Racing News

Six weeks before the winners of harness racing's national awards will be announced in Charlottetown, P.E.I., we already know the driver of the year and the trainer of the year will be from the Guelph region.

The father-and-son team of Gregg and Doug McNair of Guelph are finalists for the top trainer and top driver awards, respectively.

Richard Moreau of Puslinch is up against Gregg McNair for Canada's best conditioner of 2013.

The 3-year-old Swedish colt Nimbus CD recorded a remarkable performance on Monday night (Dec. 23) at Solvalla, as he won in 1:54.1f, just one fraction slower than the Swedish record.

Nimbus CD, with trainer Per Nordström in the bike, was in command the whole trip and won by a length.

Driver Rick Plano hit a grand slam at Pompano Park on Sunday night (Dec. 22) including the $14,500 Interloper Trot final with Up Tempo and the $10,000 distaff feature with De Vins Girl.

Grade I winner Sweet Lulu makes her first start since a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) as the likely choice in the $300,000 La Brea Stakes (gr. I) opening day Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park.

The La Brea, for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs, is one of two grade I sprints along with the Malibu Stakes on the initial program of the six-month Southern California meet. The race, which attracted a solid field of seven, is the sixth on the nine-race card with a 2:30 p.m. PST scheduled post.

Scarborough Downs has canceled live racing for Sunday (Dec. 22).

We will reschedule the Standardbred retirement ceremony for opening weekend in the spring. Details to follow in March 2014.

Just a couple of weeks after top Swedish mare Queen L died, another top Swedish mare, Ina Scot, who sensationally won the Prix d’Amerique in 1995, died after she hurt herself in the paddock.

Ina Scot won $3 million and at one time during her career had a winning streak of 31 races. She won a total of 54 races from 90 races.

Northern Companion scored a repeat win in Pompano Park's featured $10,000 Open Pace on Saturday night (Dec. 21) but had to share the spotlight with Prairie Jaguar as the latter scorched the five-eighths-mile oval in a lifetime best 1:50 to win the $10,000 Open 2 Pace.

Grade II winner No Jet Lag makes his first start since he was well beaten by Wise Dan in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) when he takes on nine opponents in the $200,000 Sir Beaufort Stakes (gr. IIT) atSanta Anita Park Dec. 26.

The opening day feature, at one mile on the turf for 3-year-olds, is sandwiched on the card by a pair of grade I sprints for 3-year-olds, the Malibu Stakes and the La Brea for fillies. The Sir Beaufort is race 7 with a scheduled post time of 3 p.m. PST.

Anthony Ramsden's No Jet Lag transferred to the United States from Great Britain this summer. The Kentucky-bred son of Johar   won his first two starts in Southern California at one mile on grass, including a sparkling victory in the City of Hope MIle (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita ParkOct. 5, when he earned a Beyer figure of 105.

Trainer Dan McFarlane won the 1,000th race of his career Monday at Turf Paradise.  The 48-year-old trainer reached the milestone in the ninth with longshot Enter Back, ridden by Skyler Whiteshield and owned by Patti and Hal J. Earnhardt III.

McFarlane has been training for more than two decades, following stints with Quarter Horses and in Thoroughbred racing under the tutelage of trainer Michael Dickinson.

Count Me In roared three wide around the final turn and powered on to his second straight victory in Monday’s $20,000 Preferred Handicap Trot at The Meadows.

Count Me In was trailing by three lengths when Mike Wilder moved him wide for the decisive move. He knifed through the slop and scored at 6-1 in 1:56.2, a neck better than Summer Indian. Longshot Martz Time finished third.

Monticello Raceway may be one horse closer to having a field for the Au Revoir, the race exclusively for 14-year-olds on Monday (Dec. 30).

“I recently heard from Joe Rayll who said he was going to enter Hez Da Man N in our Au Revior,” related Eric Warner, the track's director of racing. “Joe’s been racing at Freehold (Raceway) and will have to travel a ways to be with us next Monday. That’s usually the case with all the 14-year-olds who enter. They aren’t concentrated in one place and have to travel so we never know who really is coming until we open the (entry) box.”

Warner has also heard from the connections of Copper Canyon, Run Tim Run and Rare Glory and if they all enter only a few more pacers will be needed.

Betfair Hollywood Park has sadly faded into the Southern California sunset, butSanta Anita Park opens for a new season Dec. 26 with a couple of extra months tagged on at the end of the meet.

It remains to be seen how all of that will work as Santa Anita extends from April through a separate spring meet that will run until June 29. But the traditional day after Christmas opening of the Arcadia track always brings a feeling of a fresh start, never more so than this year.

Anvil Raider N became the winningest horse in North America this year when he won the ninth race at Northfield Park on Saturday night, Dec. 21. The venerable pacer was clocked in 1:57.1.

It was his 22nd victory of 2013.

The 14-year-old son of In The Pocket-Motu Sweet Lady faces mandatory retirement on Dec.31 via United States Trotting Association rules.

Artache Hanover pulled off an upset in Saturday's $17,000 Invitational Pace at Balmoral Park with a 1 -minute, 52 1'/5- seconds mile on a rain-soaked racing surface.

Nicely handled by Beecher's Sam Widger, Artache Hanover ($14.60) took advantage of the one-slot by gaining early position and raced in fourth through most of the way before coming on in the lane to post a neck decision over Ice Scraper. Bettors Curse was third to the winner, trained by Jim Eaton, of Crete.

River Seven overcame a lack of experience on dirt to post a track-record win over a good field in the $100,000Harlan's Holiday Stakes (VIDEO) at odds of 12-1 Dec. 22 at Gulfstream Park.

Tracking the leaders along the inside into the far turn in the 1 1/16-mile test, River Seven made a big move after being angled three wide by jockey Joe Rocco Jr. to get control at the quarter pole. The 3-year-old son of Johannesburg opened up on the field in the drive and held well to post his first dirt win while timed in 1:41.73 on a fast track.

Multiple graded winner Cyber Secretlived up to his favored billing in thePrairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway ParkDec. 21, setting a track record for 1 1/16 miles of 1:42.26 on the Polytrack en route to a 4 1/2-length victory.  

The previous mark of 1:42.52 was set by Miss Wellspring in 2006.

Cyber Secret won off as much the best at 2-1 odds with Israel Ocampo aboard, in spite of losing his left front shoe. Charles Cella's 4-year-old son of Broken Vow   was making his second start off a six-month layoff for trainer Lynn Whiting in the $50,000 event.

While we are many months away from the warm spring and summer months and the Championship Meet at the Meadowlands, the unseasonably mild conditions provided a hint of summer on the track.

In what was the fastest mile witnessed so far at the new Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment, Validus Deo opened eyes by going a huge first over trip and stopped the teletimer in an extremely sharp 1:48.4 in the 3-year-old B-1/A-2 handicap pace on Saturday (Dec. 21).

Hillside turf specialists Chips All In andUnbridled's Note head a competitive field of eight in the $100,000 Daytona Stakes (gr. IIIT) Dec. 28 at Santa Anita Park.

The Daytona is race 8 on the Saturday card with a 4 p.m. PST scheduled post.

Chips All In, the 124-pound high weight trained by Jeff Mullins, was a game nose winner of the Eddie D. Stakes (gr. IIIT) at 6 1/2 furlongs down the hill Sept. 27. Supplemented at a cost of $120,000 to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) in his subsequent start, the 4-year-old North Light   colt was disappointing ninth, beaten 3 3/4 lengths by champion Mizdirection.