ROCK N ROLL
IS HERE TO STAY

So sang Danny And The Juniors!!! It is STILL Rock N Roll to Billy Joel!!! The big news here in these parts is that the impeccably bred Rock N Roll Hanover… The world’s only sub1:50 2-year-old …The undefeated 3-year-old winner of The New Jersey Classic and North American Cup will indeed be making beautiful music as a Perretti Farms stallion upon completion of his racing career.

Rock N Roll Hanover, a $190,000 yearling purchase by Jeff Snyder and Audrey Campbell’s Lothlorien Equestrian Center is by the first crop siring sensation Western Ideal from of Rich N Elegant she also the dam of North American Cup champion and Perretti Farms stallion Red River Hanover, dual millionaire Royal Flush Hanover and solid Canadian sire Rustler Hanover. Rich N Elegant is considered the number one broodmare of this era and may well be the best of any era.

Rock N Roll Hanover next goes in The Meadowlands Pace eliminations on Saturday Full details concerning his stallion career will be announced upon completion of his racing career.

SUNSHINE SALE GRADUATES
SHOWING UP

Can’t help but notice the growing number of South Florida Sunshine Sale alumni racing AND winning… Foremost might be Debutante stakes winner She’s Game by The Panderosa trained by Brian Magee and owned by fellow “Shore resident”” Charlie Krippendorf Also saw Livestrong an Artiscape from Dreamlands Hardie win by some half dozen lengths in 1:54.4 at The Meadowlands on Thursday.

We’d expect the second edition of the South Florida horses in training sale to be rather popular next January.

Speaking of The Debutante, the other divisional winner was the Perretti Farms bred and sold Mattios by Matt’s Scooter from Armbro Vamoose. Congratulations Jimmy Tolson. Her Artiscape brother CHOCOLART MOOSE will be waiting at Harrisburg in November. Real sharp looking colt too.

GOSHEN DREAMS
Dream Vacation had a rather decent day at Goshen on Friday as his fillies won THREE LANDMARK stake divisions one of them being our own COLOR SCHEMES (Paisley Yankee) an open length winner for Syl King and owner John Wagner. Dream Vacation’s daughter QUEEN SERENE (Queen Of Queens) was impressive in a Meadowlands baby race winning by seven lengths in 2:01 with a sparkling last quarter. Queen Serene has a license being a Dream Vacation sister to half million dollar winning Muscle King
We’ll have PURPLE HAZE, the Muscles Yankee sister to Color Schemes at Harrisburg in November.

Muscles Yankee sons finished 1-2-3 in the Historic Dickerson at The Meadowlands Friday with Muscle Memory edging Strong Yankee and Northern Kid in 1:55.1 on a very sloppy track. We’ll have YANKQUILITY (Peace Be With You) the full sister to Muscle Memory at Harrisburg in November.

HISTORICS SCRATCHED
The media must be sleeping again as the scratching of the two 3-year-old pacing segments of the Historic series went unreported. Neither The Jersey Cup for 3-year-old pacing colts or The Ladyship for 3year old pacing fillies drew enough entrants to fill the races.

Without getting into semantics all the Historic Series events have been on the lighter side in recent years. One problem could be the $800 March 2-year-old payment allowing entrée to the 2-year-old races also serves as THE sustainer for the 3-year-old races. In that the 2-year-old races occur at what to some could be considered an inopportune time one wonders how many potential 3-year-old starters forfeit eligibility by simply failing to make the initial the 2-year old payment. Perhaps some retooling is in order.

On tap this weekend are eliminations for The Meadowlands Pace, Stanley Dancer and Delvin Miller at The Meadowlands keeping the bigger name 3-year-olds occupied...

Mark Adair wrote an excellent piece on the USTA’s website citing the need for FANS instead of just gamblers.

Perhaps that’s the difference as back then fans were gamblers too and the gamblers were fans as well. That was evident by the excitement generated by big races in the media and the grandstand where noisy arguments between those faithful backing different contenders were known to break out. In many ways it was like the “bleacher atmosphere” that prevails in many ballparks.

We’ve lost that aspect! Unfortunately.

Bob Marks