Karl and T C I won’t tango in $270,000 Dancer Trots

There will be no matchup between the two top three-year-old harness racing trotting colts Karl and T C I this Saturday night (July 13) at The Meadowlands. They both drew into separate $135,000 divisions of the classic Stanley Dancer Memorial stake named after one of the greatest trainer-drivers in the sport.

This could be the final start for both colts before they compete on July 27 at The Meadowlands in the $100,000 elimination races for the prestigious Hambletonian Trot. The $1 million final is set to be held on Saturday afternoon, August 3 at the Big M.

Karl (Tactical Landing) will be the overwhelming favorite in his Dancer Memorial division which is race 6 on Saturday.

Undefeated in 2024 after four starts for trainer Nancy Takter and driver Yanick Gingras, Karl has not raced since June 29 when he won a $34,250 division of the Reynolds Memorial at the Meadowlands when he won impressively in 1:51. Karl has yet to race anywhere else than the Meadowlands.

What has Karl been doing during his time off since late June?

“He jogged 3 miles today,” Takter explained. “He gets lots of paddock time every day and will have some today as well in the morning.”

Looking towards getting ready for Saturday’s big race Takter said of Karl, “He’s good, he’s pretty chill and does what he’s supposed to. I’ve purposely kept his schedule pretty light as the next few weeks will be tough. It’s a long year.

“Assuming all goes well Saturday,” Takter added, “He will not race before Hambo elims.”

As per not having to face T C I this week, Takter said.

“I’m good not having to race T C I. I have respect for a few of the colts in the crop and his race Saturday has a few very nice horses and we drew all the way outside which makes things more difficult of course.”

T C I (Cantab Hall) starts from post 2 in the 8^th race second $135,000 division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial where he is listed as the race favorite over the red-hot Highland Kismet (Father Patrick) in post 5.

In his last start, T C I and driver David Miller made a rare break at the start of the $300,000 Zweig Memorial at Vernon Downs, then came back with an impressive four-wide move around the final turn to loop half the field, but still finished fourth in the race by just two lengths.

“All is good with him,” said trainer and co-owner Ron Burke about T C I. “He was just anxious leaving.”

Owned by Burke Racing, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services and Weaver Bruscemi, T C I had won three straight races to begin the season, the fastest in 1:52.2.

“I look forward to meeting Karl in the Hambo,” Burke added.

But first T C I need to take on the vastly improved Highland Kismet and driver Bob McClure, who have shipped down from Toronto to also prepare for the Hambletonian.

Highland Kismet is on a four-race winning streak. He has won five of his six starts, the fastest a 1:51.3 score in the $164,250 Goodtimes Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Highland Kismet never raced at age 2. He is trained by Mark Etsell for Highland Thoroughbred Farm of Ontario who also bred the colt.

Also on a winning streak is Gruesome Twosome (You Know You Do) in post 4 for driver Daryl Bontrager, who co-owns the colt with Ira Steinberg.

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by Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink