"He's certainly on schedule. If anything, he's a little bit ahead. We've had no setbacks with the colt whatsoever and we're looking forward to campaigning him."
Only two colts were able to boast winning races against divisional standout Artspeak in 2014. One of those colts is Pierce Hanover, who emerged victorious in his Governor's Cup elim.
At 22-1, Pierce Hanover comes in at #9 in Trot Magazine's 2015 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book. Trained by Ken Sucee, who co-owns the colt along with his brother Ralph, the son of Cams Card Shark won four of 11 starts as a freshman with more than $123,000 earned. Sucee gave Trot Insider an update on Pierce Hanover late last week.
Where did he winter?
"Right up here (in Bowmanville, Ont.). He never left the training centre."
How long was he turned out?
"We gave him three weeks off, he's been jogging twice a week, all winter, keeping in shape."
Where are you at with him right now?
"I've trained him at home in 1:59 on the farm track and we've had no setbacks whatsoever."
Have you noticed any changes from last year to this year?
"As far as mentally, he's the same. He was always just a smart, willing colt. He's not overaggressive. He's grown up, he's muscled up for sure...his hopples are out three inches."
When will he qualify and what's his early schedule looking like leading up to the Pepsi NA Cup?
"We'll be qualifying in three weeks....I'm going to school him myself on the 9th at Mohawk. Then I'll do it again on the 16th of April. We're aiming for two qualifiers and then, the 15th, he's got a Sire Stake at The Meadowlands and then the 22nd and the 29th if we decide to go to all three. And then we come back for the Somebeachsomewhere and the North America Cup elims."
"My focus is the North America Cup. That's what we've aimed for and we've aimed him for since he was a two-year-old."
What is he staked to past the NA Cup?
"He's staked to pretty well everything. There are so many options for three-year-olds...you can skirt the top ones if he's not there but he's got stakes races until the end of November."