Saturday, August 3, 2002

THREE CHEERS FOR CHIP CHIP HOORAY!

Chip Chip Hooray, a pint-sized colt with a big engine, delivered
$1 million worth of Hambletonian cheer to a seasoned Hall of Famer
and a young gun on Saturday afternoon at the Meadowlands.
It was the fourth Hambletonian victory for veteran trainer Chuck
Sylvester and the first for driver Eric Ledford, who was making his
debut in harness racing's most prestigious event which drew a crowd
of 28,969 who wagered $3,344,540 on-track. The total handle of
$8,819,235 [North American wagering only] set a Meadowlands and
harness racing record.
Chip Chip Hooray [$12.60, $9.00, $8.40] got away fourth and tipped
to the outside behind ENS Snapshot past the half. After maneuvering
past that one, he put away the pacesetter Taurus Dream and held off
the late rally of Like A Prayer [$17.40, $11.20] for a neck victory.
Chip Chip Hooray trotted the mile in a career best 1:53.3.
Duke of York [$10.40] sat off Chip Chip Hooray's back and finished
three-lengths behind in third. The 3-5 favorite Andover Hall went
off-stride on the first turn and never recovered.
"I really didn't give it a whole lot of thought before the race,"
Ledford said. "Andover was the horse I wanted to follow but it
didn't work out that way. I wound up fourth, but a distanced
fourth. They were eating it up pretty good out front so we just
bided our time back there and let them race it out, which they did,
and we were fortunate enough to pick up the pieces. At the top of
the stretch, I moved him three high. He exploded off cover. He
showed true ability and true guts and the true champion that he is."
"People don't realize how much luck and coordination go into this
one day," said Sylvester, who made it to the Hambletonian winner's
circle despite battling a bad case of bursitis. "It takes so much
luck to win this race. He just wasn't himself three weeks in-a-row.
We changed his bridle to an open bridle and pulled his hind shoes.
He trained super so I decided to go with that. I was surprised that
they made Andover Hall such a favorite. I thought we went a big race
last week."
Sylvester's previous Hambletonian winners were Mack Lobell in 1987,
Park Avenue Joe in 1989 and Muscles Yankee in 1998.
The victory was the second in five starts this year for Chip Chip
Hooray, who overcame early season problems to win his Hambletonian
elimination last week. As a freshman, the colt racked up eight wins
in 12 starts, including the $360,000 Valley Victory at the
Meadowlands. He boosted his career bankroll to $940,000 for owners
Sylvester, Michael Prakas, Wingedfoot Farms and Neal Goldman.
The victory was especially sweet for Sylvester as he trained the
colt's sire, Pine Chip, who finished second to American Winner in the
1993 Hambletonian.
In the $500,000 Nat Ray, Swedish trotting star Victory Tilly avenged
his loss in the Breeders Crown last week with a convincing two and a
half length victory over Fool's Goal with trainer-driver Stig
Johansson in the sulky. The mile time of 1:50.4 set a world record
for a trotter of any age or sex on any sized track.
Longshots reigned earlier on the card as Cam Swifty and Windylane
Hanover upset their respective fields in the $350,000 Mistletoe
Shalee and $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks.
Cam Swifty, driven by Jim Meittinis and trained by Don Swick,
capitalized on a perfect second-over trip and powered away to a two
and three-quarter-length victory in 1:50. Worldly Beauty sat third
along the pylons the whole way and held on for second, while it was
four lengths back to Dear Girl in third. Precious Delight, the 3-5
favorite cut swift fractions but faded to fifth.
In the Hambletonian Oaks, Keller and Bittle's Windylane Hanover
popped out of the pocket and muscled her way past the 2-1 favorite
Cameron Hall for a two-length victory in 1:53. Driven by Ron Pierce
and trained by Brett Bittle, Windylane Hanover recorded her second
win in four starts this season. The Lindy Lane filly improved her
career earnings to just under $450,000.
Real Desire continued his hot streak with a sizzling 1:48.2 mile in
the $400,000 US Pacing Championship. With John Campbell at the
lines, Real Desire sat a second-over trip, made a three-wide move on
the final turn and drew off to a three and half-length win over the
leader Armbro Proposal.
The Meadowlands distributed a record $4,387,500 in purse money for
17 races which included the rescheduled $460,000 Sweetheart for two-
year-old pacing fillies and the $650,000 Woodrow Wilson for two-year-
old pacing colts. Both were on the Friday night card that was
cancelled due to the dangerous lightning and heavy rain storms.
Driver George Brennan guided both winners, taking the Sweetheart
with the Jerry Silverman-trained Must See in 1:53.2 and the Wilson
with Allamerican Native, from the barn of Mark Capone, in a stakes
record 1:51.1. Brennan won both events in the same year in 1995 with
A Stud Named Sue in the Wilson and Chippie's Ruler in the Sweetheart.