Publicerad 1999-07-24

Kick Tail on top & Hambo Rehearsals at the Big M

Down the stretch, Magician and Kick Tail battled briefly, but Kick Tail drew off to win by three lengths in a career-best 1:53.3. Glorys Comet closed from fourth for second with Magician holding for third.

"He is pretty good at the moment," commented Lindstedt. "He was very tired last year, after a hard season, but has come back very fine. We tried to get him in shape just for these big races. We had his mother; she was a very good filly. He has the Breeders Crown and Trot Mondial in Canada."

"When he's right, he's very strong," added trainer Johnson. " He had a perfect trip tonight and was able to stay together the whole way."

The field for the $424,000 final, raced on August 7th, was drawn after the elimination and is : 1 Macman (T. Ritchie), 2 Anything's Possible (M. McNichol), 3 Supergrit (R. Pierce), 4 Magician (D. Miller), 5 Georgia Limited (M. Lachance), 6 Supertoy (T. Smedshammer), 7 Hank Angus (D. Dube), 8 Comeover (L. Ouellette), 9 Glorys Comet (J. Campbell), 10 Kick (B. Lindstedt).

Also on the Meadowlands card a quartet of $30,000 trots were contested. The fourth race, for fillies, featured eight Hambletonian Oaks eligibles including the Charles Sylvester-trained entry of Spicy Secret and Eicarls Theresa.

Midori Hanover (Sierra Kosmos-Melon Hanover) and driver Mike Lachance sat third to the quarter in :28.3, then took over the lead, rolling through middle fractions of :57.1 and 1:27 en route to a one-and-a-half length win in a career-best 1:55.3. Trained by David Smith for Arthur Rudolph, Bernard Owens and the Rudolph Stables of New York, Midori Hanover was winning for the second time in three starts this season. Rae was second with Decapode another neck back in third. Post time favorite Softly Dream was fourth.

In the fifth race, eight of nine of the three-year-old colts were eligible to the Hambletonian, entries for which will be announced on Tuesday. Cherry Hills (Sierra Kosmos- Melt My Heart) posted a minor upset, fighting back in the lane to win by a head in a career-best 1:55, with John Campbell in the bike. Campbell had previously driven the colt to a 1:56.4 qualifying victory. Trained by Bill Gallagher for owner Joseph Chnapko of New Jersey, Cherry Hills sat fifth through an opening quarter in :28.4, was on the move in second by the half in :57.3 and on top by two by the three-quarters in 1:26.2. Americanese and Trond Smedshammer got a head in front in the stretch, but Cherry Hills and Campbell battled back for the colt's second win in three seasonal starts. Pathway To Victory was third. Bazire, Pistols N Spurs, Just Had A Vision and Carnarvon Hall all made breaks in the mile. Bazire worked out for the judges in between the eighth and ninth races, but made a break in the stretch.

The eighth race was also full of Hambo Oaks eligibles with Breeders Crown winner Musical Victory (Valley Victory-Allegro) and Luc Ouellette scoring their third win in six seasonal starts in a career-best 1:55. As the gate folded, Exclusive Lavec was away most quickly, reaching the quarter in :28.3 only to yield to Lovelytobehold and Jim Doherty to the half in :58. Musical Victory took over just past the half and was unchallenged to the three-quarters in 1:26.1, opening up to win by two. Canland Hall was third was another neck back in third. Poster Princess, Bloodstock's Chat, Exclusive Lavec and Lovelytobehold all made breaks in the mile.