Zeron happy for chance at another Hambo

Scott Zeron was left without a drive in Saturday’s Hambletonian Stakes following last week’s eliminations, but the three-time winner of the harness racing event didn’t have to wait long for that to change. Zeron picked up Bella’s Musclehill (Muscle Hill), giving the driver the opportunity to become the first back-to-back winner of the sport’s premier race for 3-year-old trotters in 36 years.

Bella’s Musclehill finished second in his Hambletonian elimination, which was won by Karl in 1:50.3, to advance to Saturday’s $1.05 million final at The Meadowlands. David Miller drove Bella’s Musclehill for trainer Nifty Norman, but the door was left open for Zeron when Miller piloted T C I into the final with a 1:50.4 victory two races after Karl’s score.

Miller will drive T C I in the final, leaving from post four. T C I is the 5-2 second choice on the morning line behind Karl, the 6-5 favorite, who will leave from post one with driver Yannick Gingras.

Zeron and Bella’s Musclehill will go from post six, the most advantageous starting spot at The Meadowlands, with a 15.5-percent win rate. The son of Muscle Hill-Barn Bella is 15-1. Zeron will be driving him for the first time.

The most recent driver to win the Hambletonian in consecutive attempts was John Campbell, with Mack Lobell in 1987 and Armbro Goal in 1988.

“I’m happy to be part of the race,” Zeron said. “I wish I knew my horse very well, but I’ll do some homework and figure out the best way to go about it. We do it on a daily basis, learn as we go. So, I’ll learn as I go.”

Last year, Zeron, at the age of 34, became the 11th driver in history to win the Hambletonian at least three times. The other 10 are all in the Hall of Fame.

A fourth victory would put Zeron in a tie for second most ever, joining Ben White, Billy Haughton, Stanley Dancer, and Mike Lachance. The only driver with more Hambletonian trophies is Campbell, with six.

Zeron captured last year’s Hambletonian with Tactical Approach, trained by Nancy Takter. He won from post 10, the least advantageous starting spot at The Meadowlands, at 12-1 odds. His previous wins came in 2018 with Atlanta, trained by his father Rick, and in 2016 with Marion Marauder, trained by Paula Wellwood.

Atlanta was the first female trotter since Continentalvictory in 1996 to win the Hambletonian. Marion Marauder went on to capture the Yonkers Trot and Kentucky Futurity to sweep the Trotting Triple Crown.

“I think last year, the expectations weren’t that I was going to win from the 10-hole,” Zeron said. “This year, everybody has said Karl’s already won it, so I can go in there with an open mind and just run a nice pressure-free race.

“(Bella’s Musclehill) has been kind of peaking. You’ve got to hope you get a little lucky and hope your horse is good on that given day.”

Unraced as a 2-year-old, Bella’s Musclehill has hit the board in seven of 10 races, winning two and earning $69,943 for owners Pinske Stables and Curly Tall Curly Small. Tagliabue, in 1995, was the most recent Hambletonian winner who didn’t race at 2.

“He was just a big, raw horse last year; he needed time,” said Norman, a three-time Hambletonian Oaks winner looking for his first Hambletonian trophy. “He’s turned into a nice horse, he’s just green. It was a good run (in the elim). He’s just been getting better and better all the time.

“We’re in the final. That’s all I wanted. Give us a chance. Anything can happen. We’ve seen it before.”

Marcus Melander has finished second in the Hambletonian each of the past two years, and three times overall. He will look to break through Saturday with Security Protected (Father Patrick-Thatsnotmyname), who finished fifth in his elimination (won by Karl) and will leave from post five in the final with driver Tim Tetrick.

Security Protected is 20-1 on the morning line but has done well in big races in the past, finishing third in last year’s Breeders Crown and Peter Haughton Memorial. He opened up this season with three wins on the Pennsylvania stakes circuit and is looking to return to form after going off stride in the MGM Yonkers Trot on June 28 at MGM Yonkers Raceway.

In his start prior to the Hambletonian elim, he was fifth from post seven in a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial (won by Sig Sauer in 1:50) but was timed in 1:50.3. For his career, Security Protected has hit the board in 12 of 18 races, winning seven and earning $454,087 for owners Brad Grant and Order By Stable AB.

“His year started out very good, and he’s actually raced good his last two starts,” Melander said. “He’s a solid horse. OK, he made that break at Yonkers, but otherwise he does everything right. It’s going to be a tough race, of course, but if he can follow someone, you never know what can happen. I think he’s coming into pretty good form.”

Last year, Melander was second in the Hambletonian with Oh Well. In 2022, he was second with the filly Joviality S, third with Temporal Hanover and fifth with Periculum. He also finished second, third and fifth in the 2019 final, with Greenshoe, Gimpanzee and Green Manalishi S.

Melander also hit the board in his first Hambletonian in 2017, when he saw Enterprise win his elimination and finish fourth-placed-third in the final.

Tetrick won the Hambletonian in 2012, with Market Share.

In addition to Security Protected in the Hambletonian, Melander will send out Date Night Hanover (Chapter Seven-Don’t Wait Up) in the Hambletonian Oaks. She finished third in her elimination (won by R Melina) and will leave from post nine in the final with driver Dexter Dunn. She is 15-1.

The filly notched her only victory this year in the filly division of the Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial. She finished third in her division of the Del Miller Memorial (also won by R Melina) on July 13. She has won five of 19 career races and earned $425,859 for owners Jeff Snyder and Onda Racing Stable.

“These last couple of starts have been really good for her,” Melander said. “She’s only won once this year, but she’s been racing very good. The last time, she came home in :26. (In the elimination), she came the back half in like :53.4. You can’t ask for much more. She’s a fast filly.”

Melander won last year’s Hambletonian Oaks with Heaven Hanover, who scored from post 10 with Tetrick in the sulky.

Trainer Luc Blais also will have one horse in each the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks. Private Access (Muscle Hill-Open Access) will leave from post nine in the Hambletonian and is 10-1 on the morning line while Drawn Impression will go from post 10 and is 12-1. Determination owns both horses.

Private Access finished second in his Hambletonian elimination, a neck behind T C I. In July, he won the consolation division of the Zweig Memorial. His start in the Hambletonian elim was his first race since that victory.

“He’s a nice horse,” said Blais, who won the 2019 Hambletonian with Forbidden Trade. “He’s very laidback and does everything right. Last year, he was a little bit immature and made some breaks. Now, he is more mature. He can still be goofy a little bit, but I think that’s good. He’s not nervous. He travels and nothing bothers him. He feels good everywhere he goes.

“I think (off the elimination race) he is going to step up; the same thing with the filly. That’s what I hope.”

Drawn Impression, a daughter of Muscle Hill-Emoticon Hanover, finished second in her Oaks elimination, which was captured by Elista Hanover. Drawn Impression won last year’s Peaceful Way Stakes.

James MacDonald will drive both Private Access and Drawn Impression. MacDonald won the Meadowlands Pace with Legendary Hanover in July and will try to become the first driver to win the Pace and Hambletonian in the same year since Mike Lachance in 2003.

The $1,050,000 Hambletonian will be race 12 with a post time of 4:45 p.m. (EDT) and air nationally on Fox Sports. The companion $525,000 Hambletonian Oaks is race 14 and will go at 6:06 p.m. and air on FS2.

Racing begins at noon. For free program pages, visit The Meadowlands website.

For all the ways to watch on Hambletonian Day, click here.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA