When Is The Hambletonian 2019

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Hambletonian Stakes
Triple Crown race
LocationMeadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, New Jersey,
United States
Inaugurated1926
Race typeHarness race for standardbred trotters
Websitewww.hambletonian.org/index.html
Race information
Distance1,609 meters (1 mile)
SurfaceDirt
Qualification3yo
Purse$1,000,000 (2015)

The 2019 Hambletonian will be contested Saturday at the Meadowlands. (Photo Courtesy of Lisa Photo Inc.). The Hambletonian kicks off the Trotting Triple Crown. Next up is the Yonkers Trot on Aug. 31, followed by the Kentucky Futurity on Oct. Earlier in the day, a determined Green Manalishi S pulled a 9-1 upset in the first Hambo elimination. Forbidden Trade (Bob McClure) upended champion Greenshoe to win the $1 million Hambletonian Final, while When Dovescry (Simon Allard) won the $500,000 Hamble.

The Hambletonian Stakes is a major American harness race, named in honor of Hambletonian 10, a foundation sire of the Standardbred horse breed, also known as the 'Father of the American Trotter.' The Hambletonian is held annually for three-year-old trotting Standardbreds. It is the first event in the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters. The Hambletonian is run at Meadowlands Racetrack (New Jersey) on the first Saturday in August.[1]

Sites[edit]

The Hambletonian first took place at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, NY in 1926. The race switched from Syracuse to Lexington, KY for the 1927 and 1929 races, however, because of rainouts. Starting in 1930, Good Time Park in Goshen, NY hosted the race until 1956 with the exception of 1943. That year, The Hambletonian was raced at Empire City Race Track, which became Yonkers Raceway in 1950, because of wartime gas rationing. The Du Quoin State Fair in Du Quoin, IL gained the rights to host the race in 1957 and held on to it until 1980. Since 1981, the race has been at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, NJ

Records[edit]

Most wins by a driver
  • 6 – John Campbell (1987, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1998, 2006)

When Is The Hambletonian 2019 Results

When Is The Hambletonian 2019When
Most wins by a trainer
  • 5 – Billy Haughton (1974, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1982)

Ben White (1927, 1933, 1936, 1942, 1943)

Stanley Dancer (1965, 1968, 1972, 1975, 1983)

Stakes record
  • 1:50 1/5 – Muscle Hill (2009)

Hambletonian Stakes winners[edit]

Year
Winner
Driver
Trainer
Owner
Time
Purse
2020Ramona HillAndy McCarthyTony AlagnaBrad Grant, Crawford Farms, Robert Leblanc & In The Gym Partners1:50 1/5$1,000,000
2019Forbidden TradeBob McClureLuc BlaisSerge Godin & Distinction Capital1:51 0/5$1,000,000
2018AtlantaScott ZeronRick ZeronRick Zeron, Crawford Fms, Holland1:50 4/5$1,000,000
2017Perfect SpiritÅke SvanstedtÅke SvanstedtSrf Stable,Delray Beach,FL1:50 3/5$1,000,000
2016Marion MarauderScott ZeronPaula WellwoodJean Wellwood, Devin Keeler1:51 4/5$1,000,000
2015PinkmanBrian SearsJimmy TakterChristina Takter, John & Jim Fielding, Joyce McClelland, Herb Liverman1:51 0/5$1,000,000
2014TrixtonJimmy TakterJimmy TakterBrixton Medical Ab (Bengt Agerup) & Christina Takter1:50 3/5$1,006,125
2013Royalty For LifeBrian SearsGeorge DucharmeAl Ross, Chip Campbell, Jr., Paul Fountaine1:52 1/5$1,000,000
2012Market ShareTim TetrickLinda ToscanoRichard S. Gutnick, T L P Stable, William J. Augustine1:52 1/5$1,500,000
2011Broad BahnGeorge BrennanNoel DaleyFam Alber Horse Racing LLC (Leif Alber)1:53 0/0$1,500,000
2010Muscle MassiveRonald PierceJimmy TakterBrixton Medical Ab (Bengt Agerup), Order By Stable (Stefan Balazsi), et al.1:51 0/0$1,500,000
2009Muscle HillBrian SearsGregory B. PeckTLP Stable, Jerry Silva, Southwind Farm, Muscle Hill Racing LLC1:50 1/5$1,520,333
2008DeweycheatumnhoweRay SchnittkerRay SchnittkerSchnittker, Iannazzo, Gewertz, Baldassare & Deweycheatumnhowe Stable1:52 0/0$1,500,000
2007Donato HanoverRonald PierceSteve Elliott(Lessees) Steve Arnold, David Scharf, Golden Touch Stables1:53 2/5$1,500,000
2006GlidemasterJohn CampbellBlair BurgessRobert Burgess, Karin-Olsson Burgess, Marsha Cohen, Brittany Farms1:51 1/5$1,500,000
2005Vivid PhotoRoger HammerRoger HammerRoger Hammer, Todd Schadel1:52 3/5$1,500,000
2004Windsong's LegacyTrond SmedshammerTrond SmedshammerAnn Brannvoll, Ted Gewertz, Patricia Spinelli1:54 1/5$1,000,000
2003Amigo HallMichel LachanceBlair BurgessWalnut Hall Limited (Alan J. Leavitt), Robert Burgess, Karin Olsson-Burgess1:54 0/0$1,000,000
2002Chip Chip HoorayEric LedfordCharles SylvesterC. Sylvester, M. Prakas, Wingedfoot Farms, N. Goldman1:53 3/5$1,000,000
2001Scarlet KnightStefan MelanderStefan MelanderStefan Melander1:53 4/5$1,000,000
2000Yankee PacoTrevor RitchieDouglas McIntoshHarry Ivey & Dr. Tom Ivey1:53 2/5$1,000,000
1999Self PossessedMichel LachanceRon GurfeinSelf Possessed Stable (D. Scharf, J. Silva, L. Domiano, G. Segal)1:51 3/5$1,000,000
1998Muscles YankeeJohn CampbellCharles SylvesterPerretti Farms Inc, Irving G. Liverman & David French1:52 2/5$1,000,000
1997Malabar ManMalvern C. BurroughsJimmy TakterMalvern C. Burroughs1:55 0/0$1,000,000
1996ContinentalvictoryMichel LachanceRon GurfeinContinentalvictory Stable1:52 1/5$1,200,000
1995TagliabueJohn CampbellJim CampbellArlene & Jules J. Siegel1:54 4/5$1,200,000
1994Victory DreamMichel LachanceRon GurfeinFA Stable (Frank Antonacci) & Victory Dream Stable (Alan J. Leavitt, et al.)1:54 1/5$1,200,000
1993American WinnerRonald PierceMilton SmithRobert Key, John Glesmann1:53 1/5$1,200,000
1992Alf PalemaMickey McNicholPer ErikssonKarl-Erik Bender, Per Eriksson1:56 2/5$1,288,000
1991Giant VictoryJack MoiseyevPer ErikssonJacqueline & Theodore Gewertz, Robins Racing Stable1:54 4/5$1,238,000
1990HarmoniousJohn CampbellOsvaldo FormiaLindy Racing Stable, Sal Garofalo1:54 1/5$1,346,000
1989Park Avenue Joe (DH)Ron WaplesCharles SylvesterPark Avenue Stable2:00 2/5$1,131,000
1989Probe (DH)William FahyOsvaldo FormiaLindy Farms2:00 2/5
1988Armbro GoalJohn CampbellJan JohnsonJames R. Plate, Paul H. Ryan, Michael V. Caggiano1:54 3/5$1,156,800
1987Mack LobellJohn CampbellCharles SylvesterOne More Time Stable (Louis P. Guida, et al.) & Fair Winds Farm (E. Mullen)1:53 3/5$1,046,300
1986Nuclear KosmosUlf ThoresenPer HenriksenLilla Henriksen, Geo. & Gary Hoffman, Stephen Sullivan1:55 2/5$1,172,082
1985PrakasBill O'DonnellPer ErikssonHans G. Enggren, Iain L. Mackenzie, Carl J. Vizzi1:54 3/5$1,272,000
1984Historic FreightBen WebsterSamuel 'Skip' LewisABC Stables, Inc.1:56 2/5$1,219,000
1983DuennaStanley DancerStanley DancerClearview Stable1:57 2/5$1,000,000
1982Speed BowlTommy HaughtonBilly HaughtonPony Stable (B. Haughton, D. Miller, P. Soldner, F. Miller, M. Hempt, B. Brown)1:56 4/5$875,750
1981Shiaway St. PatRay RemmenRay RemmenShiawassee Farm, Inc.2:01 1/5$838,000
1980BurgomeisterBilly HaughtonBilly HaughtonPeter Haughton1:56 3/5$293,570
1979Legend HanoverGeorge SholtyRay TrippMessenger Stable (Raymond Galt)1:56 1/5$300,000
1978Speedy SomolliHoward BeissingerHoward BeissingerAnn Beissinger, Barbara Mumma, Alan J. Leavitt, William Rosenberg1:55 0/0$241,280
1977Green SpeedBilly HaughtonBilly HaughtonBeverly Lloyds1:55 3/5$284,310
1976Steve LobellBilly HaughtonBilly HaughtonMill Island Stable (Richard Herman & Murray Siegel)1:56 2/5$263,524
1975BonefishStanley DancerStanley DancerStanley F. & Rachel L. Dancer & A. M. Cuddy Stable1:59 0/0$232,192
1974Christopher T.Billy HaughtonBilly HaughtonJohn L. Thro1:58 3/5$160,150
1973FlirthRalph N. BaldwinRalph N. BaldwinArden Homestead Stable (E. Roland Harriman & Elbridge T. Gerry, Sr.)1:57 1/5$144,710
1972Super BowlStanley DancerStanley DancerRachel L. Dancer, Rose Hild Breeding Farm1:56 2/5$119,090
1971Speedy CrownHoward BeissingerHoward BeissingerCrown Stable, Inc. (Frank & Thomas Antonacci)1:57 2/5$129,770
1970Timothy T.John F. Simpson, Jr.John F. Simpson, Sr.John F. Simpson, Sr.1:58 2/5$143,630
1969Lindy's PrideHoward BeissingerHoward BeissingerLindy Farm, Inc.1:57 3/5$124,910
1968Nevele PrideStanley DancerStanley DancerNevele Acres, Louis Resnick1:59 2/5$116,190
1967Speedy StreakDel CameronFrank ErvinClarence F. Gaines, John R. Gaines, Kenneth D. Owen2:00 0/0$122,650
1966Kerry WayFrank ErvinFrank ErvinGainesway Farm1:58 4/5$122,540
1965Egyptian CandorDel CameronStanley DancerRachel L. Dancer2:03 4/5$122,245
1964AyresJohn F. Simpson, Sr.John F. Simpson, Sr.Charlotte Sheppard1:56 4/5$115,281
1963Speedy ScottRalph N. BaldwinRalph N. BaldwinCastleton Farm1:57 3/5$115,549
1962A. C.'s VikingSanders RussellSanders RussellMr. & Mrs. Andrew C. Petersen1:59 3/5$116,612
1961Harlan DeanJimmy ArthurDelvin MillerMax C. Hempt, Delvin Miller, Ray Cleveland1:58 2/5$131,573
1960Blaze HanoverJoe O'BrienJoe O'BrienS. A. Camp Farms1:59 3/5$147,481
1959Diller HanoverFrank ErvinRalph N. BaldwinHall Stables (Howard M. Hall)2:01 1/5$125,283
1958Emily's PrideFlave NipeFred EganCastleton Farm & Walnut Hall Farm1:59 4/5$106,719
1957Hickory SmokeJohn F. Simpson, Sr.John F. Simpson, Sr.Lawrence B. Sheppard & Archie Mudge2:00 1/5$111,126
1956The IntruderNed BowerNed BowerAllwood Stable2:01 2/5$100,603
1955Scott FrostJoe O'BrienJoe O'BrienS. A. Camp Farms2:00 3/5$86,863
1954Newport DreamDel CameronDel CameronOctave Blake2:02 4/5$106,830
1953HelicopterHarry M. HarveyDelvin MillerArmstrong Bros.2:01 3/5$117,117
1952Sharp NoteBion ShivelyBion ShivelyClyde W. Clark2:02 3/5$87,637
1951MainlinerGuy CrippenGuy CrippenRalph H. Kroening2:02 3/5$95,263
1950Lusty SongDelvin MillerFay FitzpatrickHayes Fair Acres2:02 0/0$75,209
1949Miss TillyFred EganFred EganCharles W. Phellis2:01 2/5$69,791
1948Demon HanoverHarrison R. HoytHarrison R. HoytMr. & Mrs. Harrison R. Hoyt2:02 0/0$59,941
1947Hoot MonScepter F. PalinScepter F. PalinCastleton Farm2:00 0/0$46,267
1946ChestertownThomas S. BerryHarry P. WhitneyWalter E. Smith2:02 1/2$50,995
1945Titan HanoverHarry E. Pownall, Sr.Harry E. Pownall, Sr.Arden Homestead Stable (E. R. Harriman & E. T. Gerry, Sr.)2:04 0/0$50,196
1944Yankee MaidHenry ThomasHenry ThomasArch L. Derby2:04 0/0$33,577
1943Volo SongBenjamin WhiteBenjamin WhiteWilliam H. Strang, Jr.2:02 1/2$42,298
1942The AmbassadorBenjamin WhiteBenjamin WhiteWilliam H. Strang, Jr.2:04 0/0$38,954
1941Bill GallonLee SmithLee SmithR. Horace Johnston2:05 0/0$38,729
1940Spencer ScottFred EganFred EganCharles W. Phellis2:02 0/0$43,658
1939Peter AstraHugh M. 'Doc' ParshallHugh M. 'Doc' ParshallDr. Lowry M. Guilinger2:04 1/4$40,502
1938Mc LinHenry ThomasHenry ThomasHanover Shoe Farms2:02 1/4$37,962
1937Shirley HanoverHenry ThomasHenry ThomasHanover Shoe Farms2:01 1/2$37,912
1936RosalindBenjamin WhiteBenjamin WhiteGib White2:01 3/4$35,643
1935GreyhoundScepter F. PalinScepter F. PalinEdward J. Baker2:02 1/4$33,321
1934Lord JimHugh M. 'Doc' ParshallHugh M. 'Doc' ParshallEarl L. Mefford2:02 3/4$25,845
1933Mary ReynoldsBenjamin WhiteBenjamin WhiteWilliam N. Reynolds2:03 3/4$40,459
1932The MarchionessWilliam CatonWilliam CatonMrs. Ralph Keeler2:01 1/4$49,489
1931Calumet ButlerRichard D. McMahonRichard D. McMahonCalumet Farm2:03 1/4$50,921
1930Hanover's BerthaTom BerryTom BerryHanover Shoe Farms2:03 0/0$56,859
1929Walter DearWalter CoxWalter CoxWilliam H. Cane2:02 3/4$60,309
1928SpencerWilliam H. LeeseWilliam H. LeeseDavid M. Look2:02 1/2$66,226
1927Iosola's WorthyMarvin ChildsBenjamin WhiteE. J. Merkle2:03 3/4$54,694
1926Guy McKinneyNathaniel D. RayNathaniel D. RayHenry B. Rea2:04 3/4$73,451

References[edit]

  1. ^'The Hambletonian (and Hambletonian Oaks Filly Division)'. hambletonian.org. Retrieved 2009-04-15.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hambletonian_Stakes&oldid=1000947487'

EAST RUTHERFORD — “So, you ready?”

This is the question posed to me by Ken Warkentin, the silky-voiced announcer at Meadowlands Racetrack and Freehold Raceway who has called, by his account, 200,000 horse races of both the harness and thoroughbred variety all over the world, including in his native Canada.

By my account, I have called all of zero of them, and I’ve spent about 45 minutes with Warkentin, attempting to learn what it takes to call a race like the Hambletonian, the most prestigious harness race of all, which happens to be coming up on Saturday (his call will be on CBS Sports Network at 4 p.m. ET).

So, no, I’m not ready.

Luckily, I’m standing in front of a monitor in a Meadowlands hallway instead of in Warkentin’s booth a few stories above the track. Nobody, really, is listening.

Yet I’m still nervous all the same. I’ve always been fascinated with race callers because it looks impossible. How do you announce a race when there are so many names to remember — from horse to jockey to trainer to owner — while also keeping an eye on a full field and keeping it creative and exciting? And then how do you do that a dozen or more times in one day, or sometimes 50 races in 36 hours, as Warkentin estimated?

It never looks or sounds easy, and as I learned, it’s actually harder than you expect.

Pre-race

Warkentin grew up in Toronto with dreams of doing hockey play-by-play for his beloved Canadiens despite living in Maple Leafs country. So he figured if he started calling horse races, he might have an in to do hockey. While working toward a degree in broadcasting from Seneca College in Ontario, he began announcing races wherever he could, eventually landing at Flamboro Downs. When his neighbor got a satellite dish to watch races at the Meadowlands, he asked her to tape them on VHS so he could study the legendary voice of Tom Durkin.

He found he had a knack and a passion for the sport, and he put in the work — thousands upon thousands of races — to eventually land at the Meadowlands.

Warkentin handed me a packet he uses for a course when non-pros like myself want to try their hand (voice?) at his job. There’s the obvious: You want to be accurate and you want to speak with clarity. But he also emphasizes style.

“Are you smarmy, slick, cool, nervous?” he asks. “Be yourself. Define your style.”

Then, it’s all about coloring in around the information you’re providing. Yes, a horse is in the lead, but is it going too fast when it’s known for coming from behind? Is it a 99-to-1 longshot that’s shocking the world? How many different words can you use to describe the incredible action in front of you (“Dazzling! Astounding! Amazing!”)?

I decided I would to be on brand and try to crack a few dad jokes with the horse names, which seems easy enough.

Winners

(Narrator voice: It was not).

Hambletonian Horse

Warkentin also showed me his race program that he marks up and puts on a music stand in front of his window. He gets the proofs of the program days before races and does his research, scrawling driver silks and notes, such as winning streaks horses might be on, records they might set if they win, and so on.

It obviously helps that he knows the sport and can recite facts off the top of his head when he needs to. That’s where I ran into a considerable amount of trouble. Yes, I’ve watched Triple Crown thoroughbred races since I was a kid and got chills every time I heard Dave Johnson scream, “And DOWN the stretch they come!” (Johnson, as it happens, worked at the Meadowlands with Durkin.)

But as you’ll see, the lack of horse racing knowledge hindered me, along with — I don’t know — zero days of race-calling experience.

It’s post time

The monitor Warkentin put me in front of a monitor connected to a database with replays of recent races from tracks around the country. Sadly, he couldn’t give me the full experience he gets every week of calling a live race using binoculars, since races only happen twice a week — Fridays and Saturdays — at the Meadowlands. He would stand with me and point out what to call if I was tripped up, which I was extremely thankful for.

There was one advantage I thought I had: Harness racing is slower than thoroughbreds, and with the standardbreds pulling sulkeys (carts with drivers on them), maybe it wouldn’t be as hard as the 16 or 17 horses running in a pack at the Kentucky Derby. Races like the Hambletonian also start behind a moving gate on a truck, with the horses starting at a jog.

Warkentin pulled up race No. 2 from last Saturday’s action at the Meadowlands, hit “watch replay” and up popped a field of eight, ready to trot and pace.

And they’re off!

The process: Name all the horses in the field as they settle in. Keep an eye on who’s in the lead, but then mention who’s making moves. Then, announce the splits if you can at various points, like the quarter pole, half-mile and three-quarters pole to see what the pace is. Then it’s all about the finish, where Warkentin advised me to mention the top-four finishers for those bettors who put money on a superfecta.

As you could have guessed, it was a disaster. I couldn’t see the numbers on the horses well at all and I had to look at Warkentin’s marked lineup to see which drivers were contending. I missed a racer in back making a move, and Warkentin interrupted my call filled with dead air and lots of “ummmm” by pointing out one standardbred was boxed in. I mis-named horses. I forgot that a 60-to-1 longshot was in contention, something I should have noted. At least I successfully described a “three-wide” situation — that’s three horses side-by-side — as it developed.

The second race he gave me had a shorter field of seven and included a horse named McThriller (who was “McThriller in the night,” of course), Highalator, who was in “high gear,” annd Dealt A Winner, who I mentioned would not be a winner since he was at the back of the pack.

Hambletonian results

But because I concentrated on the humor, I didn’t talk about the timing during the race or where the horses were on the track.

When Is The Hambletonian 2019

“The thing you seem to be struggling with is the vernacular,” Warkentin told me. “It’s the back stretch, the far turn, three-eighths to go. That’s something you have to get down over the years and then you don’t think about that.”

He set up a replay of a third race from last week — a race of 3-year-old Fillies (so don’t give the horses male pronouns!) with nine horses. The result? You can watch for yourself below. Although I can’t show you the actual race, all you need to know is Millies Possession and Evident Beauty crossed the line together in a photo finish.

Yes, it’s still really bad. I still struggled to see which horse was which for most of the race. Despite the fact that the fillies weren’t, in fact, going at a “blistering pace” (oops!), I finally felt a little more comfortable as they came down the stretch.

The finish

There’s an X-factor that Warkentin pointed out after our lesson: Gravitas, especially in the face of a sport that isn’t as big as it once was. He remembered the days when there would be five or six days of races per week instead of the two at the Meadowlands now. His thrilling calls, he hopes, are a part of keeping the excitement going.

Although that doesn’t mean you turn the call of each and every race into the greatest moment in sports history, it’s something to keep in the back of your mind when you step to the mic.

The Hambletonian Race

“You are the spokesperson for the sport,” he said. “This is it. The sport of harness racing, the Meadowlands is it. That’s pretty big. That’s important.”