by Bob Heyden

Tim Tetrick, with a win in the Meadowlands Pace with Huntsville, will be five-for-11 in the Meadowlands Pace. At age 35, that would make him the youngest to capture five. His 11 drives are in a row and his victories came in 2007 with Southwind Lynx, 2010 with One More Laugh for Huntsville’s trainer Ray Schnittker, in 2013 with two-time Pacer Of The Year Captaintreacherous and 2014 with the fastest ever Pace winner He’s Watching (1:46.4).

Campbell’s five

John Campbell won his fifth Meadowlands Pace at age 44 (1999-The Panderosa), his fifth Hambletonian at age 43 (1998 Muscles Yankee); and his fifth Messenger at 40 with Davids Pass (1995). Interestingly, Muscles Yankee is the grandsire of the last two horses that Campbell drove at the Meadowlands on June 30 — both wins.

The battle resumes

Downbytheseaside has drawn post 5. He’s been right next to Huntsville (post 4) in the Breeders Crown final (2-3) and the North America Cup final (2-3) — and they both share the world record of 1:49 for two-year-olds with Sweet Lou.

Can Sears go back-to-back

If Brian Sears wins the Pace with Downbytheseaside (Control The Moment last year), it’ll be the fifth time that a driver has won this race back to back: 1994-1995 John Campbell with Cams Card Shark and Davids Pass; 2001-2002 Campbell with Real Desire and Mach Three; 2008-2009 Ron Pierce with Art Official and Well Said and 2013-2014 Tim Tetrick with Captaintreacherous and He’s Watching.

Beach crowd

Somebeachsomewhere has five of the 10 finalists in the Meadowlands Pace, and this is his fifth crop of three-year-olds. Can Somebeachsomewhere do what Valley Victory did in the 1996 Beacon Course (now the Stanley Dancer) and get all five checks? The Beach is represented by Blood Line #1, Macs Jackpot #2, Huntsville #4, Downbytheseaside #5 and Filibuster Hanover #7. Twenty-one years ago, the incomparable Valley Victory nailed every check in the $300G plus pre-Hambletonian stake — with Lindy Lane, Act Of Grace, Continentalvictory, Pietro Pan and Mr Vic.

Homebred rich

Five of the Pace finalists are homebreds and did not go through the sales ring. Note that Talent Soup #10, did go through the ring and was sold for $65,000, but is owned, in part, by the breeders — Charles and Julie Nash.

Snyder gunning for fourth

Can Jeff Snyder possibly win his fourth Meadowlands Pace with four different trainers?

In 1994, Snyder won with Cams Card Shark and trainer Bill Robinson.

In 2005, Snyder won with Rocknroll Hanover and trainer Brett Pelling, who also trained the runnerup,
Village Jolt, also owned by Snyder).

In 2009, Snyder won with Well Said and Steve Elliott.

This year, Snyder sends out Macs Jackpot with Jim Campbell.

Stat of the day

The two winningest trainers of all time — combining for just under $300 million — Ron Burke and Jimmy Takter — as well as the richest active driver — David Miller at $216 million — have not, yet, won the Meadowlands Pace.

Triple Crown crown

If Marion Marauder finishes first of second in the $458,750 Hambletonian Matturity this weekend, he will become the richest Triple Crown winner of all time. A win would bump him to $2,139,235 lifetime and a second-place would put him at $2,059,610 lifetime. Currently, Niatross has, for an incredible 37 years, maintained his spot as the only Triple Crown winner ever to vault past $2 million to $2,019,213. Glidemaster holds the distinction of being the trotter with the biggest bankroll among all Triple Crown winners with $1,968,023.

P.S. Marion Marauder has some catching up to do though in the winning percentage department. He is 31 13-8-4 lifetime, making him the lone Trotting Triple Crown winner who is less than 50 per cent in the win dept. The two pacers who won less than half of their starts over their careers after winning the Pacing Triple Crown are Western Dreamer 85 26-15-12 and Rum Customer 141 52-27-25.