Hanover Raceway is going to be the centre of attention Saturday (July 31) afternoon with the 2021 Dream Of Glory Trot set to take place. With all the hype this weekend, one horse will be seeking more of the attention.

Publicity Seeker, as his name suggests, will look to stay in the spotlight after his elimination win last weekend. Publicity Seeker went into the first Dream Of Glory elim as the second choice behind the favourite, Highland Mowgli, and he sprung the minor upset in the time of 2:01.2 while paying $5.70 to win.

Richard Thompson of London, Ont. bred the son of Muscle Mass - Pretty Crafty and sold him in the 2019 London Selected Yearling Sale for $38,000. “He went through the sale, but it stopped at $38,000 and I was hoping for higher. I told Steve Bossence to put his hand up and we will take him home. I then pieced him off to Steve and Derek Reid,” said Thompson. “I wanted $50,000 for him and I was firm on that.”

Thompson has been in the harness racing industry since the late 1970s and has had his fair share of horses, but he has always enjoyed the home-grown ones a bit more. “I’ve had bits and pieces of a lot of horses, but I have enjoyed the ones I’ve bred the most.”

Getting Publicity Seeker ready for his rookie campaign was no easy task and had a few roadblocks, making that voyage from homebred to stakes winner all the more rewarding.

“We weren’t shooting to be ready early and after we gelded it set him back a bit. He was just late getting to the dance, but we always knew we had something. It was just a question of when we could get him on the track.” Once Publicity Seeker was able to get on the track, he was able to show that something to his connections and his competition. He ended his season with five wins from eight starts, including three straight wins in the Ontario Harvest Series to conclude his season.

“We got him in at the end of the year at Flamboro Downs and then he did well in the Harvest Stakes. We put him away after that and I think it did him some good, he looks like a different horse. He’s really figured his game out.”

That late season success has translated into early sophomore season success as well. In four 2021 starts for trainer Bossence, Publicity Seeker has finished in the top three every time (1-2-1) and added $56,250 in earnings along the way to boast lifetime earnings of $118,000 — averaging nearly $10,000 per start.

Going into last Saturday’s Dream Of Glory eliminations, Thompson was confident the young colt would be able to perform well. “Everybody was high on Highland Mowgli, and I respected him, but I knew my colt would have a good trip.” After the race, the whole team was pleased with the winning performance over the less than ideal track conditions created by constant rain in the Hanover area last weekend. “We were thrilled with him. He raced in the slop and took a ton of mud, but he still raced like a trooper.”

There is an impressive field in Saturday’s $56,200 Dream Of Glory Final including fellow elim winners Sweet Soul David (PP1, Sylvain Filion, 4-1) and Tipsy In Dixie (PP4, James MacDonald, 5-2). And even though Publicity Seeker is the slight 8-5 morning-line favourite from post three, Thompson knows the colt still has a challenge ahead.

“A lot of nice horses in there and anything can happen. That’s why you can bet on it.” With the talent of horses he is facing, Publicity Seeker might have to change up his game plan to have a chance at getting the win, but the owners are confident that driver Doug McNair will once again map out the winning trip.

“I really don’t want to see him up front, but we might have to do that. Doug (McNair) knows him really well and no one has to say anything to him. They go out and just do their thing. It’s nice that a driver is comfortable with the horse.”

Publicity Seeker might have an extra advantage going into the finals. His second dam is Appleby Dreambelle, who was sired by the stake race’s namesake Dream Of Glory, making Publicity Seeker the closest descendant to the Hall of Fame racehorse and sire in this year’s event.

“I tell the other guys that it’s an omen in our favour. In this business you need all the different kinds of luck you can get.” This connection could be the last bit of luck to push Publicity Seeker to the winner’s circle on Saturday afternoon.

Publicity Seeker and his seven rivals will go to post in the 2021 Dream Of Glory at Hanover Raceway in race nine at the estimated time of 4:10 p.m. ET. The full 10-race card will start at 1:30 p.m. The final is complemented by the $10,000 Gail Murray Invitational, which hosts a field of top-class pacers. Wagering enhancements for Saturday’s race card includes a $2,000 guaranteed Pick-5 beginning in the first race and a $2,500 Pick-4 starting in the seventh race. Fans can catch all the action by visiting hanoveraceway.com to register to attend the races or view the HD live stream. The Dream Of Glory Trot will be part of a special COSA TV live broadcast that will be available on the SC website.

To view the entries for Saturday’s card, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Hanover Raceway.

(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Trey Colbeck)