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MEADOWLANDS PACE MEDIA CONFERENCEJuly 10, 2007Myron BellDennis DowdBob HaydenJoe HollowayMike McCarthySam McKeeJoe PolisenoKen WarkentinKEN WARKENTIN: Welcome to the press conference, the media conference for the $1 million Meadowlands Pace. We're coming to you live from the TVG Network, from the Pegasus Restaurant to draw the post positions today for our signature event for our three-year-old Pacers, the $1 million Meadowlands Pace presented by TVG this year. It's the 31st edition of this historic event, the eighth race on Sunday with a post time of 9:10 p.m. Meadowlands Pace was horse racing's first million dollar event back in 1908. Certainly spans a legacy of stars over the years. And it's part of the stretch drive of our championship event. I've just been informed that, of course, the pinnacle of our championship meeting will be August 4th, confirmed the appearance again of Mr. George Foreman, former heavyweight champion, who confirmed again he'll be making an appearance and handing out the trophy as well. And there's also going to be a Foreman Grill give-away as well. We welcome that. George Foreman will be here and will be able to talk to you. We just thought we'd let you know about that. Before we get to the great lineup of Pace Night activities, it's my pleasure to introduce the senior vice president of racing for the Meadowlands Racetrack, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, Mr. Dennis Dowd. DENNIS DOWD: Thank you, Ken. It's always exciting to get ready for a race like the Meadowlands Pace, and I thank everyone who is here for being here and recognizing that. I would be reluctant to say that I noticed the empty seats here. And I think that makes a comment on racing in general and racing at the Meadowlands and racing in New Jersey and it's a comment that I cannot ignore. We don't have any drivers here today, and they're not here because they're at racetracks that have slot machines. We have a lot of the drivers who will be here in the Pace Saturday night, are qualifiers in Chester Down, the racetrack that didn't exist three years ago. Our pressers are still strong here at the Meadowlands, and I believe they will continue to be strong, but we at the Sports Authority and in the state of New Jersey have to recognize that we're going to need a continued source of press funding in order to regenerate the enthusiasm that a race like the Meadowlands Pace deserves. We are seeking perk subsidies and more importantly we're seeking an expansion of VLTs and we are hopeful that this administration will agree with us and give us the funding that the Meadowlands and the races such as the Pace can continue to be the marquee events in this sport that you have to love. I love harness racing. I want to see it back to what it was and maybe even better. So we're going to work towards that. But we have to work to that together and I just want to make one other -- I'm usually not a downer, guys, but I'm in a bad mood for a couple of reasons, and one of them is the lack of attendance. But I want to also say that we have some scourges in this sport, and the one that most annoys me today is the use of a nonpurpose medication, EPO. And I'm so proud that the New Jersey Racing Commission has introduced a rule that will outlaw the use of EPO that has an effective test for the EPO and that a first offense is a $50,000 fine and ten-year suspension, and second offense is total banishment from this sport. And I believe that those types of punishment will chase the bad people out and maybe continue to attract the good people, you people who are sitting here today. I thank you for being here. Didn't mean to bring you down. But I think some things had to be said. Enjoy the day. (Applause) KEN WARKENTIN: Thanks very much, Dennis. Let's run down the list of what's happening on Pace Night for our patrons. We've got a $100,000 Pick Four guarantee, certainly plenty of opportunities. Other Saturday night highlights, a cooler bag give-away, and it's really cool, with paid admissions while supplies last. We have live music sponsored by WDHA The Rock of New Jersey, 105.5, with the Burton Brothers and Dog Voices in concert in Paddock Park. You can see those highlights right there on your TV monitor by our graphics goddess, Gina. Carnival sports games for kids, $350,000 funnel, don't want to forget the Stanley dancer memorial with the early Hambletonian favorite, Hanover, great matchup with the other Hambletonian contenders in that great race. The first 3,000 fans, 18 and over, receive a free New Jersey lottery scratch-off ticket. There's live coverage on site by TVG all night with Gary Sibel. Dave Weaver and Dave Brower does a great job with the Friday Night Drive Time show, along with Gary and Dave. Plus live coverage of the Meadowlands Pace on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 126 with Dave Johnson, Bill Finley, and the man of all hats, Peter Kleinhans. Superfecta is on every race, it's an all superfecta card, and advanced wagering on the entire Pace night card begins on Friday at 12 noon. So that's the stellar lineup of activities for our patrons, our guests here, as well as those that are participating in the race and the races that night and want to partake as well. It's almost time for the post position draw, but first we want to take a look at the highlights, how they got here, the finalists. So let's look at the eliminations from this past Saturday. (Video played) There you have the spine-tingling excitement, the stage set for the big event on Saturday with the two eliminations. Great job again by our award-winning television department. As you can see, the Meadowlands Pace, a big race like this, for a million dollars, it's always a sense of timing, the right timing. You need luck. But it always comes down to great horsemen, great people surrounding a great horse. And we certainly look forward to a great horse race coming up on Saturday. It's time now to introduce our draw participants. Come on up, guys. Starting with Mr. Tad Stockman, our Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. And our presenting judge, Mike McCarthy. Come on up, boys. Time to put you to work here. Sam McKee and Bob HEYDEN will stand by here with the draw participants -- the race participants, I should say. First we'll draw to see who will be among -- first among our two elimination winners, Always A Virgin and Running Book, to pick their post position. The connections of Always A Virgin are here, but Running Book is not here. Bill Elliott is on the line but you are going to be -- you've got it right here in your head right here. SAM McKEE: Always A Virgin will pick -- Always A Virgin. KEN WARKENTIN: -- second. SAM McKEE: -- picks second. KEN WARKENTIN: Okay. So you will pick second, first. SAM McKEE: Elliott will take the 2-hole. KEN WARKENTIN: Post 2. Post 2 for Running Book. Do we have a driver? SAM McKEE: Brennan. KEN WARKENTIN: George Brennan is going to drive. Brian Sears will drive Always A Virgin. So it's post 2 for Running Book with George Brennan driving. Of course he won the Pace with Hot Lead for Bill Elliott. We'll be speaking to him in a few minutes. He's on the line. And the connections of Always A Virgin, go ahead. Joe Holloway and Sam McKee, take it away. SAM McKEE: Joe Holloway, post 10 is still available. Breathed a sigh of relief. What are you going to do with Always A Virgin? JOE HOLLOWAY: Post 3. SAM McKEE: You're very confident in your colt, too. JOE HOLLOWAY: He went into his last week's race as good as he could. He did what he had to do. If he has a great week this week and some good racing luck, we'll be okay. SAM McKEE: Post 3 for Always A Virgin. KEN WARKENTIN: That's Bluewood Stable, Roll the Dice Stable, Val D'Or Farms, trainer Joe Holloway who just spoke to Sam McKee. And, of course, driver Brian Sears going for his sixth consecutive driving title here at the Big M. Another big year for Brian Sears. 2, Running Book; 3, Always A Virgin. We put the remaining eight pills back in the bottle here and time to draw the post positions for the eight remaining three-year-olds in the field. We'll to match them up with drivers as well while posting them on our TV monitors right here. So, Mike, you've got the slips. Tad's got the pills right here. Let's go to it. Mike also has the envelopes with post position 9. Post position 9. Who have you got, Mike? He's going to hand it to me. Sutter Hanover, post 9. Sutter Hanover. And Dave Miller, post position 9, third-place finisher in his elimination. MIKE McCARTHY: 7. KEN WARKENTIN: 7. Post position 7. Okay. Kenneth J, beating favorite, finished fourth, post position 7. 7 for Kenneth J, Ron Pierce. For Linda Toscano and owner Kenneth Jacobs. MIKE McCARTHY: 6. KEN WARKENTIN: 6, post position 6. What have you got, Mike? We've got Watta Hotshot, post 6. Watta Hotshot, post 6, with Mike Lachance, the third-place finisher in the North America Cup. Second time race six on Saturday. No. 6, Mike Lachance, Hall of Famer. MIKE McCARTHY: 4. KEN WARKENTIN: 4. No. 4. There's a coveted post. Pandoras Sox. Yes. We heard a yes over there. 4. Pandoras Sox. Andy Miller and Joe Poliseno. 4, Pandoras Sox. Andy Miller. MIKE McCARTHY: 5. KEN WARKENTIN: 5. Let's get that drum roll. Southwind Lynx, raced well. 5. Southwind Lynx. That's Tim Tetrick, nation's leading dash winning driver on that record pace for George Teague, Jr. 5, Southwind Lynx, Tim Tetrick, George Teague, Jr. MIKE McCARTHY: 1. KEN WARKENTIN: 1. The rail. 1. Tell All. North America Cup winner. Post 1, Jody Jamieson. Blair Burgess. My Desire Stable, Tell All. Post 1. MIKE McCARTHY: 8. KEN WARKENTIN: 8. Trueys Legacy with the 8. 8 for Trueys Legacy. Michael Vanderkemp, Noel Daley. 8, Trueys Legacy. So we're left with 10. Of course that has to be Artriverderci, post 10. John Campbell. Bruce Saunders. Sorry. That's John Campbell and Bruce Saunders and Renee Laarman. Artriverderci, post position 10. So let's review, shall we? You can see them on the TV monitor. We'll have the morning line from Dave Brower momentarily, and we'll get reaction in a few moments. Let's review. Our 1, Tell All, Jody Jamieson. 2, Running Book, George Brennan. 3, Always A Virgin. That's 3, Always A Virgin, Brian Sears. I would assume the likely favorite there. 4, Pandoras Sox, Andy Miller. 5, Southwind Lynx. The Rooney winner looking for his second million-dollar win this year. Tim Tetrick. 6, Watta Hotshot, Mike Lachance. 7, Kenneth J, number one rated in the experimentals earlier this year. Ron Pierce. 8, Trueys Legacy, Michael Vanderkemp. Very game effort in his elim. 9, Sutter Hanover and Dave Miller. And, 10, Artriverderci and John Campbell, a seven-time winner of the Meadowlands Pace. All right. Time now for the reaction. Let's send it over to Sam McKee and the connections, the man behind a lot of great decisions so far this year, North America Cup winner, Myron Bell. SAM McKEE: Thank you very much, Ken. And Myron Bell is the man who put together the partnership for Tell All and so many other top colts over the past couple of years. What a difference a week makes post-wise. You draw the outside on your elimination, you draw the rail for the final. What are your thoughts? MYRON BELL: I'm very happy. Extremely happy that we got the rail. SAM McKEE: He was fifth in his elimination, Myron. After his North America Cup win, he was the gold everybody focused on, that everyone talked about. Slipping your Pace elimination was probably not what you were hoping for. Was it a case of post position, pace, bad luck or the horse just wasn't fit or what was the story there? MYRON BELL: Combination of everything. He had three weeks off and he wasn't as tight as he should be. And this week we'll do the talking. SAM McKEE: Driver Jody Jamieson talks about the colt still being like a little kid: goofing off a lot of times, can still go fast. Is that maturity something that he needs to work on? MYRON BELL: Very few colts that don't race at two can be competitive like this at three. He's come a long way in a short time. SAM McKEE: Looking at the post draw, who are the horses you have to beat, what are your strategies and thoughts on the race, how it might lay out? MYRON BELL: Naturally Joe's horse by far is the horse to beat. We're happy to be in the position that if racing luck is good we'll be there. SAM McKEE: Myron, you sound like The Godfather with the low voice. That's your new nickname. Best of luck with Tell All in the Pace. MYRON BELL: Thank you very much. KEN WARKENTIN: I don't want to call these guys the little guys, but they've certainly come a long way. You've got a son -- he's got a son of the 1999 winner, the Panderosa. Pandoras Sox is Joe Poliseno. SAM MCKEE: I heard a little noise over here with post 4. Was that your table? JOE POLISENO: Yes, it was. SAM MCKEE: I'm guessing you're a little happy with post 4. JOE POLISENO: Very happy. Very good post. SAM MCKEE: 33 days ago your horse was 8-to-1, and finished seventh. What in the world has happened and what light switch went on with Pandoras Sox to get him to the Meadowlands Pace final? JOE POLISENO: We had problems with him earlier. We qualified him twice in the Poconos. He had an electrolyte imbalance and we kind of corrected that. And we felt that he had pretty bad allergies. We fixed that. And he seemed to come around. SAM MCKEE: Last year two, over 200,000, certainly showed some talent. When did you start your Meadowlands Pace possible preparation for him? JOE POLISENO: Well, we started early on after the racing the season last year. He raced good. Had some bad racing luck and he showed that he could go with him and we just proceeded on. SAM MCKEE: Your feelings going into your first Meadowlands Pace right now, four or five days from now? JOE POLISENO: I really couldn't tell you. I'm so thrilled. I don't know what to think. SAM MCKEE: (Indiscernible) a little hand in this? She's helping out too with Pandoras Sox. JOE POLISENO: Yeah, she (inaudible) that's it. SAM MCKEE: Good luck with Pandoras Sox in the final. KEN WARKENTIN: All right. Just before we get to Bill Elliott, the trainer for Running Book, we want to run through the morning line with Dave Brower right here. If we can display that here, start with the 1, Tell All, at 8-to-1. What do you think of that, Myron? MYRON BELL: I'm not happy with that number. What do you think? KEN WARKENTIN: Running Book, 4-to-1. That's 2. 3, Always A Virgin, 9-to-5, morning line favorite. 4, Pandoras Sox, 15-to-1. 5, Southwind Lynx, 8-to 1. 6, Watta Hotshot, 20-to-1. 7, Kenneth J, 5-to-1. 8, Trueys Legacy, 20-to-1. 9, Sutter Hanover, 10-to-1. And, 10, Artriverderci at 10-to-1. There's your morning line for the million dollar Meadowlands Pace. Bill Elliott, are you there? BILL ELLIOTT: Yes, I am. KEN WARKENTIN: Where are you this morning? BILL ELLIOTT: Up in Canada training my 25 head I have up here. I was up there last week. Got home on Sunday morning. Back here in Canada training. KEN WARKENTIN: You commented on this horse in the press kit here for Running Book, of course. We were surprised by that elimination win, but you weren't necessarily. I mean, he has a nice natural gait and he was sitting on a big mile. Tell us about that. BILL ELLIOTT: Well, Brian Sears gave him a perfect trip and he just set him on the back of Sutter Hanover. They're going nice fractions and Brian said the more he sat behind his back the more he swelled up and he said he knew he had a good shot coming from home. And I knew he could step up the best of him, and he proved he could here on Saturday. KEN WARKENTIN: Post position, you've drawn post position 2 here. Or, actually, picked your post. What went into that? And what do you think your strategy is going to be? BILL ELLIOTT: I think the two- or three-hole is probably the best there. I think we can get a look and see what the horses are doing and decide what he wants to do from there. I just thought the 2 or 3 spot was good for him. KEN WARKENTIN: His elimination win was a blow-out, very easy win. Is there such a thing as peaking too soon or is there just a lot more left in the tank here? BILL ELLIOTT: Hopefully there's a lot more left. I knew he had the ability, that's why we put him in the race. If I didn't think he could well, I wouldn't put him in. Training for last year, he was a nice colt. He had some good miles last year. This year training him down, he showed he was a nice colt and just didn't have the racing luck that he had up here. I told Brian he was ready to go a big mile and he did. KEN WARKENTIN: It's all about peaking at the right time, is it not? BILL ELLIOTT: Exactly. KEN WARKENTIN: Best of luck, post 2, Running Book. George Brennan, go get her. Sam McKee with Mark Harder. And he's responsible for the biggest upset in Pace history. SAM MCKEE: That's right. Holborn Hanover blew up the tote boards a few years ago. But before we talk to Mark, we want to direct your attention to the TV monitors for the ultimate outtake here in harness racing. We actually went over to do a video feature on Sutter Hanover and Mark was not there. He had gone to the qualifiers at Freehold, and as you can see, Sutter Hanover gives new definition to the term (indiscernible) here. He actually got away, threw a shoe, was headed down a driveway close to Route 33, and luckily he saw a mare in a paddock and decided to head down there and make friends with her. If he would have gotten loose and got out on the road, Mark wouldn't be here today. And I guarantee you, I wouldn't be here either. Post 9, you can't be too happy with that, but you've always said this horse is better from off the pace. MARK HARDER: I'd say that, but with the best racehorses, it can go either way. SAM MCKEE: In the elimination you sent him right out of there, and once Dave Miller cranked him up at the gate, it looked like he never relaxed. You set some wicked fractions there. Is that a mile he can build on or is that a mile that might take something out of him? MARK HARDER: I didn't tell him to do that. I didn't tell him to leave. He's driven the horse enough. I'm not telling the driver what to do. But is it something -- since the Burlington, the horse -- he hasn't been the same since the Burlington. He won his North America Cup elimination. He wasn't that great. He wasn't good in the final. And I hate to be crying about a second in a million-and-a-half-dollar race, but he was not the same horse that he was start back (indiscernible) Burlington. The horse in the Burlington didn't show up in the North America Cup. We went and qualified at Chester, and I wouldn't have put him in a nonwin for two off of that. But the other night I was very happy with him, and hopefully we're building on that. SAM MCKEE: Obviously the horse had issues, obviously he's a little healthier right now. Do you expect more progress between last Saturday's elim and Saturday's final? MARK HARDER: I don't really know what the issues were. I think -- schedule-wise, I think it was probably more my fault, a couple of the issues with him in Canada. But little excuses that -- when you get to this level, people really don't want to hear excuses. You can cry after you are done with it, but no one really wants to hear it. I just think we're back going forward after being horrible at Chester. SAM MCKEE: No excuses, post 9 is not an excuse. How are you going to wind the Meadowlands Pace Saturday? MARK HARDER: That's David Miller's job from that time when that gate folds. You gotta be happy to be in the race. You've got to be happy to have your nose on the gate. A lot of good colts aren't even here. We're here and happy to be here. SAM MCKEE: Best of luck with Sutter Hanover in the Meadowlands Pace. KEN WARKENTIN: Well, Dave Miller certainly -- Sam knows -- how to pull off the shocker. He won the Haughton on Saturday night from the outside with Mister Big. Bob HEYDEN, with one of our veteran trainers here. A lot of people pulling for him. And according to the press kit here, a great trip, raced good in his elimination, but there might be some tinkering involved here: steering issues perhaps? BOB HEYDEN: First thing first, let me give Bruce the good news and the bad news. The bad news is you're post 10. And the good news, post 10 has won the Pace more than post 1. Horses by the name of Sonsam and Beach Towel and the Panderosa. That's not bad company there. BRUCE SAUNDERS: That's really good company there: BOB HEYDEN: Tell us about coming into the race. Your last two starts, you won a half-million-dollar race and you were the fastest individual clocking. That's not bad either. BRUCE SAUNDERS: He's come a long ways. Very talented horse. He's probably logged more miles than anybody else participating on Saturday. Having been here for the Classic, back in Canada for the North America Cup, off to Hoosier where he was fortunate enough to take to the Winner's Circle there, and back to the Meadowlands for the elimination. So the effort that he went Saturday, we were very happy with. I know he wasn't at his best in terms of energy level. We hope to improve on that. He didn't steer quite as well as we would have liked Saturday night. John had a couple of suggestions and I think they'll turn out to be fruitful. Post 10, I'm glad to hear there's been four other top colts that have won from there. Indicates that it can get -- the job can get done from there. But we all know it's a lot easier to have a nice trip from the inside than it is out there. But I've got a very talented colt and the game's most successful driver, and maybe between the two of them they can figure out a way to get home. BOB HEYDEN: Two of those post 10s were with John Campbell. And tell us about -- Renee Laarman had a lot to do with Artriverderci. BRUCE SAUNDERS: I owe a great deal to Renee and the people from Glenview Farm who have sent this horse down for me to look after while he was in New Jersey. Renee and I have a long-standing working relationship. When I have something that needs a race up there when I'm not stabled up there, he looks after my business. And, conversely, when he's got something to send down here that he think's capable of racing these events, I'm privileged enough to have them. BOB HEYDEN: Artriverderci, looking at May and June, he's got a few close photos there. He's not too far from having about 700,000 on his line? BRUCE SAUNDERS: He's a developing horse. He, too, likes to play a lot. If he ever develops a killer instinct, he'll really be a tough customer to deal with. BOB HEYDEN: Bruce Saunders, can you win the Meadowlands Pace on Saturday night? BRUCE SAUNDERS: I can't, but the horse can. BOB HEYDEN: Good luck with Artriverderci in the Pace. KEN WARKENTIN: Jody Jamieson is on our line. Jody, are you there? JODY JAMIESON: Yes, sir. KEN WARKENTIN: Tell us about the elimination coming off the North America Cup and how you chose to race him from post 8 and how he went. JODY JAMIESON: I've been telling everybody all along, I was relatively happy with the effort that Tell All put out in elimination. I guess trip and racing luck came into play a little bit. He slowed the third quarter and being third over, four and a half out and having come 25 seconds flat to beat anybody let alone win the race. His charter quarter was 26. And I was pretty happy with the effort; it's just the result was the part that I wasn't as happy with. KEN WARKENTIN: Prior to the North America Cup, Blair Burgess commented that -- or even after the race, this horse had been more seasoned than the other three-year-olds in that race with the ten starts going in there, and obviously your confidence level had to be pretty far, at a pretty high level. JODY JAMIESON: No question about it. He's done everything I've asked him. Every start. Sometimes I've got him in places fourth over and not in the right spot. But when the money was down, we -- together we were in the right spot. And he's just -- he's paced as hard as he can possibly pace when I swung him out of the helmet. Last week was no exception. It was the result that I wasn't real happy with. KEN WARKENTIN: You've got the rail. Any prerace thoughts on that, protecting the rail? Does that force your hand early? What does that do for you? JODY JAMIESON: Sitting here with the draw with three spots left, 1, 8 and 10, I'm ecstatic with the rail. No question about it. The rail has got to be better than starting 8 to 10. I'll have to play it by ear. I've got not the best two, but the two elimination winners next to me. I can't see it working out too bad. KEN WARKENTIN: North America was a key race in your career. The Meadowlands Pace another one? JODY JAMIESON: Most definitely. I think it's all about Tell All and my name being associated with the horse Tell All. So it's a big event on the road. KEN WARKENTIN: Canada's driver of the year last year, Jody Jamieson. Congratulations. Tell All from the rail on Saturday night in the Meadowlands Pace. Best of luck. Sam McKee has the connections for Always A Virgin looking for four straight victories and the Pace favorite. SAM MCKEE: We'll start with driver Brian Sears. First of all, thanks for joining us today. Second of all, you had a decision to make. You won both of the eliminations, Always A Virgin and Running Book. You took Always A Virgin. What went into your decision-making process? BRIAN SEARS: Well, I've had some success with Always A Virgin this year and that horse did go an awful good mile. But like I said, our horse is really fresh. Got a good relationship with Joe and that's what I did. SAM MCKEE: Watching your horse on the track, Always A Virgin looks like he has drivability. You can lead with him, he'll take back with two fingers, you can accelerate, give and take. Looks like he's a pleasure to drive. BRIAN SEARS: He's a real nice horse to drive. He's not real aggressive. Not too hot, just right. Does about whatever you want. SAM MCKEE: Based on how the draw played out, same thing as we saw in the elim, let the dust settle and make that quarter move to three? BRIAN SEARS: I made that quarter move the other night and it didn't work, so we'll see what happens. Gotta play it by year. SAM MCKEE: The $15 million man, leading driver at the M, looking for his sixth straight title. Best of luck in the Pace. Now we'll talk to trainer Joe Holloway. Did you have to throw in a couple of rounds of golf to get Sears to commit to your horse too? JOE HOLLOWAY: No. I was going to bribe him if necessary. No, he did it on his own. SAM MCKEE: Joe, this has been a big bounce-back year for the you. You've trained some of the best. Last summer at one point you were down to three horses, talking about moving back to Delaware and now you're here with the Meadowlands Pace favorite. Up and down game. JOE HOLLOWAY: You've got to have the horses no matter if you're a trainer or driver. First thing the driver says is, if the race doesn't go the right way, just didn't have the horse tonight. The same with the trainers. You can't make a great horse out of nothing. And fortunately this year I have a few very nice horses. SAM MCKEE: When did you start to think that Always A Virgin was a very nice horse and Pace material? JOE HOLLOWAY: I thought about it training him down. I just thought he acted like a very top horse. Brian did a very good job with him because maybe his last training before I qualified him I wasn't pleased with. Brian qualified him and braved him up. Raced him the first time very easy. He could have pulled the right line all year. He didn't. He kept him locked in, charged for home. And then those races. And when I really thought he was a top horse was the night of the Classic final. He was sick that night. And I told Brian. Brian said he was coughing when he was out on the post parade. But he pulled. He was first over from the quarter pole with a mile and 49 and four. And he only got beat a neck. That's what good horses have to do. They have to overcome adversity. SAM MCKEE: The consensus is that this crop of three-year-olds, there's a lot of very, very good horses but no real standout. Is your colt poised to step up to the head of the class Saturday? JOE HOLLOWAY: Every year when you have these things it's always that unless you come back from the year before. Everyone is always saying that. Somebody has to start winning races and winning more than just one. And so they become a standout. I don't know when the last time you had a Pace was -- well, maybe Rocknroll, but he had been great the year before. But before that, they're not usually a standout going into the Pace. And they separate the men from the boys here. SAM MCKEE: Joe Holloway knows something about separating the men from the boys. He's trained some of the best. Good luck Saturday night. KEN WARKENTIN: One word of redemption, of course Joe Holloway looking for his first Pace and Joe Hurley who had some terrible luck with Ain't No Stopn Us. Val D'Or Farms tried for so many years to win this race. Good luck with Always A Virgin, the favorite on Saturday night. Bob Hager with Darius Oshidar looking to extract a long shot out of the Pace Saturday. BOB HAGER: Looking for a good story? You might have one here. Post 8, Trueys Legacy, Darius Oshidar. A long way from your dentist office here in the Meadowlands Pace final and your first final. Tell me about that. DARIUS OSHIDAR: Very exciting experience. I've been in the harness game about 35 years. And super for a small stable guy like me. My partner is Mike Nelin and we formed Crack and Drill Stable a few years ago. It's a nice run for us. BOB HAGER: The Crack and Drill was a dentist and two chiropractors? DARIUS OSHIDAR: Correct. BOB HAGER: Tell me about True Art. (Indiscernible) back in 2000. That was your first good horse, or first horse? DARIUS OSHIDAR: First good horse. Noel took it over and she was a super mare. Raced sore, but she was unbelievable in the game. And obviously hopefully her son is the same. BOB HAGER: Not too many people thought a 70-to-1 shot going first out in Pace eliminations with Mike Vanderkemp was going to qualify, myself among them. Were you one of the people that thought you could get in there? DARIUS OSHIDAR: I think Sears was a little nervous even though he didn't look it. We pointed for the consolation, second in the Cup. Same angle, looking for the consolation. And it was good. And Noel will do a super job I'm sure, and we'll see. BOB HAGER: Eight of the top 10 drivers in North America. Our money is on Meadowland's nightly regulars. But you're not using a Meadowlands nightly regular, are you? DARIUS OSHIDAR: We couldn't get Sears. He's committed, obviously. It's a joke. So Vanderkemp has done a super job with the colt and we said why not. How could we let them go. So we're flying them in. First class, by the way. BOB HAGER: Not first class. DARIUS OSHIDAR: Not first class. Apologize. BOB HAGER: Mike worked with Noel closely, so he knows the horse probably better than anybody. DARIUS OSHIDAR: Absolutely. He knows the horse. He straightened him out. Super as a second as a two-year-old. He's got ability. BOB HAGER: Can we send a tape of the 50-to-1 victory to get you charged up ready for Saturday? DARIUS OSHIDAR: Send me a tape in a couple years. I'll be happy. KEN WARKENTIN: We have one more interview. Blair Burgess, are you on the line? BLAIR BURGESS: Yes. KEN WARKENTIN: Post 1. Blair Burgess, trainer of the last year's horse of the year, Glidemaster. Give us your feelings on the draw and how the race shakes out here as far as the post draw goes. BLAIR BURGESS: I'm pleased with the draw. I can't add much to what Myron and Jody said. They pretty well covered it. It's just a better spot to be, I think, than 8 or 10, despite the fact that there's been winners out there. I think it's easier to find the trip down there. KEN WARKENTIN: Two for two in the Hambletonian, never been off the board in a million-dollar race here. Two wins a second and two-thirds of five starts in the Meadowlands Pace. How do you do it? BLAIR BURGESS: That's a streak that's sure to end. But I just hope it doesn't end this week. KEN WARKENTIN: You said that -- I believe it was after the North America Cup -- this horse was more seasoned than the other three-year-olds despite the fact that he had not raced as a two-year-old. Is it still that sort of situation or has that dissipated? BLAIR BURGESS: I think that's dissipated. I think I might have had a slight advantage going into the Cup because we raced through the winter. I think now that's even better these horses have gone to battle a few times. I think we're probably all on a pretty even basis right now. KEN WARKENTIN: It was very interesting reading in the Canadian Sportsman about the horse's foot issues and how you've treated that and adapted that with regards to shoeing. BLAIR BURGESS: I guess a little bit. I guess we could get a little fancy with the shoes and the pads he wears. But I don't think it's that dramatic. I think any trainer would have done that if they had to deal with this. KEN WARKENTIN: (Indiscernible) didn't come back the way you wanted him to. And this horse not only surprised you but he's made your season. BLAIR BURGESS: I guess he has so far. Joe Holloway said good horses, you know where you are. Unless some of my two-year-olds show up later, this is obviously the best horse in my barn right now. KEN WARKENTIN: Blair Burgess, best of luck in the $1 million Meadowlands Pace from the rail on Saturday. BLAIR BURGESS: Thank you. KEN WARKENTIN: That wraps up our media conference for the $1 million Meadowlands Pace presented by TVG. We'll have live coverage on TVG and Sirius Satellite Radio. Post time Saturday is the usual 7:30. Information available on-line at meadowlandsracetrack.com. Our press kit along with all of the profiles in each of the individual horses and the various story lines as well, including a transcript which will be on-line later today of this press conference to get the reaction from our participants. FastScripts by ASAP Sports 8 Document3 1 visit our archives at www.asapsports.com |
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