Illinois drivers move east

Racing at the Meadowlands will have a slightly Chicago flavor when the sport's premier racetrack opens its doors for the 2005 season Friday night. The already-tough driving contingent has gotten even tougher with the arrival of Chicago-based drivers Eric Ledford, Patrick Berry and Brent Holland.



Ledford left Chicago in 2002 to compete at the Meadowlands, but returned to Illinois last year due to family considerations. He and his trainer-father, Seldon, will split their stable between their farm in Crete, Ill., and New Jersey. Ledford says he plans to race at the Meadowlands Thursday nights through the weekend programs and he has picked up four drives on the opening card and five on Saturday.



"There's nothing to replace the feeling of competing against John (Campbell), Mike (Lachance), Ronnie (Pierce), Dave (Miller), Brian (Sears), the best drivers," Ledford told the Meadowlands' publicity department. "I missed the thrill of that competition. You can't get that anywhere else. This is the Meadowlands, no place else compares to it."



For Berry and Holland, this will be their first full-time attempt at racing at the Big M. Berry, who was the primary guiding force the past two seasons behind the filly pacer Artbitration, has three drives Friday night and two on Saturday while Holland has picked up a pair of mounts Friday and four on Saturday.



"I'm not sure what to expect," said Berry, who at 28 will be one of the youngest members of the drivers' colony. "I'd like to win a couple races and maybe pick up some others. You always think in your mind what it would be like to drive at the Meadowlands. Now I'm going to find out.



"It was tough to give up what I have here in Chicago," said Berry. "But Rick Dane is bringing a bunch out to the Meadowlands, and owner Howard Jacobs and he kind of talked me into trying it. So I'm going to give it a try. Mark Ford is putting me up this weekend and has me on some of his horses. I'm willing to drive anything."



In 2003, Berry had 236 winners and purses of nearly $1.7 million. Last year, he posted 338 wins and $2,642,155 in money won.



The 33-year-old Holland has won more than 2,500 races over his career, with his best season coming in 2000 when he reached the winner's circle 307 times and earned more than $3.1 million in purses.

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