Good news for 2YO champ

Dan Patch Award-winning trotter Chocolatier is now a complete colt as his one undescended testicle has dropped, according to Ada Jean Ackerman, who shares ownership in the 3-year-old son of Credit Winner with her Hall of Famer husband, Doug.



"We got a call Tuesday from Judy Lunsford (Chocolatier is presently at Henry and Judy Lunsford's farm near Lexington, Ky.) and she said he now has two (testicles)," Ada Jean told harnessracing.com Thursday afternoon from her winter home in Del Mar, Calif.



Obviously Chocolatier - who was programmed as a colt the entire year--wasn't bothered by the situation as he posted a freshman campaign that included eight wins in 10 starts, including a world record 1:54.4 effort at The Red Mile, and more than $500,000 in earnings.



Ada Jean said they have had some offers to purchase Chocolatier, but that she believes some buyers were hesitant to raise the price because of the trotter's condition.



"He was sold (as a yearling) as a ridgling but Doug says it's only a ridgling when they can't find (the testicle)," she said. "This one they could feel."



Ackerman says she believes she knows what happened: Acupuncture and a little bit of work.



"He had acupuncture at Carter's (Carter Duer's Pensinsula Farm). They had done eight for Carter before and seven of them had come down, but they thought Chocolatier was a little too old for it. He had acupuncture a few times but it still didn't come down, but apparently when he started jogging it came down."



Ada Jean added that although they weren't considering selling the pre-season Hambletonian favorite, she believes some offers to sell they did receive might have been affected by Chocolatier's medical status.



"That's quite a difference, because for people who wanted to buy him, that's what was stopping them," she said.



And as for her husband, Doug?



"Doug has had a grin on his face ever since we got the call," she concluded with a laugh.

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