Pampered Princess, Adrian Chip, Donato Hanover win

Pampered Princess (1:53.2), Donato Hanover (1:53.1) and Adrian Chip (1:54.2) will lead the field into the $1.5-million Hambletonian, winning their elimination races early Saturday evening at the Meadowlands.

Pampered Princess, with Tim Tetrick in her sulky for the very first time, won her elimination after taking command early and then riding in the pocket until finding daylight in the homestretch.

In a post-race interview Tetrick said the filly was fired up behind the gate and he let her dictate their course, except to steady her as she tried to duck down to an inner lane. They reached the first quarter in :27 flat, then Tetrick yielded to Xactly Hanover and Andy Miller, who slowed the pace, reaching the half in :55.2.

At the half and all through the turn, Pampered Princess and Tetrick were jammed in the two hole, with Tetrick leaning far back to keep his charge reined in. When Arch Madness, who was racing first-over, faded at the head of the lane, Tetrick shot out of the pocket and Pampered Princess trotted on to victory for owners David and Bob Anderson and trainer Jimmy Takter.

Xactly Hanover and Please Poppy finished second and third to secure berths in the final, and Laddie finished fourth, giving him the second-best credentials to advance to the final based on career money winnings. Laddie’s career total of $484,817 was second among Hambo entrants, with Donato Hanover the richest with earnings of $922,587.

Laddie’s spot was secured when Donato Hanover won his elimination in 1:53.1, giving him 12 wins in a row.

Driver Ron Pierce sent Donato Hanover charging away from the starting gate and although they traveled wide in the first turn, they had control of the race by the first quarter (:27.2), clearing past Great Success, who also left strongly from post four.

Donato was unchallenged to the half in :55.3 and a second tier finally developed before the field headed into the final turn. Operation Lindy was first-up followed by Flirtin Man and Primary As.

But at the top of the stretch Donato was still trotting strongly and although Flirtin Man was within a length at the wire, Pierce never really had to ask his colt to trot. “He was doing it all on his own, but late (in the stretch) I tapped the wheel disc and tapped him with the whip, and he really didn’t like it at all,” said Pierce in a post-race video.

Donato Hanover, a son of Andover Hall, is leased by David Scharf, Steven Arnold and Paul Bordogna’s Golden Touch Stable.

Steve Elliott trains Donato Hanover, and when asked what would be different for Donato’s week before the Hambo, Elliott dead-panned, “Absolutely nothing.”

When asked if Donato Hanover has any weakness, Elliott quipped, “His trainer.”

Adrian Chip, who was making his first start on U.S. soil this year, was fired away from the gate by trainer-driver Robert Bergh, but they yielded to Trond Smedshammer and Standpoint, who set the pace.

When Too Salty was sent first-over on the last turn by driver John Campbell, Bergh pulled Adrian Chip out of the pocket and the Andover Hall colt pulled even with Standpoint before trotting clear in the stretch drive.

Too Salty stayed game and finished second while Don’t Blink Twice took third to also advance. Mythical Lindy, the runner-up in the Stanley Dancer Memorial, was scratched lame early on the card.

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