 5 at the Big M. Everything seems really good, Burke said. She feels like the way she felt at the end of the year last year, so I m happy with that. Right at the end of the year she finally put it together. She was winning, but didn t feel right. By the end of the year, she got herself sounder, sharper. This year right from the get-go she seems better, stronger. I m hoping last year carries over into this year. READ MORE DRF Harness Weekend 8 April 19, 2018

Weekend Spotlight 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. Happy Handicapping! RACE 5 Thursday, APRIL 19 Derick Giwner & Matt Rose discuss the Matchmaker & Levy finals from Yonkers Raceway this Saturday. Friday, April 20 Miami Valley (6:05 p.m.) $40,000 Hackett Memorial 3yo Fillies (Race 10) Saturday, April 21 miami valley (6:05 p.m.) $40,000 Hackett Memorial 3yo Colts (Race 11) yonkers (6:50 P.M.) $373,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker Mare Pace (Race 9) $532,000 Levy Memorial Open Pace (Race 10) Sunday, April 22 pompano (7:20 p.m.) Pick 5 Carryover ($6,503) (Races 1-5) Looking Ahead Yonkers (4/24) - $85,000 SOA Bonus Trot Final Miami Valley (4/27) - $50,000 Scarlet & Gray Inv. Freehold (4/28) - $40,000 Dexter Cup Elim. Miami Valley (4/28) - $50,000 Scarlet & Gray Inv. DRF Harness Weekend 9 April 19, 2018 (2) I C TRUE GRIT exploded to a big win in this class last time and this spot is no tougher; call to repeat. -Garnet Barnsdale RACE 4 (3) PIRAHNA FURY finished up with plenty left in her lone qualifier this year. The breaking issues from 2017 are of some concern but she should be tough if those problems are behind her now. -Derick Giwner RACE 3 (5) FOREVER LIZA was ready for her season debut and looked like a winner until she was nailed right on the line. She should get a decent setup here for her late kick. -Barnsdale RACE 6 (6) MACKENZIE A didn t fire her best shot last week which kept her out of the Matchmaker final but anything close to her usual effort will be enough to beat these. -Matt Rose RACE 5 (2) CALIFORNIA CRUISIN raced well in his first start since November and catches a soft group. He should take care of business. -Giwner Friday, APRIL 20 Saturday, APRIL 21 Want full-card analysis? Visit DRF.com/harness

Northville Downs selling; staying open through 2020 Northville Downs Photo Northville Downs has been open for over 100 years but began hosting harness racing in 1944. By Joe Nevills Northville Downs, the lone surviving racetrack of any breed in Michigan, is in the process of being sold for development. The 40-acre property in Northville, Mich., on the northwest outskirts of Detroit, is under contract with Hunter Pasteur Homes of Farmington Hills, Mich., with plans to build 500-600 apartments, townhouses, and single-family homes, along with potential commercial space. Terms of the transaction and planned development costs were not disclosed, according to Crain s Detroit Business. A statement from Northville Downs management affirmed that live racing and simulcast would continue on the grounds through 2020, with plans to keep racing alive at a different venue afterward. We are in the process of exploring multiple other locations to develop a first-class, state of the art racing and gaming facility that Michigan can be proud of, the statement read. We will continue to work closely with state and local representatives to implement the necessary changes that other states around us have, so we can bring racing back to its finest day. The track is owned by the Carlo family and the investment group Northville Driving Club Corp., of which the Carlos are minority shareholders, per Crain s. Northville Downs is the second Michigan track to be announced sold for development this month, after Thoroughbred venue Hazel Park Raceway closed its doors less than a month before its scheduled opening day. Demolition of Hazel Park is expected to begin by the end of April. Crain s reported that Northville planned to hire 30 additional employees to accommodate the migration of bettors from Hazel Park, and the harness track would purchase over $50,000 worth of equipment and other materials from the shuttered track. Northville Downs is currently in the midst of its spring meet, held Fridays and Saturdays from March 2 to June 9. The track is also scheduled to host Friday and Saturday racing this year from Sept. 7 to Dec. 15. Northville Downs opened in September 1944, and it was one of the first tracks in the U.S. to host night harness racing. When it closes, it will become the sixth harness track to close or be repurposed in Michigan since 1997, following Muskegon Race Course (closed in 1997, converted to Thoroughbred track Great Lakes Downs); Saginaw Valley Harness Raceway (2005); Jackson Harness Raceway (2008); Sports Creek Raceway (2014); and Hazel Park (2014, repurposed to Thoroughbred track). DRF Harness Weekend 10 April 19, 2018 HARNESS NEWS BRIEFS Ohio Sire Stakes nominations increase in 2018 The Ohio Sires Stakes nominations for 2- and 3-year-old trotting and pacing colts and fillies total 1,180 this year, up 3% from 2017. Horses sired by a stallion registered with the Ohio State Racing Commission and standing in the Buckeye State in 2018 are eligible to the rich Ohio Sires Stakes. A total of 141 stallions are currently standing at Ohio-based facilities for this year s breeding season. The 2018 figures have more than doubled since 2015, when a total of 778 youngsters were nominated to the four-leg program, which this season, features Championship purses of $275,000 (to be raced Sept. 8 at Scioto Downs) and $60,000 Consolations (to be raced Oct. 13 at Northfield Park) for each of the eight divisions. This year, 773 trotting and pacing youngsters of both genders (360 fillies & 413 colts) were nominated in the 2-year-old divisions, while the sophomore ranks had 407 (193 fillies & 214 colts) foals nominated. That s a modest 7% increase of 3-year-old nominees over last season s total of 379, while the freshman nominees were nearly identical, with 769 freshman nominees in 2017. Among freshman trotters, 207 colts were nominated this season, compared with 183 in 2017. In the 2-year-old trotting filly division, 166 nominations were received, an increase of five horses from 2017. In the freshman pacing divisions, 206 colts (an 11% decrease from 2017) and 194 fillies were nominated to the program for 2018. Among Ohio-sired 3-year-olds, 89 trotting colts (a 17% increase from 2017) and 86 trotting fillies (a 20% increase from 2017) are Ohio Sires Stakes eligible, while 125 pacing colts and 107 pacing fillies were nominated figures similar to last season. While the overwhelming majority of nominations came from individuals and stables residing and training in the Buckeye State, nominations were also received from Florida, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Tennesse and Mississippi. In addition, $60,000 Championships have been reinstated for 4-yearold & up horses to be raced Oct. 6 at Northfield Park. -Kim Rinker for OSDF 2018 World Harness Handicapping Championship set Next Saturday (April 28) the top horseplayers in North America will compete for $75,000 in prize money in the 2018 World Harness Handicapping Championship at Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment in East Rutherford, NJ. READ MORE Burke, Lachance & Schnittker heading to France Although trainer Ron Burke has sent out more than 40,000 starters who have earned more than $194 million in purses, he s never had the opportunity to work with a French trotter. That will change this spring when Burke, Mike Lachance, and Ray Schnittker travel to France to purchase 24 trotters for the French American Trotting Club, the Standardbred Owners Association of New York s pioneering effort to bring a contingent of European horses to compete at Yonkers Raceway. READ MORE Eric Carlson reaches 3,000 wins Eric Carlson wasted no time in recording his 3000th career victory Monday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, taking the first race of the night with Call Me Richard for the milestone victory. Call Me Richard pressed forward to control the pace over Monday s sloppy racetrack at Pocono, and he opened up a large lead towards the three-quarters. In the stretch, Holy Halibut, second choice to the winning favorite, made up some late ground, but Carlson kept after his charge and crossed the wire with a safe 1-1/4 length margin at the end of the 1:57 3/5 mile. READ MORE