Is rail the best for Robertsin in Peter Haughton

Trenton, NJ — Seeing what freshman harness racing trotter Robertsin could do from an outside post position, it stood to reason that when he finally got a good draw the gelding would take advantage.

Robertsin started from post nine at The Meadowlands in each of his first three career races (drawing post 10 in two of them but moving inside a spot because of scratches) yet nonetheless finished second twice. When he got post five in his Peter Haughton Memorial elimination last week, he won gate-to-wire in 1:54.4 as the 6-5 favorite.

On Saturday, he will start from post one in the $293,450 Peter Haughton Memorial final for 2-year-old male trotters at the Big M. The race is one of the numerous stakes on the card, which begins at noon and features the $1 million Hambletonian and $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks. Both of those races will air live from 5:30-6:30 p.m. (EDT) on CBS Sports Network.

Purchased for $60,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale, Robertsin is a son of Muscle Hill out of Sina. He is a full brother to Beautiful Sin, who won the 2019 Kentucky Filly Futurity.

“He’s well bred,” said trainer Nik Drennan, whose Drennan Stable owns the horse along with Brad Shackman and Joe Davino. “He’s paid into most of the top stakes races and you hope it pans out. So far it has.”

Robertsin finished second in two preliminary rounds of the New Jersey Sire Stakes and sixth in the final, where he was ninth at three-quarters but came home in :27.1 to finish 2-1/2 lengths from winner King Of The North. His last quarter mile was the fastest in the race.

“He raced great,” Drennan said. “He had a lot of trot finishing. He was just a victim of circumstances and not much else we can do about it. The bad post really hurt him, and we were out of contention.”

Robertsin has earned $22,500 for his connections. George Brennan will be in the sulky on Saturday. Drennan has no interest in trying to handicap the race.

“I try not to look into it too much, a thousand things can happen,” he said. “I’ll do my job and the rest is up to George.

“I just hope for the best because the guys that own him deserve a good horse. We’ve had a few lean years; it would be nice for them to get a horse that’s legit. They’re the major owners in my barn, they support me a lot. When we have a bad year, they’re still willing to buy new horses, which means a lot. They deserve to have a good one, so I hope they do.”

Following is a look at several of the remaining stakes on Saturday’s Meadowlands card.

Race 2 – Shady Daisy for 3-year-old female pacers

Fire Start Hanover, a Dan Patch Award winner last year, is the 4-5 morning-line favorite coming off a victory over previously unbeaten Test Of Faith in last week’s Tompkins-Geers Stakes for 3-year-old female pacers. Off The Record, who was third in that race, is the 4-1 second choice.

Race 5 – Cane Pace for 3-year-old pacers

The Cane Pace is the second jewel in the Pacing Triple Crown. American Courage, who won the first, the Messenger Stakes, is 4-1 from post seven in the seven-horse field.

Perfect Sting, a Dan Patch Award winner last year, is the 9-5 favorite after winning the Tompkins-Geers for 3-year-old male pacers last week. One Eight Hundred, a six-time winner this season, is 5-2 and Adios runner-up Rockyroad Hanover is 7-2.

Race 6 – Lady Liberty for older female pacers

Four-year-old mare Lyons Sentinel, a 2019 Dan Patch Award winner who equaled the Plainridge track record of 1:48.1 in capturing the Clara Barton on July 25, is the 9-5 favorite. Clara Barton runner-up Rocknificent is the 7-2 second choice.

Race 7 – Jim Doherty Memorial for 2-year-old female trotters

Venerable, the undefeated New Jersey Sire Stakes champion, received a bye to the final and is 2-1. Doherty elimination winner Joviality S is the 4-1 second choice.

Races 10 and 12 – Sam McKee Memorial divisions for older male pacers

Five-year-old Nicholas Beach brings a three-race win streak to the first division and is the 2-1 favorite. Six-year-old Backstreet Shadow, who topped $1 million in career earnings last month, is the 7-2 second choice.

In the second division, Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial champ This Is The Plan, worse than second only once in 13 starts this season, is the 2-1 favorite. Four-year-old stablemate Cattlewash, coming off back-to-back victories in the Graduate Series final and William R. Haughton Memorial, is 3-1.

Race 11 – John Cashman Memorial for older trotters

Six-year-old mare Manchego is the 9-5 favorite off wins in the Spirit of Massachusetts and a leg of the Miss Versatility Series. The two-time Dan Patch Award winner has this year’s fastest trotting mile, 1:49.4, and has won in 1:50 or faster in her career a record seven times. Four-year-old stallion Ready For Moni, who won the Graduate Series final, is the 7-2 second choice.

Race 13 – Dr. John R. Steele Memorial for older female trotters

Six-year-old Atlanta, a two-time Dan Patch Award winner, is the 9-5 favorite followed by 5-year-old When Dovescry at 2-1. When Dovescry, also a past Dan Patch Award honoree, won their meeting last week in a leg of the Miss Versatility Series by a neck.

The Big M and TrackMaster have teamed to regularly provide free past performances for each race card. Past performances can be found here on The Meadowlands website.

by Rich Fisher, for the USTA