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Hypnotic Blue Chip supplements, 4th Annual Quillen elims set for MondayA total of 15 of the sport’s top older pacers will do battle in the 4th Annual Bobby Quillen Memorial at Harrington Raceway, with two divisions of eliminations set for September 13.
Francis Azur’s Hypnotic Blue Chip is the first ever supplement to the Quillen, paying the $25,000 fee to gain eligibility to the race.
“Once again we’ve had a great response from the ranks of free-for-all community,” said Harrington Raceway race secretary Mick Myers. “With the addition of the supplement of Hypnotic Blue Chip, this year’s entries represent the best of the best.”
The 2009 reigning champ, Strollin Stable, Bill Robinson and James Koehler’s Won the West (David Miller) is back to defend his title and drew the coveted rail in the second $30,000 division for trainer Ron Burke, who has four horses in this year’s Quillen. The top four finishers from the two divisions will return to compete in the $354,000 Final on September 20.
Kevin McDermott trains two entrants, including the sport’s fastest pacer, the aforementioned Azur’s Hypnotic Blue Chip, who won the US Pacing Championship at the Meadowlands in a season’s best 1:47.2 on August 7. He will start from post three in the same division as Won the West as they will be joined by top aged pacers such Elmer Fannin and George Teague’s Mr. Wiggles (5-1, Andy Miller), Kevin Reynolds’ Pangiorno (4-1, Corey Callahan), Bulletproof Enterprises’ Vertical Horizon (6-1, Tony Morgan), Richard Lombardo and Howard Taylor’s Poker Hat (9-2, Daniel Dube) and Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Jjk Stables and J Koran’s McCedes (8-1, Yannick Gingras).
A Ron Burke-trained/owned entry heads the first division as Foiled Again (5-2, Yannick Gingras), Atochia (5/2, Andy Miller) were installed as the morning line choices for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Jjk Stables. Foiled Again finished second in last year’s final to Won the West.
The field includes three additional millionaires including another Azur owned, McDermott-trained horse in Blueridge Western (3-1, Jody Jamieson), Brittany Farms and Brian Monieson’s Vintage Master (4-1, Dube) and Frank Bellino’s Psiluvuheartbreaker (8-1, Ross Wolfenden). There will be local representation in Johnny Waite and Wade and Kathleen Wyatt’s Solano (8-1, Callahan), who is a five-time winner this year at Harrington, while John Fielding and David McDuffee’s Clear Vision (9-2, David Miller) and Andrea Hill’s Jeremy’s Successor (6-1, Tony Morgan) fulfill the field.
The event is named in honor of late Delaware legislator and Harrington Raceway board member, Bobby Quillen, who passed away in 2004. Quillen was an avid supporter of harness racing and a popular figure around the racetrack who always looked out for Delaware horsemen. |