Vanderboom Ridge goes in the 8th Saturday at Hawthorne.  The race is a mile 1/16 over the main track for $5000 claiming horses which have not won 2 races in 2016.  Denny Velazquez will be in the irons.

Heading into the final month of the year – and the life of the 2016 Club – we are still looking for our first win.  It has been a tough year on that front and nothing would be better than to cap off the season with a win or two!

Here is a look at the field.

Ballyjamesduff (Haran/Gallardo) – 21 of 30 in the money at Hawthorne.  He likes the racetrack and has a win last time out.  He’s a closer and will need some pace to run at and he’ll get some just to his outside.

Super Twenty Three (Schwan/Perez) – Speedster will certainly help set the pace but he’s shown that it is hard for him to stay there at Hawthorne.  He definitely prefers the synthetic/grass at Arlington.

Show’em Pop (Gonzalez/Sanchez) – Really perked up since coming to Hawthorne. Will join the horse to his inside toward the front.  He runs his best up there but he’ll be under pressure the entire trip. Tepid 7/2 morning line favorite.

Paddybdancing (Domenosky/Felix) – Horse is 4 for 4 in the exacta in the fall meet with a pair of wins.  Trained by former Club trainer Tammy Domenosky and ridden by the hot Jose Felix (25% this meet), this guy will be coming hard late and, though the second choice, could take all the money.

Indy Awesome (Lynn/Lantz) -Former Brinson charge was distanced by 54 last out after a pair of solid efforts.  Something may have been amiss there and I wouldn’t expect that kind of effort again.  He’ll try and stalk that early pace.

No Nukes (Cady/Barnett) – Showed a spark in WV but it fizzled in Chicago with a very flat effort last out.

Shadrach Bond (Fridley/Emigh) – Has not been able to duplicate his Fairmont success.  Both of his victories down south were off the pace and that’s where he’ll be coming from here.

WW Orient (Slager/Santiago) – Had success earlier in the year but just been another runner since moving to the south side of town.

Hurricane Bay (O’Halloran/Molina) – Stalker has had success at the lower levels but stymied so far here.

VANDERBOOM RIDGE (BRINSON/VELAZQUEZ)

In my opinion, if we run our race, we win.  How’s that?  We know our boy hated the slop in his last local start and was flat after the long layoff in his Hawthorne debut.  He’s been training well and should get first run at the leaders.

As always from the outside, the run into the first turn is going to be key.  If we can nestle in behind the speed and sit 3 or 4 lengths back we’ll be just fine and just have to be good enough down the lane.  If we get hung out wide, however, then the mile and a sixteenth is going to feel like 10.  I have confidence, however, and I like our chances a lot in here.

Good luck everyone!