Robertsin has rail advantage in Peter Haughton Memorial
At 0h24, on August 7, 2021 • By RICH FISHER, USTA
Seeing what freshman trotter Robertsin could do from an outside post position, it stood to reason that when he finally got a good draw the gelding would take advantage.
Robertsin started from post nine at The Meadowlands in each of his first three career races (drawing post 10 in two of them but moving inside a spot because of scratches) yet nonetheless finished second twice. When he got post five in his Peter Haughton Memorial elimination last week, he won gate-to-wire in 1:54.4 as the 6-5 favorite.
On Saturday, he will start from post one in the $293,450 Peter Haughton Memorial final for 2-year-old male trotters at the Big M. The race is one of the numerous stakes on the card, which begins at noon and features the $1 million Hambletonian and $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks. Both of those races will air live from 5:30-6:30 p.m. (EDT) on CBS Sports Network.
Robertsin is 7-2 on the morning line in the Haughton, second choice behind Ray Schnittker’s undefeated King Of The North at 2-1.
Purchased for $60,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale, Robertsin is a son of Muscle Hill out of Sina. He is a full brother to Beautiful Sin, who won the 2019 Kentucky Filly Futurity.
“He’s well bred,” said trainer Nik Drennan, whose Drennan Stable owns the horse along with Brad Shackman and Joe Davino. “He’s paid into most of the top stakes races and you hope it pans out. So far it has.”
Robertsin finished second in two preliminary rounds of the New Jersey Sire Stakes and sixth in the final, where he was ninth at three-quarters but came home in :27.1 to finish 2-1/2 lengths from winner King Of The North. His last quarter mile was the fastest in the race.
“He raced great,” Drennan said. “He had a lot of trot finishing. He was just a victim of circumstances and not much else we can do about it. The bad post really hurt him, and we were out of contention.”
Robertsin has earned $22,500 for his connections. George Brennan will be in the sulky on Saturday. Drennan has no interest in trying to handicap the race.
“I try not to look into it too much, a thousand things can happen,” he said. “I’ll do my job and the rest is up to George.
“I just hope for the best because the guys that own him deserve a good horse. We’ve had a few lean years; it would be nice for them to get a horse that’s legit. They’re the major owners in my barn, they support me a lot. When we have a bad year, they’re still willing to buy new horses, which means a lot. They deserve to have a good one, so I hope they do.”
