Peck aims to make trotter history

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Groans filled the room at Wednesday's news conference when it was announced that Holiday Road drew post 10 for Saturday's $1.5 million Hambletonian for 3-year-old trotters at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

But trainer Greg Peck, a Newtown resident who is bidding to become the first trainer to win back-to-back Hambletonians since Per Eriksson in 1991 and 1992, was unfazed.

"I'm confident in when you have the best horse in the 10 hole, you can overcome it," Peck said. "If I had any other horse in the field and I had the 10 hole I'd be upset, but this year I can envision winning."

Holiday Road, a multiple-stakes winner who was two-for-two this year before finishing third in a Hambletonian elimination last week, will try to become the first horse in history to win the race from post 10. He was made 6-1 on the morning line.

"We respect the competition," Peck said, "but one thing that is funny to me is no one is really saying anything about him."

Peck won last year's Hambletonian with favorite Muscle Hill. Brian Sears, who drove Muscle Hill, also drives Holiday Road.

"He looks great, he feels good, and I'm going to have fun this year," Peck said. "Last year, it was my race to lose. This year, it's my race to win."

Lucky Chucky, trained by Chuck Sylvester and driven by John Campbell, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite after winning his elimination last week. The winners of the elimination races select their post positions, and Campbell picked post two.

Campbell has teamed up with Sylvester in the past, capturing two Hambletonians (Muscles Yankee in 1998 and Mack Lobell in 1987).

Sylvester has won the Hambletonian, harness racing's equivalent of the Kentucky Derby, four times and is one win shy of the training record shared by Bill Haughton, Stanley Dancer, and Ben White. Campbell already holds the record for the most driving wins in the Hambletonian with six.

Cassis, who also won his elimination, has drawn post one and will start out at 7-2. Cassis is trained by Ray Schnittker, who is attempting to become the first trainer to win the Hambletonian and Meadowlands Pace in the same year. One More Laugh took the Pace three weeks ago.

Pilgrims Taj, the winner of the third elimination, is trained by Trond Smedshammer and driven by Mike Lachance, and will depart from post three. At age 2, Pilgrims Taj finished first or second in each of his 10 starts.

The Hambletonian will be broadcast live on NBC10 from 3 to 4 p.m., with the main event scheduled for 3:43 p.m.