Meadowlands (The Big M) Barn Notes - Wednesday, July 7

Meadowlands Harness Racing (the Big M) Barn Notes - Wednesday, July 7

July 7, 2004

ALTMEYER BIDS FOR SPOT IN $1 MILLION PACE WITH SANTASTIC'S PAN

It has been 13 years since trainer Dan Altmeyer brought a colt to New Jersey to try his luck at the $1 million Meadowlands Pace.

This year he puts his faith in Santastic's Pan, who is rated 12-1 in the morning line from post three in the third race on Saturday night, the second of three $50,000 elimination races for the Meadowlands Pace.

The first three from each elimination, plus the fastest fourth-place finisher, will advance to the $1 million Meadowlands Pace Final, the nation's richest event for three-year-old pacers, on Saturday, July 17 at the Meadowlands. The $50,000 eliminations are carded as races two, three and five on the 13-race card that also includes the $700,000 William R. Haughton Memorial Final for free for all pacers, the seventh race.

Altmeyer, who has nearly two-dozen horses training at the Meadows near Pittsburgh, made his last foray in 1991 with Cambest. Two years later, Cambest would become the fastest pacer in history with a time trial of 1:46.1 at the fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois.

But on that early July weekend of 1991, Cambest failed to qualify for the final won by Precious Bunny.

"I actually thought Cambest could win," recalled Altmeyer. "We drew the 10 hole in our elimination, ended up finishing sixth, and didn't make the final. We ended up finishing second in the consolation to the filly Miss Easy."

This year, Altmeyer makes the trip East with Santastic's Pan, a son of 1999 Meadowlands Pace winner The Panderosa. The colt has banked $225,776, while winning eight of 20 career starts. He was undefeated last year during July and August, reeling off five consecutive stakes victories. Last September he flew from the back of the pack to win a division of the $88,540 Bluegrass at Lexington's Red Mile in 1:52 with a 27.2 final quarter

"This year's crop of three-year-olds are a tough bunch, and it's probably a big step for him to think he could win," said Altmeyer of Santastic's Pan. "If luck goes his way, he could show up somewhere and get some money. He races best off cover and sprinting home, but he can leave a ton if need be."

Santastic's Pan will be driven by Altmeyer's son-in-law, Mike Wilder, an Ohio native who is one of the leading drivers at the Meadows.

Wilder is married to Altmeyer's daughter, Heather, for whom Santastic's Pan's older half-sister, Heather's Western, is named. That stakes filly earned more than $173,000.

"Mike helps me train, he knows the horses, and I believe it's a real big advantage for me to use him," said Altmeyer. "I'm not a regular at the big tracks and can't always get the biggest drivers. Mike will race them how I want. He's confident and the pressure doesn't seem to bother him in the least."

"He doing very well right now," Wilder said of Santastic's Pan.

"This past weekend we raced him here at the Meadows, and he closed well against older horses and raced in 1:52 and a piece. It was his first race since he was in the [Pennsylvania] sire stakes a few weeks back. He's doing quite well. I think he's in a good spot in the elimination. I'm excited, looking forward to getting him into the final. That would really be something."

"He's the type of horse you can leave out of there or take up with two fingers," Wilder noted. "I know there are some good horses in there with him, but I feel he belongs right there with them. He's sharp right now, and I'm very happy the way he's coming into this race. I'm looking forward very much to Saturday."

The 2004 season has been an up and down one for Santastic's Pan.

He is winless in seven starts, but finished second in the Hempt Final at Pocono Downs to the highly regarded Skydancer Hanover. His most recent start was last Saturday where he finished third to rugged free for aller Sharky Spur at the Meadows.

"He needed a start, and I had to put him in against tough, older horses," said Altmeyer. "We raced him conservatively, and he finished very well. Actually he hasn't been bad this year and has been fairly sharp. We've had some bad luck and some little problems that have held him back. Right now, he's as good as he's been. He's a very easy horse with a great attitude and requires very little training. You can race him however you want. You can leave a quarter in 25 and change and back him off the gate the following week with two fingers. His older sister, Heather's Western, was the exact opposite and was very headstrong."

Altmeyer co-owns the colt with Jacob Ramsburg, who owns Frederick Underwriters Insurance in Frederick, Maryland. They have been partners on horses for quite some time.

"He called me one time before Harrisburg and asked me to look at his yearlings that were consigned to the sale," recalled Altmeyer, who breaks his colts each winter at Reveille Farms in Astor, Florida. "He told me to pick out what I liked, we'd bid them in and he'd have me as a one third partner. We've owned horses that way for a long time, and it's been a great relationship. I race strictly colts so we usually sell them at Harrisburg at the end of their three-year-old seasons. Once in awhile he'll want to keep one and is very good about buying out my interest. This past year, I kept a couple of four-year-olds in anticipation of slots in Pennsylvania. We finally got the legislation passed. Right now, we've got 22 head in training at the Meadows."

The weekend of stakes action begins on Friday night with three-year-old trotters. Twenty-three colts are split among three $35,000 eliminations for the $382,000 Stanley Dancer Trot and 25 fillies in three $25,000 eliminations for the $325,000 Delvin Miller Memorial, the last major preps for the $1 million Hambletonian and $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, both on August 7. The Miller and Dancer finals are on Friday, July 16.

$50,000 Meadowlands Pace Elimination - Race 2 - Saturday, July 10

PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer, ML

1, Westerly Bound, Ron Pierce, Tom Artandi, 15-1 2, Circle L Kid, Ron Pierce, Steve Elliott, 8-1 3, Mypanmar, Luc Ouellette, Ivan Sugg, 8-1 4, Unique Fighter, Brian Sears, Rich Banca, 6-1 5, Reason To Smile, Brian Sears, Brett Pelling, 12-1 6, Camelot Hall, George Brennan, Mark Harder, 9-5 7, Modern Art, David Miller, Joe Holloway, 4-1 8, Georgia Pacific, Brian Sears, Randy Bendis, 7-2

$50,000 Meadowlands Pace Elimination - Race 3 - Saturday, July 10

PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer, ML

1, Metropolitan, John Campbell, Chris Ryder, 7-5 2, Brandon's Cowboy, Daniel Dube, Mark Ford, 4-1 3, Santastic's Pan, Mike Wilder, Dan Altmeyer, 12-1 4, Grissini, John Campbell, Brett Pelling, 10-1 5, Geartogear, Ron Pierce, John Bavosi, 15-1 6, Leader Bayama, Sylvain Filion, Justin Filion, 15-1 7, Panspacificflight, Luc Ouellette, Brian Magie, 9-5

$50,000 Meadowlands Pace Elimination - Race 5 - Saturday, July 10

PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer, ML

1, Village Hero N, Rich Silverman, Jerry Silverman, 6-1 2, Marchand, Jim Morrill Jr., Noel Daley, 9-2 3, Holborn Hanover, Jim Morrill Jr., Mark Harder, 5-1 4, Mantacular, Cat Manzi, Larry Rathbone, 2-1 5, Timesareachanging, Yannick Gingras, Brett Pelling, 7-2 6, Western Prince, John Campbell, Chris Ryder, 10-1 7, The Preacher Pan, Luc Ouellette, Ivan Sugg, 15-1 8, Duca, Cat Manzi, Rich Banca, 10-1

DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR $50,000 HANDICAPPING CHALLENGE

There are still some spots remaining for the $50,000 Championship Meet Big M Harness Handicapping Challenge this Saturday.

There is a non-refundable entry fee of $250 and an additional $250 in cash will be required for the purchase of a betting card, the bankroll for the tournament. The winner will receive $25,000, with prize money for the top 10 finishers. The entry includes a program and a buffet dinner.

Each player will select five Meadowlands live races and must bet $25 to win and $25 to place on one horse in each of those races. Contest wagering is limited to Meadowlands live races only. Entrants may not add any additional cash to the bankroll but may keep all pari-mutuel winnings.

Entry forms are available at the Guest Service Center or online at www.thebigm.com. Entries must be in the hands of the Meadowlands Marketing Department, located on the ground level, by July 9. For further information call 201-842-5013.