After getting outside starting spots in three consecutive races, Testing Testing drew inside for last week’s $53,410 Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial Consolation and took advantage, posting a neck win over King Of The North in a career-best 1:52 at Vernon Downs.
Now, the colt will try to build on that success as he prepares for the Hambletonian Stakes by competing in the second of Saturday’s two $125,000 divisions of the Stanley Dancer Memorial for three-year-old male trotters at The Meadowlands.
Testing Testing, whose wins last season included a Breeders Crown elimination and preliminary round of the Kindergarten Classic Series, drew post six in the eight-horse field and is 4-1 on the morning line. David Miller will drive for trainer George Ducharme.
The Stanley Dancer Memorial is the final major stakes prep ahead of the Hambletonian, which will have eliminations on July 30 at The Meadowlands followed by the $1 million final a week later.
“He came out of the Zweig good and hopefully will put on a good performance this week and it will set him up for the eliminations,” said Ducharme, who won the 2013 Hambletonian with Royalty For Life. “Of course, you want to win and do well, but like everyone else, these are just stepping stones. Everyone’s goal is that first Saturday in August. Everyone’s goal is the Hambletonian.”
Testing Testing has won five of 13 career races and earned $120,065 for owners Bill Donovan, Purnel & Libby, Joe Sbrocco, and Jim Winske. The son of Walner-Sound Check was purchased under the name Warrawee Xtra for $80,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale and his mom is a half-sister to Hambletonian hopeful Fast As The Wind, who races in Saturday’s first Dancer division.
In his three starts prior to the Zweig Consolation, Testing Testing started from post 10 in the Goodtimes Stakes final, post eight in an eight-horse field in his Goodtimes elim, and post nine in the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship. In the Goodtimes final, he was 18 lengths back at the quarter but finished fourth, beaten only 3-1/4 lengths.
“I thought he was really good in the Goodtimes final,” Ducharme said. “He trotted a great last three-quarters in that race. He just got away so bad. To me, he hasn’t thrown a bad race all year. Even in the New Jersey final, he got away 10th, came four-wide off the last turn, and finished sixth. I think he just needed some racing luck and breaks on the draw.”
Ducharme was pleased with the way Testing Testing matured during the offseason.
“He’s a bigger, stronger horse,” Ducharme said. “I’m really happy with him that way, the way he filled out. He has a great attitude; he loves his job. He digs right to the wire every week. He always wants to go forward. He’s got great fight and determination. I hope he continues that.”
B A Superhero, coming off a 1:51.2 win in a division of the W.N. Reynolds Memorial at The Meadowlands on July 1, is the 5-2 morning-line favourite in the second Dancer division followed by returning Dan Patch Award winner King Of The North at 3-1.
In the first division, 2021 Breeders Crown champion Rebuff is the 5-2 favourite. Rebuff made his debut on July 1 in the other Reynolds division, winning in 1:51.3. Rebuff and B A Superhero are both trained by Lucas Wallin.
Temporal Hanover, who won the $310,000 Zweig Main Event, is 3-1 followed by Goodtimes champ Fast As The Wind at 4-1.
The Stanley Dancer divisions, races four and six, are part of a stakes-loaded night at The Meadowlands, highlighted by the $600,000 Meadowlands Pace for three-year-old pacers. Click the links for stories about the two $100,000 Delvin Miller Memorial divisions and $432,000 E.T. Gerry Jr. Hambletonian Maturity.
Live harness racing begins at 6:20 p.m. (EDT). Following is a brief look at the remaining stakes events on the card.
Mistletoe Shalee (Race 7)
Fan Hanover Stakes winner Treacherous Dragon, a perfect 6-for-6 this year, is the 2-1 morning-line favourite in the $150,000 Mistletoe Shalee for three-year-old female pacers. Boudoir Hanover, who won the Nadia Lobell Stakes on July 1, is the 3-1 second choice.
Miss Versatility Series (Race 8)
A 12-horse field meets in the third leg of the Miss Versatility Series for older female trotters, going for $40,000. When Dovescry, second in both the Six Pack Mares Trot and Armbro Flight Stakes in her most recent starts, is the 5-2 morning-line favourite. Armbro Flight winner Atlanta, who was fourth in the Six Pack, is 3-1.
Dorothy Haughton Memorial (Race 9)
Test Of Faith, the 2021 U.S. Horse of the Year, is the 8-5 morning-line favourite in the $175,000 Dorothy Haughton Memorial for older female pacers off her 1:48.1 triumph in last week’s Graduate Series championship for four-year-old pacing mares. She has finished worse than second only once in 33 career starts, winning 26. Racine Bell, who won the Perfect Sting Mares Pace on July 2, is the 4-1 second choice.
William R. Haughton Memorial (Race 10)
Bulldog Hanover is the 6-5 morning-line favourite in the $500,000 William R. Haughton Memorial for older male pacers, which features of field of 11. Bulldog Hanover, a four-year-old stallion, became the first horse in history to win multiple races in sub-1:47 when he captured a division of the Roll With Joe Stakes in a world-record-equaling 1:46 on July 2 and the Graduate Series Open Pace final in 1:46.1 last week.
Rockyroad Hanover, a 1:46.2 winner in the other Roll With Joe division and runner-up to Bulldog Hanover last week (timed in 1:46.2 again) is the 5-1 second choice.
TrackMaster past performances for all Meadowlands cards can be found here courtesy the Meadowlands' website. Fox Sports 2 (FS2) will show a number of Saturday’s races as part of a national broadcast from 8-11 p.m. (EDT).
(USTA)