Richard and Joanne Young of Coconut Creek, Florida have issued a match race challenge.
They own world champion pacing filly, I Luv The Nitelife, and they are challenging Myron Bell and the Captaintreacherous Stable to race their champion three-year-old colt against their filly.
The date would be Saturday, November 23 on opening night of the new Meadowlands Racetrack winter meet, provided track owner Jeff Gural has no problem with the event.
Joanne Young described what her and her husband, Richard, have envisioned.
“There has been so much talk about who is the best this year,” Joanne Young explained. “So my husband and I both felt that our filly is in great shape so why not race her against Captaintreacherous. Whatever purse the Meadowlands would put up would go to charity. What a great event this would be for the sport of harness racing to have the best filly and the best colt in the world race against each other.”
When reached via telephone at the Harrisburg, PA horse sales, it was the first that Myron Bell had heard about this challenge.
“This is a complete surprise to me,” Myron Bell said. “The first I have heard about it. “My first reaction is that match races are only good for publicity. But I will have to think a little more about it and talk with the other owners and our trainer before we make a final decision. We have a race coming up this weekend at Balmoral Park in Chicago and that is our main concern right now.”
“Our sport needs a major shot in the arm,” Young said. “We need to have something special that not just the people in our industry would come out for, but any horse fans who want to see a special event like this. It has not happened in years and is overdue. We get goose bumps thinking of how great a race this would be."
This year, I Luv The Nitelife has made 14 starts with 13 wins and one third place finish with earnings of $1,218,000. Captaintreacherous has raced 14 times with 12 wins and two second place finishes. He has earnings in 2013 of $1,936,000.
“I don’t know if I Luv The Nitelife could beat Captaintreacherous,” Young added, “But it sure would be a great race to find out and what a great way to help some racing charity groups too!.”
By Steve Wolf for Harnesslink.com
