New Hope horse was hurt

Harness racing insiders say Dial or Nodial was injured after finishing fifth in last Saturday's North America Cup.
Reports say the homebred son of Western Ideal, who is owned by Arlene and Jules Siegel (pictured) of New Hope’s Fashion Farms, was transported to the University of Guelph after suffering a leg injury in the $1.4 million stakes race at Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville, Ontario.
The three-year old pacer, which was 4-1 in the morning line and 7-2 at post, finished behind 3-1 winner Well Said, runnerup Art Colony, show horse and the favorite going in at 9-5 Keep it Real and fourth place Mr. Wiggles.
After the race, insiders say the horse was seen favoring a hind leg in the paddock, and was later x-rayed at the track to determine the extent of the injury.
Trained by Jim Campbell and driven by Brian Sears, Dial or Nodial has banked in excess of $717,000 to date. A two-time New Jersey Sire Stakes champion, Dial Or Nodial has won 11 of 17 lifetime races. The horse last won the New Jersey Sires Stake Championship at the Meadowlands on May 30 before finishing third in the $500,000 New Jersey Classic. Last year, he won eight of 12 starts and claimed over $400,000.
In June 20 eliminations at Mohawk, Dial Or Nodial won his North America Cup elimination race by a length over OK Boromir in 1:50.2.
But in the big race last Saturday, Well Said, which had also beaten Keep it Real in eliminations, drew off late to win going away by 3 and 1/4 lengths in a new stakes, track, and Canadian record time of 1:48 1/5.
8-1 Art Colony rallied from 7th place early on to nose out pacesetter and favorite Keep It Real for second place money.
A week before in a driving rainstorm at Mohawk, after taking his time getting to the front in eliminations, however, it was heavily-favored Dial Or Nodial emerging the winner. Away rather tardily, Dial or Nodial came a second-over trip around the far turn and was four wide down the stretch, while furiously trying to catch the pacesetter Ideal Danny.
In the closing strides, Dial Or Nodial was up in time, in 1:50.2, holding off a charging OK Boromir for the win, while Bay Of Sharks finished third.
It was the third win in five starts this year for the son of Western Ideal.
"There was a lot of speed in the race," said Sears, who piloted Rock’nRoll Hanover to a Cup win in 2005. "They mixed it up pretty good. My horse really likes that kind of trip. He can come off cover. He was parked the whole mile, but it was a great effort. I was really happy with him. I had to three-deep him early, but it was just a really good effort."
In it’s elimination, Well Said, the winner of last year's Breeders Crown, took over after Lisagain had taken the field to the opening quarter in :27.2. The son of Western Hanover hit the half in 55.4 and the three-quarters in 1:23.3, then opened up a length on the field in mid-stretch.
Keep It Real, driven by Steve Condren, moved out from the pocket to mount a stiff late challenge and just missed in his first loss in seven starts. It was nonetheless a gallant effort after leaving from the 10-hole.
NOTES: The Siegels are the owners and operators of Fashion Farms, which is located on Street Road in New Hope. Next up for the horse breeders is the Hambletonian, a $1.5 million race held in August at the Meadowlands. They'll post Tomcango in one of the biggest stakes races for trotters in the world. The couple earned their place in the winners circle in 1995 when their horse Tagliabue, named for the former NFL commissioner, won the race by 2 and 1/4 lengths in 1995.
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Compiled by Sports Editor Steve Sherman