Top colt trotter syndicated

David Scharf has told harnessracing.com that it was “the right time to make this move,” so that is why he and his partners have reached an agreement with Hanover Shoe Farms to syndicate the 2-year-old colt trotter Donato Hanover. On Thursday morning, the day before Donato Hanover takes to the Woodbine racetrack in the Breeders Crown eliminations, Scharf said that the agreement calls for the son of Andover Hall to race in 2007 and then stand stud duty at Hanover in Hanover, Pa., beginning the 2008 breeding season.

“Coming off the Lexington sale, the Andovers were in such high demand, the fact that Andover Hall is owned by Erkki (Laakkonen) and none of the breeders, it just seemed like the right time to make this move,” Scharf said. “We kept a big piece of him; the original owners still kept majority interest in the horse. Hanover will syndicate some of him now. We kind of left it open, meaning I let them sell as much as they can up to the middle of November. Once the Breeders Crown rush dies, I’ll say, ‘OK we’re done.’

“Then we’ll close the first part of the sale and then we’ll race him next year and figure out the rest after he races,” he added. “Truthfully, anybody that wants to buy in can buy in now. For me, (Hanover) is obviously a great place to stand a horse.”

Donato Hanover finished third in his first career start but has since gone unbeaten in six races, including a 1:55 track-record performance in the Peter Haughton Memorial at the Meadowlands in early August. Overall, he has earnings of $350,087 for owners Scharf, Golden Touch Stable and Stephen Arnold and trainer Steve Elliott.

The sale is not contingent upon fertility tests, and Scharf added that next year’s racing decisions will remain with the original owners, including having Elliott train the colt.

“I really hand him over to (Hanover) Dec. 1 next year,” said Scharf of when Donato Hanover will arrive at Hanover’s farm in Hanover, Pa.

Donato Hanover’s sire, Andover Hall, also stands at Hanover Shoe Farms. He is the second foal from the Donerail mare D Train, whose first foal is the world champion and multiple stakes-winning Here Comes Herbie.

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