Hambletonian 2011: What You Need to Know

New Jersey is well represented at Saturday's $1.5 million Hambletonian, with Garden State trainers, drivers and horses competing for the most coveted prize in the sport of harness racing.

The race, considered to be the Super Bowl for standardbred trotters, goes off at 3:43 p.m. Saturday at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford and features a 15-race card loaded with harness racing all stars.

Tune into NBC for a live airing of the Hambletonian beginning at 3 p.m. Going to the track? Gates open at 11 a.m. The first race kicks off at 11:30 a.m. General admission costs $1, or get in for free if you donate a can of non-perishable food to the Kings Food Drive.

Here's what you need to know about Hambo Day:

Girl Power

Freehold resident Linda Toscano could become the first female trainer to win a Hambletonian with Chapter Seven, but Toscano couldn't care less about competing against a male-dominated field Saturday.

"They always ask me the gender thing. I don't think there's a person that does this for a living, man woman, that doesn't want to get to the Hambletonian. It's not an easy task to get to," said Toscano, a two-time breast cancer survivor. "I really think that, sure, it's fun to be a girl, but I think it'd be fun to be a guy in the Hambletonian, too."

Toscano, 56, got bitten by the racing bug during her first year of college, when she got a summer job at a racetrack. She got her first license in 1975 while working at the now defunct Roosevelt Raceway as a caretaker for Buddy Regan. Now, Toscano is the all-time leading female trainer at the Meadowlands with more than $10 million in purses won.

"I think that women have to understand that they can pretty much accomplish anything in this world," said Toscano. "If you want to be president, vice president or a horse trainer. It shouldn't be a limitation at this point. Set your goals and go for them."

Chapter Seven, who is 7-2 on the morning line, leaves from the four hole Saturday with Mike Lachance behind the lines. If Toscano wins Saturday, it will be the richest race ever won by a female conditioner in the sport.

Campbell Comeback?

Two months after suffering several broken bones in a race accident May 30, harness racing's all-time leading money earner John Campbell, of River Vale, is back in time for Hambo Day, sitting behind Opening Night. Campbell will team up with his brother, Jim, a Jackson resident who trains the 3-year-old colt, for the first time since 1995, when the Campbell brothers won the Hambletonian with Tagliabue.

Opening Night, who is owned by Scott Farber's Runthetable Stables in Montvale, leaves from post 7 Saturday with 10-1 morning-line odds.

The Favorite "Man"

All eyes will be on 9-5 morning-line favorite Manofmanymissions (post 2), driven by Andy Miller, of Millstone Township, and trained by brother Erv Miller. Manofmanymissions won his elimination last week in 1:52.4, beating out other Hambo contenders Magnum Kosmos (post 8, 15-1) and Pastor Stephen (post 10, 10-1).

"Cake Boss" Connection

Attendees could get a chance to get a taste of a "Cake Boss" cake Saturday. The famed Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken will unveil a special creation to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Hambletonian. Earlier in the week, the bakery debuted a cake modeled after the Hambletonian trophy (see picture above).

A Family Affair

Adults in the grandstand Saturday will receive a 2011 commemorative Hambletonian baseball cap, while children will get a Hambletonian water bottle. Kids can enjoy pony rides from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., a moon bounce, rock wall, face-painting and carnival rides and games in Paddock Park.

Also on Saturday's Card…

Keep an eye on the other $300,000-plus purse races: the Merrie Annabelle, Nat Ray, Peter Haughton Memorial and the $750,000 Hambletonian Oaks (the Hambletonian for fillies, or 3-year-old female horses).