152 nominated to Hambo

May 01, 2007

Donato Hanover, voted the Dan Patch top 2-year-old colt trotter of 2006, heads a list of 152 trotting colts eligible to the 82nd Hambletonian, the richest and most prestigious event in harness racing.The Hambletonian Society, which has owned and serviced the race since its inception in 1926, registered 280 payments for the 2007 Hambletonian and Oaks events, the highest number since 2001.

The $1.7 million Hambletonian and the filly companion race, the $850,000 Hambletonian Oaks, will be contested Saturday afternoon, Aug. 4, at the Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J., and televised live on NBC.

Donato Hanover, a $95,000 yearling purchase by David Scharf, Steve Arnold and Paul Bordogna�s Golden Touch Stable, enters 2007 with a 10-race win streak, year-end honors, a first-place ranking in the experimental ratings and a $6 million price tag. The son of Andover Hall acquired several new owners and a bright future as a stallion when he was syndicated at the close of a juvenile season that featured eight wins in nine starts and $622,587 in earnings.

Trained by Steve Elliott, Donato Hanover finished third in his first pari-mutuel start last June and then never missed the winners circle again. His streak included wins in the Peter Haughton, Bluegrass, International Stallion stake and was capped with a four-length win in the Breeders Crown, on a stormy night that saw nearly every favorite go down in flames.

It was after the Crown victory that driver Ron Pierce declared Donato Hanover �the real deal, no ifs ands or buts about it.� Pierce will be in the bike for the colt's return to the races in late May, when he is scheduled to qualify.

�We won�t leave the Meadowlands till the Hambletonian,� reported Steve Elliott. �Everything right now is on schedule. He came back this year bigger and stronger, and I just trained him in 2:00 on Saturday. We�ll just continue on with our plans.�

Also among the eligibles are two more sons of Andover Hall ranked near the top of the 2006 class: Adrian Chip, second to Donato Hanover in the Breeders Crown, a recent purchase by the NHL�s Peter Forsberg, former Philadelphia Flyer center, now with the Nashville Predators, and Valley Victory winner Ogham, trained by Blair Burgess, who also trained the winners of the 2003 (Amigo Hall) and 2006 (Glidemaster) Hambletonian.

The $1.7 million Hambletonian is the first leg of the trotting Triple Crown. The second and third legs are the Yonkers Trot at Yonkers Raceway, on Saturday, August 18 and the Kentucky Futurity at Lexington's Red Mile, on Saturday, October 6. There are no supplemental entries permitted in the Hambletonian. There is a two-tiered starting fee for the race, which calls for payment of a $12,500 at declaration time and an additional fee of $12,500 for the final. 2007 is the first year that elimination winners may pick their post positions for the final. (Hambletonian Society press release)

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