Field set for $250,000 Gerrity Memorial Saturday

Saratoga Casino Hotel is gearing up for the 15th Annual Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace as it goes to the gate in race 10 on Saturday, July 20th.

The $250,000 marquee harness racing event of the season drew in a full field of eight pacers.

Tyler Buter has his choice from three entries as he is listed on Backstreet Shadow (Shadow Play – Backstreet Sweetie), Ervin Hanover (Captaintreacherous – Eloquent Grace), and Ken Hanover (Captaintreacherous – Kjs Justine).

On the rail, Backstreet Shadow, trained by Daniel Renaud, has made 13 starts this year and returned with a record of 2-2-4 with $91,610 banked and a mark of 1:51.3H. The nine-year-old gelding boasts 46 triumphs and $1,652,789 in lifetime earnings.

Ervin Hanover takes post five for trainer Jeff Cullipher. The four-year-old shows a mark of 1:50.3F and a record of 2-1-1 from 11 starts, yielding $35,340 for the season. In his career, Ervin Hanover has won 10 races and banks $390,074.

Roland Mallar sends Ken Hanover to the gate from post six. The four-year-old records 1-2-1 in six starts this year with a mark of 1:47.4 and $79,697 earned. He has earned $657,560 in his career with 13 wins.

Jason Bartlett is set to drive Coaches Corner (Always A Virgin – Carobbean Pacetry) from post two for trainer Per Engblom. In 15 starts this year, the four-year-old gelding has posted a tally of 3-8-1, $293,845 earned, and his lifetime mark of 1:49.3 at the Big M. His career lines show 23 wins and $437,444 earned.

Larry Stalbaum will drive his student Rocknroll Runa A (Rock N Roll Heaven – Shes A Runa) from post four. The seven-year-old gelding has made 19 starts this year, returning with a score of 6-1-4, mark of 1:50.0F, and $138,587 banked. The Australian transplant has made 31 trips to the winner’s circle in his career to go along with $465,979.

Hellabalou (Sweet Lou – Majestic Blue Chip) returns in post seven to seek redemption off a third place finish in the 2023 Gerrity at the Spa. A winner of 28 races and $1.4 million in his career, the Ron Burke student shows 2-3-3 and a mark of 1:50.2H this year with $361,830 earned. Joe Bongiorno is scheduled to drive.

Travis Alexander sends two starters to the gate in the headliner pace. Pleaseletmeknow (American Ideal – I Said Please), a winner of $801,432 and 20 races in his career, takes post three with Mark MacDonald in the bike. This season, he has showcased $108,855 to go along with a mark of 1:51.4H and record of 3-1-6 in 13 starts.

The former Canadian Horse of the Year, Desperate Man, completes the field of eight with Matt Kakaley getting the call to drive for Alexander. In his career, the six-year-old Shadow Play – Dreamlands Latte gelding shows a record of 22-9-9 and $1,211,274 from 64 starts. He has posted a record of 6-0-2 in nine starts in his six-year-old campaign so far with $221,840 earned and a mark of 1:50.3H.

The full field of eight is available below:

Post – Horse – Sire – Trainer

1. Backstreet Shadow (Shadow Play) – Daniel Renaud
2. Coaches Corner (Always A Virgin) – Per Engblom
3. Pleaseletmeknow (American Ideal) – Travis Alexander
4. Rocknroll Runa A (Rock N Roll Heaven) – Larry Stalbaum
5. Ervin Hanover (Captaintreacherous)– Jeff Cullipher
6. Ken Hanover (Captaintreacherous) – Roland Mallar
7. Hellabalou (Sweet Lou) – Ron Burke
8. Desperate Man (Shadow Play) – Travis Alexander

The card is complete with 14 races and the undercard highlights the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) and NYSS Excelsior Series for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

by Jessica Hallett, for Saratoga Raceway