HARNESS RACING NOTE

+HRC Weekly Newsletter - Monday, March 28th edition+
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IT'S LIKE DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN IN PACING MARE DIVISION

A four-year-old female pacer coming off a Horse of the Year season
looks to make the successful transition from the filly into the mare
division, where a two-time Dan Patch Award winner with nearly $2
million in career earnings awaits.

Sound familiar? It should. The scenario played out three years ago
when 2001 Horse of the Year Bunny Lake moved into the mare division
and began a rivalry with Eternal Camnation. The two mares retired at
the end of last year, Eternal Camnation with 47 wins and $3.75 million
in earnings -- the most for any female pacer in history -- while Bunny
Lake had 47 wins and $2.84 million in purses, second most all time.

Defending Horse of the Year Rainbow Blue and two-time Dan Patch
honoree Loyal Opposition might be poised to give harness racing
fans a sequel. That's because the two mares appear to be
following a script identical to the one played out by Bunny Lake
and Eternal Camnation.

Rainbow Blue, for example, claimed Horse of the Year last season
after winning 20 of 21 starts and $1.2 million. Bunny Lake won
19 of 21 and earned $1.14 million when she was honored as Horse
of the Year. Through their first two seasons of racing, Rainbow
Blue had 26 wins in 28 starts and $1.3 million while Bunny Lake
had 27 wins in 33 races and $1.4 million.

Eternal Camnation and Loyal Opposition both won Dan Patch Awards
at ages two and four. When Cammie earned divisional honors as a
two-year-old, she won 12 of 13 starts and finished second in
the other; Loyal Opposition won 14 of 15 outings and also was
second in the other. At four, Cammie won seven of 17 races and
was second five times; Loyal Opposition was victorious in nine
of 18 and was second four times. Through their first three
years, Cammie had 25 wins in 42 starts and $1.95 million in
earnings while Loyal Opposition had 30 wins in 53 starts and
$1.85 million.

"Well, that's something to look forward to from a fan's
perspective," said George Teague Jr., the trainer of Rainbow
Blue. "That's part of the game I enjoy being a part of. I think
Blue will make the transition reasonably well. It's tougher
racing, more speed, but if I've seen a horse up to the task, I
think she would definitely have to be listed. Loyal Opposition
has been a good mare all her career. The competition will be
there. I'm looking forward to it and I think it's good for the
fans."

Rainbow Blue has appeared in two qualifiers at Dover Downs so
far this year, winning in 1:57.1 and 1:54.3. Teague plans to
send her to The Meadowlands for a qualifier on Friday, her final
tune-up before returning to the races on April 11 at Dover. The
day has been designated "Rainbow Blue Day" in Delaware.

"She's acting like she hasn't missed a day," Teague said. "There
will be a lot of good mares out there, but I think she'll be
one of the ones to beat. I think it's going to be very
competitive, but I'd be crazy if I didn't say I was confident.
What she's done speaks volumes. They've got to beat her to
convince me that they can whup her."

Loyal Opposition might have signaled she is ready for the
challenge by winning the $122,520 Overbid Series final in a
stakes-record 1:49.4 last Friday night at The Meadowlands. Loyal
Opposition, who moved past Worldly Beauty for third place on
the all-time earnings list for female pacers with $1.99 million,
has won five of seven starts and $146,050 in 2005. Her only
off-the-board finish came in the final of the Cape & Cutter
Series, when she was eighth.

"She's come back pretty good," said Erv Miller, Loyal
Opposition's trainer. "George kind of drove her the opposite of
the way she likes to go [in the Cape & Cutter final]. I know
because I've done it myself. She's a mare that likes to be
aggressive and up in the race. She's never raced well coming
into it real easy; if she can do it, I haven't gotten it out of
her yet. But if you put her in the race, she'll fire away."

Last year, Loyal Opposition finished sixth in her first start of
the season, but never missed the board the remainder of the
campaign. She won four of her final six starts of the year,
including the Milton Stakes at Mohawk, and was second twice. She
also won the Lady Liberty last June.

"She was so sharp at the end of last year that I didn't see a
reason to give her a big break," Miller said. "With some of
those hundred-thousand dollar races early on the schedule, we
figured we could get some of that money early, then we'll pick
our spots throughout the year. But she was as sharp at the end
of last year as when she started, so I wasn't going to give her
a long time off. She's handled it well."

Miller said Loyal Opposition matured dramatically between age
three and four. "It's tough when you come three to four, racing
these older mares that have been racing. I thought she did
great. As she's gotten older, she's gotten smarter. When she was
younger, if she got on fire you might not be able to shut her
down. As a four-year-old, you could do anything you wanted with
her. It seemed like she matured a lot mentally. She doesn't get
excited about anything. She's real relaxed unless you ask her to
go, then she's ready."

She was ready when she won the Lady Liberty, equaling the
fastest time ever recorded by a female pacer, 1:48.4.
Frightening P and Carolina Sunshine share the mark with Loyal
Opposition. Rainbow Blue, of course, is no slouch in the speed
department. Last year she became the first filly to ever post
two sub-1:50 winning miles, and equaled the world record for a
three-year-old of 1:49.2 both times.

"I think we could see the world record fall this year," Miller
said. "I think Loyal Opposition will pick up some, and Rainbow
Blue is a heck of a mare."

The pacing mare division will have a good deal of depth, too.
Carolina Sunshine has returned, along with Burning Point,
Artbitration, and Odds On Charmaine. Glowing Report won a
qualifier at The Meadowlands in 1:56.4 last Friday and Kikikatie
is pointed toward a return in May. Always Cam and Invitro have
yet to return to the track, but are expect to be back. Those
eight mares, plus Loyal Opposition and Rainbow Blue, have
collectively won $9.4 million and seven Dan Patch Awards.

"They're going to be coming to race," Teague said. "Those are
some good name horses."

A BRUSH WITH GREATNESS: Speaking of Rainbow Blue, the mare
showed her versatility by creating a painting on Saturday that
will be raffled as part of Rainbow Blue Day at Dover Downs on
April 11. Rainbow Blue's piece is on 16-by-20-inch canvas and
was made by dipping her hoof in different colored paints.
Tickets for the raffle are $5 apiece. All proceeds benefit Horse
Lovers United Inc., a nonprofit organization that finds new
homes for horses. Tickets can be purchased in advance by mailing
a check or money order to HLU, P.O. Box 2744, Salisbury, MD
21802. Please include on a piece of paper your name, shipping
address, telephone number and e-mail address. For more
information, call 410-749-3599. The winner will receive a
Certificate of Authenticity signed by trainer George Teague Jr.
and a videotape of Rainbow Blue's best races. In addition to the
raffle, Rainbow Blue Day will feature special food items (such
as Rainbow ice cream) and a number of giveaway items, including
a 2004 Horse of the Year Rainbow Blue mug and Rainbow Blue
T-shirt. Rainbow Blue is expected to make her 2005 debut in the
$50,000 Invitational. (For a photo of Rainbow Blue's painting,
contact Marv Bachrad at mbachrad@doverdowns.com.

CALLING ALL KIDS: The US Trotting Association will hold a
weekend harness racing "rally" for kids ages 11-15 from June
17-19. The event will be held at the Delaware County Fairgrounds
in Delaware, Ohio, outside Columbus. Up to 40 kids can attend
and there will be adult-supervised overnight accommodations
available at the fairgrounds. Events include horsemanship and
jogging, careers roundtable and educational sessions of feed,
conformation and safety around horses. Tuition is $50, for more
information and an application, contact Anne Chunko at
877-800-9792 x3260 or email her at achunko@ustrotting.com.
Applications are due May 15.

QUICK BRUSHES: There are still available spots in the new owner
seminars planned for April 17 at Dover Downs in Dover, Delaware
and at Pompano Park in Pompano Beach, Florida on April 9.
Participants will learn about the costs, risks and rewards of
buying a Standardbred racehorse. To sign up or for more
information on the Delaware seminar, contact Judy Davis-Wilson
at 302-698-4610 or email zoe8874@aol.com. For information on the
Florida seminar, contact Jane Murray at 954-972-5400. ... Hazel
Park, in Detroit, opens for live racing on Monday, April 4 with
Fan Appreciation Night as their special event. Post time is
7:45 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

MESSENGER BACK TO HARRINGTON: The Messenger Pace, a leg of the
Triple Crown of Pacing, will once again be held at Harrington
Raceway, in Harrington, Delaware, on October 17. The Messenger
will be the third and final leg of the Triple Crown, following
the Cane Pace, to be held at Freehold Raceway and the Little
Brown Jug, at the Delaware (Ohio) County Fairgrounds.

UPCOMING RACES
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April 9
Spring Pacing Champs final 4yo & up pace $117,500 Woodbine Raceway

April 10
Su Mac Lad final open trot $100,000 The Meadowlands

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