Homebreds ready to roll in Aldrich Trot, Charna Pace

When harness racing trainer Dan Venier looks at the field for Saturday’s $100,000 Tom Aldrich President’s Trot at MGM Northfield Park, he knows Herecomescharlie B (Full Count-Jetterbug) has his work cut out for him. He also knows his 7-year-old homebred will go to work when the time arrives.

Herecomescharlie B brings a three-race win streak to the Aldrich, which is an invitational for Ohio-sired trotters ages 4 and up. The nine-horse field includes It’s Academic, who won last year’s edition of the race on his way to the Dan Patch Award for best older male trotter, and Grand Circuit-winning mare Refined, who was second in last year’s Aldrich.

It’s Academic is the 3-5 morning-line favorite Saturday, starting from post two with David Miller driving for trainer Ron Burke at Northfield’s half-mile oval. Refined is the 4-1 second choice, leaving from post six with Dan Noble in the sulky for Virgil Morgan Jr.

Herecomescharlie B, who will start from post three with driver Billy Davis Jr., is 12-1.

“He’s a really good half mile (track) horse, he loves the turns, and he’s really good right now,” Venier said. “Normally, I wouldn’t put him in a race like this, but I thought if he drew well, he could compete. He did draw well, so I’m happy about that.”

Venier bred and raced Herecomescharlies B’s dam, Jetterbug, who enjoyed some success on the Ohio fair circuit, before keeping her as a broodmare. Herecomescharlie B was her first foal.

“I never had a horse that had so much desire to win,” Venier said. “She didn’t have a whole lot of ability, but she had a desire that was just unbelievable. I told my wife, if there ever was a mare we should breed, it’s probably this one. Not because of her athletic ability, but because of her pure desire to want to race and beat horses. Fortunately, Charlie got that. He loves his job, and he loves to race.

“It’s really special to have a horse like Charlie that enjoys racing as much as he does. He’s in over his head (Saturday) but I know he’s going to give it his best.”

Herecomescharlie B has won 27 of 134 career races and earned $362,773. His wins include the 2019 Buckeye Stallion Series championship as a 2-year-old. The runner-up in that race was Smoking Jet, who won the 2022 edition of the Aldrich.

Venier named Herecomescharlie B after his friend Chuck Brown, who passed away several years ago.

“A lot of times people would see him coming — he was a big, tall, lanky guy — and say here comes Charlie B,” Venier said. “I just thought that would be a good name for him.”

In addition to having Herecomescharlie B in the Aldrich, Venier will send out longshot Rose Run Zane in Saturday’s $300,000 Carl Milstein Memorial Invitational for 3-year-old pacers. The son of Racing Hill-Mrs American Pie, who has won nine of 19 lifetime starts and earned $237,070, is owned by John and Leann Saunders. His wins include a division of the Ohio Breeders Championship last year and the James K. Hackett Memorial final this season.

Wish You Well, who finished a neck behind Captain Albano in the Delvin Miller Adios final on July 27, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Milstein.

“The owners are just great people and he’s a really nice horse,” Venier said. “He takes care of himself and is easy to train. He’s got some stiff competition, but he’s going to have to race against those type of horses pretty much from here on out, so we’ll give it a shot.”

Herecomescharlie B is not the only homebred in the Aldrich. Chris Beaver bred, co-owns and trains Caviar Gold (Triumphant Caviar-Gee O’Keeffe), who was third in last year’s race. The 5-year-old will start from post four on Saturday with Aaron Merriman in the sulky.

A winner on the Grand Circuit and Ohio Sire Stakes championship runner-up in 2022, Caviar Gold has posted 15 victories in 51 lifetime starts and earned $533,958. He finished seventh in the Open last week at Scioto Downs, where he was parked for the mile from post seven. It was his first race since July 12.

“He’s pretty good most of the time,” Beaver said. “He’s got a (1):51-(1):52 mile in him most of the time. I usually only race him every couple of weeks, so this week will be a little unusual because he’s racing two weeks in a row, but I think that will probably help him. He seemed good training.”

Beaver owns Caviar Gold with Bill Manes, Leo Fleming, and Steven Zeehandelar.

“He’s pretty versatile,” Beaver said about the gelding. “He can leave the gate, or he can race from off the pace. He’s good gaited. I don’t need to put trotting hobbles on him, which is unusual for a Triumphant Caviar. He’s really nice to be around. He doesn’t give me any trouble.”

Pacing stallion Trick Man produced only two registered foals as a sire, and only one was female, but that was enough to do the trick for Knox Services Inc. and Jeff Conger.

Trick Man’s lone lady, Touch Of Trick, is the mother of multiple Ohio stakes-winner Quick Trick, who on Saturday will face eight foes in the $100,000 Myron Charna President’s Pace at MGM Northfield Park. The 4-year-old gelding will start from post three with driver David Miller and is 12-1 on the morning line in the event for Ohio-sired pacers older than 3.

Touch Of Trick was bred by Knox Services, led by Carolyn Brechler, and is owned by Knox Services and trainer Jeff Conger. The Brechlers have been associated with Touch Of Trick’s family for multiple generations, dating back to their purchase of a then 3-year-old filly named Laags Winterwood in 1993.

On the racetrack, Touch Of Trick was a three-time winner on the Ohio fair circuit. Her dad, Trick Man, also was a Brechler homebred. He was a multiple Ohio stakes winner, stakes-placed on the Grand Circuit, and earned $317,150 in his career.

“So, Quick Trick is kind of a special horse to Knox Services because of (Trick Man) and the mother,” Conger said. “And now it continues. It tells kind of the story of Knox Services’ breeding program and what they do and the kind of mares they keep around. I think it really tells what they do.”

Quick Trick, a son of stallion Racing Hill, has hit the board in 27 of 38 career races and earned $194,336 for Knox Services and Conger. His family includes multiple Indiana Sire Stakes champion Right Touch as well as Summer Touch, who was Ohio’s 2-year-old filly pacer of the year in 2020, and recent Grand Circuit-winning 2-year-old Papi’s Rocket.

“He’s a very nice horse to be around,” Conger said about Quick Trick. “He’s a little tough after the race, but during the week, he is just the nicest horse in the world. He’s like his mother in that he tries really hard. This horse, you can’t believe how hard he tries. It’s all him. He gives it his all every time he goes to the track.”

Act Fast, a multiple Grand Circuit winner for trainer Ron Burke, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Charna. He will start from post five with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. in the sulky. Racing Rampage, who has won five of his past six races, is the 3-1 second choice. He will leave from post two with Matt Kakaley driving for trainer Travis Alexander.

Quick Trick heads to the Charna off back-to-back victories in conditioned races.

“We’ve been battling a little foot issue, but he’s gotten good here and doesn’t seem like there is any issue right now,” Conger said. “Hopefully, we can get a little piece of it.

“You always look forward to going for good money. And to get invited, for people to notice that he’s doing good, absolutely that’s nice. It’s a really good race. There are a lot of nice horses in there. It’s going to depend on the way the race goes, and the trip, for any of us, I think.”

Racing begins at 6 p.m. (EDT) at MGM Northfield Park.

For complete Saturday race entries, click here.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA