Rosenheim taking a shot with Temple Of Doom

Robert Rosenheim,has made the 2010 Hambletonian cast with his colt, Temple Of Doom.

 

The Yankee Glide son drew the 3 hole in the third “Hambo” elimination at the Meadowlands on July 31. Rosenheim knows anything can happen in that race but remains confident that “Doom” will make the final.

 

“We drew into the softest division,” he said from his office in Connecticut. “But even if we make it into the final, that draw will say more about our chances.”

 

He would like, of course, an inside draw in the final but cautiously said, “First we got to get there.”

 

Getting to this point has been, in itself, “the luck of the draw,” according to Rosenheim. He had three colts eligible for the August classic: Doom, Baximum and Matthew Hanover. “Matthew” failed to make the cut. Baximum has done well but the focus has been on Doom, who showed his potential at two against the top freshmen of 2009 and then came back at three raring to race.

 

“It all shakes out pretty quickly,” Rosenheim said about his eligibles, “and you get down to one.”

 

Rosenheim purchased Temple Of Doom as a yearling.

 

“He is a big horse and has nice conformation,” Rosenheim said.

 

Jonas Czernyson trains “Doom,” as he has done from the start of the colt’s career. Rosenheim’s association with Czernyson comes from his dealings with Per Eriksson, who trained Prakas, Giant Victory and Alf Palema to Hambletonian victories.

 

Rosenheim is a “lone wolf” in the standardbred industry. Unlike so many others, he does not have any partners. Over the years he has developed a full-fledged farm in Saratoga, New York, where he runs his standardbred outfit.

 

“It’s a 120 acres and it’s one of the things I love about this business. I am going to do more breeding there. I bought lifetime breedings to Donato Hanover and we have eight broodmares.”

 

In 1996 Rosenheim’s frosh-filly trotter Armbro Prowess won the Breeders Crown elim and final. He invested a lot of time and money getting to that point, as well as getting to this point, as close to a Hambletonian dream as anyone gets.

 

“Everyone has dreams in the business,” he said, “and most of them get shattered. I believe in the intangible element that makes a horse great. A horse can have good conformation and strength but 90 percent of what makes it a champion is that intangible. I like to think Temple Of Doom has that element.”--By Frank and Ray Cotolo for the Hambletonian Society