While there is no iron throne for Karl to lounge on as he rules over the 3-year-old male trotting division, the 2023 Dan Patch Award winner sits firmly atop the hierarchy as the 6-5 morning line favorite in Saturday’s $1,050,000 Hambletonian at The Meadowlands. The Hambletonian is the featured attraction on a special noon card at the New Jersey oval that includes the $525,000 Hambletonian Oaks for sophomore fillies, $282,000 John Cashman Memorial for the best older trotters in North America, the $220,000 Sam McKee for the premier older pacers, and 10 other stakes on a 16-race program. For Karl, who earned over $1 million as a 2-year-old while winning nine of 10 races, expectations were high for his second year on the track. The son of Tactical Landing was rolling along with four straight victories to start 2024 before a brutal trip took its toll and he finished third – beaten two lengths – in the Stanley Dancer Memorial on July 13 at The Meadowlands. As it turned out, the loss was just a minor setback on his road to the Hambletonian. With regular driver Yannick Gingras in tow for trainer Nancy Takter, Karl displayed a new turn of speed away from the gate in his Hambletonian elimination on July 27, getting the opening quarter in a far-and-away career-best 27 1/5 while settling in third. ♦ Get FREE Harness Eye PPs for Saturday at The Meadowlands ♦ Read Derick Giwner's full-card analysis ♦ See our handicapper's picks & analysis for all 16 races on Saturday ♦ Watch video analysis with Derick Giwner, Jay Bergman and Matt Rose ♦ Get a 7% REBATE via DRF Bets for Saturday at The Meadowlands ♦ ¡Mira el Hambletonian y otros Clásicos en español! ♦ Bet the races now with DRF Bets ♦ View Saturday's Meadowlands entries “That’s the first time in his life that when the gate opened up he took off,” said Gingras, who then sent the colt on the move first-over just past the opening half in 55 2/5. He engaged leader Situationship passing three quarters and won by one-and-a-quarter lengths in 1:50 3/5. “That’s the best he felt in his entire life, from the first baby race I sat behind him,” said Gingras. “Jimmy [Takter] went the first trip [warm-up mile] and Nancy [Takter] went the second. I saw the first trip and I was really happy but Jimmy came up to me and said ‘if you saw the second trip you’d be even happier.’” When Gingras got back to the winner’s circle he could be overheard saying to trainer Takter: “Just bring him back like this, please,” referring to the the Hambletonian final on August 3. Perhaps a small part of the improved performance can be placed on Takter’s decision to make a minor equipment adjustment prior to Karl’s elimination start. “We added the bell boots and maybe that made a little more of a difference. He’s just a little surer of himself,” said Takter. “I don’t think he needed more weight but maybe to it helped to get his timing and his confidence up. He wore them last year, a bit heavier ones, but we just stopped it.” Racing in what was heralded as the tougher elimination, Karl still was sent off as the 2-5 favorite, so it is hard to say the luster was fading from his crown. The official chart will show that Bella’s Musclehill (2nd), Sig Sauer (3rd) and Highland Kismet (4th) all finished faster and gained ground in the late stages, but the eye test reveals that Karl was barely asked in deep stretch and wasn’t losing any ground in the final yards despite showing early speed and racing uncovered. While not a legendary performance by any means, Karl showed his class and gave every reason to believe that there was more in the tank for the most important date on his calendar. “I don’t think we’ve seen anywhere near the bottom of him,” said Takter. “Yannick didn’t pull his ear plugs [Saturday] and I think he was pretty comfortable down the lane, just keeping his attention. You don’t want to burn all of your fuel this week. You want to save a little for next week. I think he’ll go forward from this start.” Perhaps enjoying the Karl ride more than anyone is Michelle Crawford, who co-owns the star 3-year-old under the Crawford Farms Racing banner along with Christina and Nancy Takter, Black Horse Racing and Bender Sweden. Topping her ownership is the fact that she bred Karl, who has been a relative bargain of a buy at the Lexington Selected Sale a few years ago at $135,000. Crawford is no stranger to Hambletonian success, having won the race with Atlanta and Ramona Hill. Karl being a colt brings a new dimension to the equation. “Atlanta we bought into and Ramona we bred but she was a filly. We have the bookends and we’ve been waiting for a colt centerpiece,” said Crawford, looking forward to the final. “I’m pretty happy. I’ll leave it at that and let him do the talking on the track.” [DRF HARNESS: Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter] Takter trained 2023 Hambletonian champion Tactical Approach. A victory by Karl would make her the first trainer to win the trotting classic in back-to-back years since her father Jimmy accomplished the feat in 2014 (Trixton) and 2015 (Pinkman). Others in the consecutive year club include Per Eriksson (1991-92), Billy Haughton (1976-77), Frank Ervin (1966-67), Ben White (1942-43) and Henry Thomas (1937-38). As Takter looks to create a Hambletonian winning streak, Yannick Gingras hopes Karl, who starts from post one, finally gets him on the board in the big dance. The 44-year-old driver was fourth as the lukewarm 5-2 favorite with Celebrity Bambino in 2023, second at 7-2 with Ready For Moni in 2020, second at 2-1 behind Southwind Frank in 2016, second as the odds-on 3-5 chalk in 2015 with Mission Brief and finished off the board as the 2-5 public choice after a break at the start with Father Patrick. Gingras’ lifetime record in the Hambletonian final sits at 13-0-3-0. “I always seem to get the rail after winning eliminations so it’s no worries. I’ve gotten lots of practice,” joked Gingras, who had post one with Celebrity Bambino in the 2023 Hambletonian final. Owning a similar donut in the Hambletonian win column is driver David Miller, who will steer 5-2 second choice T C I from post four. Miller has driven in the final 20 times and has but three thirds to his credit, though that only tells part of the story. In 2017, driving the Ron Burke-trained What The Hill, Miller actually crossed the wire first but was disqualified and placed ninth. “In the past I’ve done that,” said Miller on whether he dreams of finally winning the Hambletonian. “If it is going to happen then it is going to happen. It is a tough race to win and so far I haven’t done it. I’m just happy I’m in the race and that he raced better.” T C I, who won his elimination in 1:50 4/5 by a neck over Private Access, is trained by Ron Burke, who co-owns the son of Cantab Hall with Hatfield Stables, Knox Services and Weaver Bruscemi. Last year T C I accumulated $1.23 million in earnings, becoming the richest 2-year-old colt trotter in history. After starting the year with three straight wins, T C I broke in the Zweig at Vernon on July 4 and was a flat third on the 13th in the Dancer Memorial. His gate to wire Hambletonian elimination win followed some minor tweaks by Burke and Miller felt the difference. “He felt like his old self,” said Miller on the Hambletonian elimination victory. “He won at The Meadows and was very sharp. Then he went to Pocono and he just won. I have a feeling I know why but in the Zweig he jumped. He didn’t race bad. In the Dancer he was flat and Ronnie [Burke] decided to take him home to check him out. He had stomach problems. They also added some borium, which I thought helped him grab the track really good.” With Private Access missing to T C I by such a slim margin and owning good gate speed, he’s sure to be heard from when the gate springs open on Saturday. “I think he showed his color a little bit and he fought hard at the end of the mile. That is a good sign,” said Private Access’ trainer Luc Blais, who added that the performance raised his confidence in the son of Muscle Hill. James MacDonald steers Private Access from post nine. Going into the Hambletonian, Sig Sauer is the fastest 3-year-old trotter with a 1:50 mark set at The Meadowlands in the Dancer Memorial. He left himself with a bit too much to do in his elimination and had to settle for third. ♦ Get a 7% REBATE via DRF Bets for Saturday at The Meadowlands “He sort of switched off on the last turn there, and he can’t afford to do that. He’s got to be interested the whole way,” said trainer Noel Daley. “I think he’s more than competitive. Obviously, Karl is the one to beat, and T C I. But there are enough horses in there to mix it up a little bit. I do not think [Karl] is unbeatable, but he is the one to beat, for sure.” Daley added that Sig Sauer trained great on Wednesday and he couldn’t find anything to fix on the son of Muscle Hill. The trainer is contemplating removing the colt’s shoes and possibly adding pull-down blinds for the final. Andrew McCarthy will have his usual spot in the bike behind Sig Sauer from post eight at 4-1 on the morning line. The remainder of the field for the Hambletonian, race 12 on the program with an estimated post time of 4:45 PM (EDT), is as follows: Mars Hill (Todd McCarthy, post two, 20-1); Highland Kismet (Bob McClure, three, 5-1); Security Protected (Tim Tetrick, five, 20-1); Bella’s Musclehill (Scott Zeron, six, 15-1); Secret Agent Man (Andy Miller, seven, 12-1); Amazing Catch (Dexter Dunn, ten, 20-1). Watch the Hambletonian card on National TV The 99th Hambletonian will be shown to a nationwide audience on the main FOX network (locally on FOX 5 New York).  There will be more harness action later in the day, as during “America’s Day at the Races”, the Hambletonian Oaks – race 14 at The Meadowlands – will be shown live at approximately 6:06 p.m. It can be seen on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Saturday's Hambletonian betting menu The Hambletonian Day betting menu is sure to please, offering non-stop action from race one – which gets underway at noon – until the 16th and final dash – which goes at approximately 7 p.m. Since it is the last day of the Championship Meet, all wagers will offer mandatory payouts, and, in addition, there will be $350,000 in guaranteed pools. Here’s what will be offered: ·  Races 1-6: 20-cent Pick-6 ($50,000 guaranteed pool) ·  Races 3-7: 20-cent Pick-5 ($75,000 guaranteed pool) ·  Races 5-8: 50-cent Pick-4 ·  Races 6-12: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 ·  Race 7: 10-cent Hi-5 (Pentafecta) ·  Races 9-12: 50-cent Pick-4 ($100,000 guaranteed pool) ·  Races 12-15: 50-cent Pick-4 ($125,000 guaranteed pool) ·  Race 16: 10-cent Hi-5 (Pentafecta)