Pampered Princess has 'earned the right to prove her worth'

Bob Anderson told harnessracing.com Tuesday morning that he and his son, David, who share ownership of the 3-year-old trotting filly Pampered Princess, have entered her in the Hambletonian against 20 male rivals because she has “earned the right to prove her worth.”

Coming off a victory in the Delvin Miller Memorial for fillies at the Meadowlands July 13, David Anderson stated he preferred to not race Pampered Princess in the “Donatotonian,” referring to defending male champion and Hambletonian favorite Donato Hanover, who is now three-for-three in 2007 after his win in the Stanley Dancer Memorial. However, after conferring at length the past few days with trainer Jimmy Takter, the Andersons decided to pay the $13,875 entry fee needed to enter this year’s 82nd renewal of the trotting classic, which has eliminations this Saturday.

“She’s in there for one reason, and that’s to prove she’s the best,” said Bob Anderson from his farm in Ontario. “The reason for going against the colts was that we’ve felt all along she can go with the colts. She’s proved she can go with the colts time-wise. And it’s always a horse race. There are always variables: soundness, track, the trip. But she’s raced well enough in her career to have a chance at the big banana.”

Pampered Princess was last year’s second fastest and third richest freshman regardless of sex, and this year she has come back strong with four wins in five starts, also posting a victory in the Elegantimage final at Mohawk besides her career-best 1:53.2 effort in the Miller. Overall, the daughter of Andover Hall has earned more than $1 million for the Andersons.

“When you have a filly as good as her, there is a part of me that says she deserves a chance to prove herself in the best race in the world, which is the Hambletonian,” said Anderson. “And as father-and-son owners, what a great thrill to have a filly this good that has a chance to prove she might be the best of all time. The Hambletonian is the place to do it. If she goes and wins the Oaks by two, three or four lengths, she doesn’t prove that. But if she wins the Hambletonian against supposedly an unbeatable horse…

“The Hambletonian is the big banana, and this filly has earned the right to prove her worth,” he concluded.

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