$134,900 Dexter Cup set for Freehold Saturday

Stakes success at Freehold Raceway is a bit of a tradition for the harness racing family of Sir Pinocchio (Met’s Hall-Lady Cromwell), who will look to leave his own mark at the central New Jersey half-mile oval when he competes in Saturday’s (May 4) $134,900 Dexter Cup for 3-year-old male trotters.

Sir Pinocchio’s second dam, Oh Oh Its Magic, won a division of the Lady Suffolk at Freehold in 2007. Ten years later, Oh Oh Its Magic’s fourth foal, Lord Cromwell, captured the Dexter Cup in a still standing stakes-record 1:55 and gave driver John Campbell the final Grand Circuit victory of his Hall of Fame career.

Those two horses, who combined to earn more than $932,000 in their careers, were bred and owned by Carolyn Atherton and her husband, Irv, as is Sir Pinocchio.

Sir Pinocchio was a New York Sire Stakes Excelsior Series champion last year. He has hit the board in six of eight lifetime starts, winning three and earning $56,427. He will start Saturday’s Dexter Cup, the first Grand Circuit event of the season for sophomore male trotters, from post six with Jason Bartlett driving for trainer Ed Hart. He is the co-second choice on the morning line at 4-1.

In his only start this year, Sir Pinocchio won a conditioned race from post seven at MGM Yonkers Raceway on April 17. The gelding was victorious by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:57.4.

“It’s going to be exciting,” said Irv Atherton. “We have high hopes for the young man. He won handily at Yonkers, so we’ll see what happens. Carolyn is very excited; she can’t wait to see him race. We can only hope for the best.”

Sir Pinocchio went off stride in three races last year, but also displayed talent, such as when he won the Excelsior final from post eight at Batavia Downs in 1:59 at odds of 9-1.

“He was good as gold that night,” said trainer Hart. “He showed flashes of being a very nice horse last year. He made a couple odd breaks last year; it’s just a matter of attention with him. Basically, he just had to mature.

“He’s a big, good-looking, nice horse to be around. I thought he was very good at Yonkers (on April 17). He left and got a little roughed up in the first turn, Jason had to steady him, and then he came back and had good trot. It was a good mile for him. We’ll start from here and see what happens.”

Sir Pinocchio’s mother is a full sister to Lord Cromwell, who also was trained by Hart. The conditioner said Sir Pinocchio and Lord Cromwell share little in common, at least physically.

“They are opposites,” Hart said. “Lord Cromwell was a poor standing, small horse that just had a ton of heart. (Sir Pinocchio) is a big good-looking horse. But he seems to also have a lot of heart.”

Sir Pinocchio is not eligible to August’s Hambletonian but is staked to several other major Grand Circuit races for 3-year-old male trotters, including the Yonkers Trot, Canadian Trotting Classic, and Matron.

“We can only keep our fingers crossed that he stays healthy,” Atherton said. “We’ve got the right trainer and the right driver, so everything is good.”

The Athertons, who have been involved in harness racing for four decades, have cut back on breeding, which makes watching Sir Pinocchio all the more meaningful.

“We’re just getting a little too old for this,” Atherton said with a laugh. “We’ve had a few horses that have done well. We have no complaints. It’s special.”

Sir Pinocchio’s seven rivals in the Dexter Cup include Blackhawk Zette, who is 5-for-5 this year for trainer Robert Baggitt Jr. and owner J L Sadowsky after winning the Bobby Weiss Series final on Monday at Mohegan Pennsylvania’s Pocono Downs. The colt is this season’s richest 3-year-old trotter, with $62,000. He will start from post seven with Matt Kakaley in the sulky and is the 9-5 favorite.

Last year’s New York Sire Stakes champion, Chaplind, will start from post two with Yannick Gingras driving for trainer Trond Smedshammer and owner Purple Haze Stables. The colt is 4-1.

Chaplind is one of four horses that will be making his sophomore debut in the Dexter, along with Stockholm Hanover, Inflation, and Thinker Monkey. Thinker Monkey, a full brother to 2020 Trotter of the Year Gimpanzee, is the lone Dexter participant eligible to the $1 million Hambletonian.

Completing the field are Jakey Jumpup and Casanova Hall.

Saturday’s card at Freehold also includes two divisions of the Lady Suffolk for 3-year-old female trotters. Racing begins at 12:30 p.m. (EDT). For the day’s complete entries, click here.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA