Million Dollar Cam, Art Major win Cane Pace eliminations

The nation’s best 3-year-old pacers took their first steps towards pacing’s Triple Crown Saturday with elimination heats for Monday’s Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway.

The first four finishers from the two $61,531 division heats on Saturday moved on to the $369,188 Cane Pace final on Labor Day.

The Cane Pace is the first leg towards the prestigious Triple Crown. The other two jewels in the crown are the Little Brown Jug and the Messenger Stakes.

Million Dollar Cam, the top sophomore colt in the Cane Pace field, won the first elimination in a quick 1:52.2 for driver Luc Ouellette.

Ouellette sat with Million Dollar Cam, the son of Cam’s Card Shark (1994’s Standardbred Horse of the Year) for the first quarter mile, from post one, before taking charge with a dramatic move to the front. Soho took the field through the first time check in an honest 27.1.

Once in front, Million Dollar Cam looked like a million-dollar horse, going through the half in 56.1, and three-quarters in 1:24.3. Ouellette didn’t need to push his colt at all in the final quarter, cruising home in 1:52.2.

Soho, with Richie Silverman in the bike, held on for second with the place position going to Allamerica Ingot and David Miller. Fourth place was as good as a win for Mystic Art and Wally Hennessy, as they grabbed the final qualifying berth in the heat.

Million Dollar Art won for the 10th time in 18 starts and his earnings for the year are just under $500,000.

Hall of Fame driver John Campbell, no stranger to the winner’s circle at the Cane Pace (he has three wins) drove Art Major to victory in the second elimination heat. It was a coast-to-coast job by the son of another legendary colt, Art’s Place (1992 Standardbred Horse of the Year). Campbell had his charge in the lead by the first turn and led through fractions of 28.0, 57.2 and 1:24.3, which led to a 1:31.1 win.

Monsoon Hall, driven by first heat winner Ouellette, grabbed the place spot with show position going to Cam’s Fast Gun (David Miller). Nailing down the fourth and final qualifying position from the heat was Life is a Cabaret.

Art Major won for the ninth time in 16 starts and his winning purse Saturday pushed his earning over $500,000 for the year.

This will be the 48th running of the Cane Pace. It has been hosted by Freehold Raceway for the last five years.

The history of the Cane Pace is steeped in tradition with the likes of Albatross, Niatross, Bret Hanover, Cam Fella, Adios Butler and Keystone Ore, all Horse of the Year winners, capturing the Triple Crown race. The list of winning drivers is the best of the best with the names Stanley Dancer, William Haughton, Herve Filion and John Campbell, all Hall of Famers, having their names engraved on the trophy. The newest member of the Hall of Fame, Freehold’s own Cat Manzi, won it in 1996 with Scoot To Power.

The Cane Pace winner will be the only sophomore to have a chance at winning the Triple Crown in 2002. The last Pacing Triple Crown winner won in 1999 when Blissfull Hall swept all three races. He turned in a sizzling track record 1:51.4 in winning the Cane at Freehold Raceway. In all, nine horses have won the coveted Triple Crown. In addition to Blissfull Hall, the other winners are: Adios Butler (1959), Bret Hanover (1965), Romeo Hanover (1966), Rum Customer (1968), Most Happy Fella (1970), Niatross (1980), Ralph Hanover (1983) and Western Dreamer (1997).

Eliminations for the $165,000 Lou Babic Memorial for 2-year-old New Jersey-bred pacing colts and geldings were also held on Saturday. The first two finishers in each of the three $15,000 elimination heats advance to the Babic final, which will also be held on Labor Day. Two of the third-place finishers will also make the field by luck of the draw.

Ouellette drove Star Style to the win in the first elimination, posting a 1:56.2. Artesian (Ron Pierce) was second.

Yankee Cruiser went wire-to-wire in the second elimination, crossing the finish line in 1:54.4, with Campbell bringing Raisencain Hanover over the line in second.

The third elimination featured a Freehold track record for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings. Campbell was in the bike for this record, bringing Armbro Animate home in a fast 1:53.3.

Armbro Animate had help in this one as Allamerican Native with George Brennan driving, led into the stretch, helping to push Armbro Animate to the record. Coasttocoast Yankee (Mike Wilder) was placed second after it was ruled that Allamerican Native had bothered him in the stretch.

With his 1:53.3 time, Armbro Animate smashed the old track record of 1:54.1 set by Easter Sun Hannaback in 1992.