Bax’s handy sophomore trotters prepare for Dream of Glory

With 14 harness racing horses entering, eliminations are needed for The Dream of Glory. Two eliminations are set for Saturday (July 27) at Hanover Raceway. The event is open to trotting three-year-old’s who are non-winners of $75,000 (fillies $100,000) in 2023. The first elimination is scheduled for race two while the second elimination is a few races later in the fifth.

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Matthew Bax has an entry in each of the two eliminations. His three-year-old gelding, Alexander (Muscle Mass) draws into the first elimination and could be a threat at 6-1 morning line odds. Although he only has one score this year, he has shown he can handle the half-mile surface well.

 “He (Alexander) started the season really good” Bax responded. “However, he got a bit sick and tied up, but he has worked his way back up. He’s getting better every start. His plus is he’s a handy horse around any track. Going to Hanover for the Dream of Glory, you need to be handy going around those turns to have a shot. He has good gait speed and is very handy which on a small track is a big plus.”

Alexander is no stranger to the half-mile surface with his six starts on it. Although he has yet to find a win on the smaller surface, he has performed well including his second place in The Balanced Image Final last year.

Alexander has some stiff competition in the first heat. The Wheeling N Dealin gelding, Magic Dealer has well earned the morning line favourite title heading into the first elimination. In five starts this year, he has won twice and finished second place twice as well. His fastest mile of 1:56.4 was achieved at Woodbine Mohawk Park when he broke his maiden status. The Paul Walker-trained gelding finished second in his most recent start in the ONSS Grassroots at Woodbine Mohawk Park. He is the least battle-tested entry in the first elimination with only the five-lifetime starts and is also the only one to draw in that didn’t race as a two-year-old. However, the quality of racing has been top-notch from Magic Dealer.

Mass Cara (Muscle Mass) is tied for the most appearances this year at 10 and she has left the track victorious on three occasions. Her most recent win was in the ONSS Grassroots at Clinton Raceway, and she trotted the mile in 1:59.2. She won an earlier leg in the ONSS Grassroots with a mile of 1:54.3 at Woodbine Mohawk Park which stands as her lifetime mark. Mass Cara went winless as a two-year-old in seven starts but still found herself in the top three on four occasions. He is also the top earner in the field of seven at $79,463. Kyle Bossence trains Mass Cara and co-owns along with Frank Brundle.

Another Muscle Mass filly that draws in is Radical Legacy and she is coming off a 1:57 win at Grand River. It was her second win of the year and seventh of her career. She has a lifetime mark of 1:55.3 which is the fastest of anyone in the first elimination. Her two-year-old year was also impressive with five wins in seven starts and she only finished outside the top three once. Post-position seven could be an obstacle for her. The last time she lined up in post seven on a half-mile track, she broke early and was unable to recover. Greg McNair already has 51 training wins this year and is having his best year based on Udrs. He currently sits at 0.349 this year and his previous best was 1992 where he ended the year at 0.345.  

Bax’s Resolve filly, Birthday Money will be making her seventh start of the year in the second elimination. She has two wins and two seconds with over $31,000 in earnings. Both of her wins have come in her last two appearances, and both were in the ONSS Grassroots. Her mile times were 1:59.4 and 1:55.1. Only two of her 14 lifetime starts have been on a half-mile track and she claimed victory on one of the occasions. Her first time on the smaller surface, she finished third but was placed sixth.

“She got a little bigger and a little stronger, but she too is a handy horse,” said Bax. “She has great gait speed as well. She handled Clinton very well which is a very similar track to Hanover, and she gets a first quarter of 28 seconds. Around that is really impressive. Six-hole isn’t the greatest, but I think we can overcome that. The goal right now is to just get to next week.”

Even with his latest appearance ending with a seventh-place finish, Captain Wania (Resolve) will be the one to beat in the second elimination. He has won five times this year and two of them have been on a half-mile surface. Both were in the City of London Series at The Raceway at Western Fair and trotted the finals in 1:58.4. The gelding’s lifetime mark is 1:56.4 and he achieved that at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Shannon Henry has 10 training wins this year. His career best in 20 in a year and a win on Saturday will help him close the gap.

2023 was a good year for Bax in the training department with 38 wins and over $1.7 million in earnings. He also had two trotters earn their way into last year’s Dream of Glory Final, but they finished third and fifth respectively.

Post time at Hanover Raceway on Saturday is at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink