Holland Making Return Visit (09/04/15)
Posted Friday September 4, 2015
By Mike Paradise
Brent Holland, one of the most productive drivers on the Chicago circuit from the mid-1990s through 2008, is coming back to Illinois Saturday to handle trainer Erv Miller’s Super Night hopefuls.
The now 44-year-old Holland left Illinois for Yonkers Raceway and the much more lucrative purses at the New York City track in early November of 2008, not long after he drove the Roger Welch Stable’s Maxter to his Su Mac Lad Championship on Super Night 2008.
Brent had some huge years competing on the Chicago circuit, winning over 300 races three times and he had money win totals of over $1 million every season from 1998 until he packed up his colors and took his family out east.
Holland’s best year in Chicago was 2008 when he posted 447 winning drives and his drives won almost $3.6 million. Four years later in New York his money earnings in 2008 skyrocketed to over $4 million with less than half (201) winning drives.
On Saturday the Ohio native is slated to drive Tony Maurello pre-stake favorite Unlocked in race 3, along with Parklane Sparkle (1st race), Narcissistic (2nd), Lexirose (4th), Mr. Leland’s Filly (5th), Goinduneside (7th), Grizzer Bear (9th), M A Smash On, Rex Passus (10th race) (11th) and Thesleazyprincess (12th).
Holland, who now resides in Frisco, Texas, (about 30 miles north of Dallas), has 4,777 lifetime winning drives.
Rough Spot: The most difficult path to a Super Night final is in the Colt Orange and Blue. With three eliminations a 2-year-old must finish third to better to be assured moving on. A drawing will take place among the trio of fourth place finishers to see who makes the 10-horse finale.
By far the toughest split is the eleventh race third division where three of the very best in the freshman division will knock heads: Hanover and Springfield champion Royale Rose, Mini Me titleholder Wondrous Sport, winner of 6 of 9 starts, and Du Quoin’s Governor’s Cup kingpin Dan D Dune.
Not “Byeing” It: Two of the eight Super Night stakes will not have an elimination race or eliminations of some sort, the Pete Langley Memorial for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings and the Su Man Lad for sophomore male trotters.
All nine horses entered for the Su Mac Lad will compete in Sunday’s sixth race $10,000 “Prep:” Bulldog Benji, RT Habenero, Southern Special, Tricky Nick, Captain Greedy, Vick Valor, Fox Valley Qatar, Coffey Toffy and Jake Quaider.
The Super Night Su Mac Lad Championship will have an estimated $73,000 purse.
Only 7 of the 10 Langley finalists will take part in Saturday’s $10,000 eighth race prep: From the one slot out you’ll find Mighty Hot Shot, Earndawg, Casey At Bat, Dixie’s Boy, Thisishowweroll, Fox Valley Elijah and Engine One O One.
Declining the bye were the trainers of Dinky Dune, Lucpark and DuPage’s Zam. Those pacers will take this week off and go directly to the $112,000 (est.) Langley showdown.
