SEVEN COLORS SEEKS SUCCESSFUL NORTHFIELD RETURN
Seven Colors has raced only once at MGM Northfield Park during his career, but it produced a pretty good memory for his connections ...
HIGHTSTOWN, NJ -- June 5, 2025 -- Seven Colors has raced only once at MGM Northfield Park during his career, but it produced a pretty good memory for his connections.
A week after being purchased by owners Bill Pollock, Bruce Areman and trainer Andrew Harris in August 2023, the then 3-year-old Seven Colors zipped around Northfield Park’s half-mile oval in a world record 1:48.1 to win the Carl Milstein Memorial. The clocking remains the fastest ever by a sophomore pacer on a half-mile track.
On Saturday, Seven Colors returns to Northfield for the $200,000 Grade 2 Battle of Lake Erie, an invitational for older pacers.
Two horses have won the Milstein and later came back to capture the Battle of Lake Erie: All Bets Off and Wiggle It Jiggleit. All Bets Off won the inaugural Milstein in 2014 and the Battle in 2017 on his way to $3 million in lifetime earnings. Wiggle It Jiggleit took the Milstein in his 2015 Horse of the Year season and nabbed the Battle the following year.
Seven Colors will now try to add his name to the group, and he heads to the Battle of Lake Erie as a more mature horse than even a year ago.
“Not as much physically because he was always a big, stout horse, but he’s a much more mature horse mentally,” Harris said. “Last year, he didn’t always let the driver do what he wanted to do. Sometimes, he was a bully in his own mind and wanted to do things his way.
“This year, it seems like he’s got it figured out. He’s willing to do whatever you tell him, and he seems to be happy to do it, which makes him far more useful against these types of horses. If you want to gear him up to go, he’s ready to go. If you want to take him off the pace, you can take him off the pace. Last year, that wasn’t the always case. Hopefully, that leads to better things for him this year.”
Seven Colors, a 5-year-old son of Stay Hungry-Rainbowinthedark, has won 11 of 45 career races and earned $1.04 million. Last season, the stallion had three victories in 19 starts, banking $324,759. His triumphs included a preliminary division of the Graduate Series at Woodbine Mohawk Park and a leg of the MGM Grand Prix Invitational Pacing Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
He hit the board in seven of his last eight races of the campaign, including a second-place finish in the Breeders Crown Open Pace and a third in the FanDuel Open Pace championship.
“He’s gotten better as he’s gotten older,” Harris said. “A lot of the issues he suffered last year I think were ‘4-year-old blues’ type stuff. I think he’s going to have a much more successful year this year.”
Seven Colors will start the Battle of Lake Erie from post two with Aaron Merriman in the sulky. He enters the race off a second-place finish behind Desperate Man in the #SendItIn Invitational on May 25 at Harrah’s Philadelphia and is 12-1 on the morning line. Desperate Man, who defeated Seven Colors by three-quarters of a length, is the 3-1 second choice in the Battle. He leaves from post four with Matt Kakaley driving for Travis Alexander.
The #SendItIn was Seven Colors’ second start of this season. He finished fourth, beaten two lengths, in a conditioned race won by Desperate Man on May 17 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
“He raced fantastic both times,” Harris said. “He was real good last week at Philly against a real sharp horse he’s going to face again this week, but I think we’re tighter and ready now.”
Seven Colors is not the only Milstein winner looking to add the Battle of Lake Erie to his credits. Bythemissal, who won the 2022 Milstein and was a Dan Patch Award winner in 2023, heads to the race as the 5-2 favorite off a victory in the Joseph Auger Memorial Invitational on May 25 at Harrah’s Philadelphia. The 6-year-old son of Downbytheseaside-Dismissal starts from post six with Chris Page driving for Ron Burke.
The nine-horse field also includes MGM Borgata Pacing Series champion Mossdale Ben N and defending Battle champ Little Rocket Man. Jaguar Spur (1988, 1989) and Peruvian Hanover (2002, 2003) are the only horses to win the Battle of Lake Erie in back-to-back seasons.
“As tough as they look on paper, I think (Seven Colors) fits with them,” Harris said. “He drew good, and he gets around a half real well.
“It’s literally going to be who gets the best trip. Every horse in there off their credentials could win.”
Racing on Saturday at Northfield Park begins at 6 p.m. (EDT). The Battle of Lake Erie is race 11 on the card, which also includes the MGM Buckeye Distaff Invitational and eight Ohio Sires Stakes divisions for 3-year-old trotters and pacers. For the night’s complete entries, click here.
