“At the start of this year, we didn’t really know how good he would be and every week he got better. He’s earned his way there; you don’t get too many opportunities like this.”

Hambletonian Day at The Meadowlands will host some of the best horses this sport has to offer in their fifteen card afternoon filled with stakes galore. In contention for this year’s Hambletonian title is a colt that has flown under the radar: Il Sogno Dream.

Picked out by trainer Chris Beaver at the Lexington Select Yearling Sale in 2012, Canadian connections Bill Manes, Dan Manes, Leonard Christopher and Randy Christopher have seen a nice return on their $40,000 investment. The son of Cantab Hall-Le Reve has displayed impressive speed in his sophomore campaign, hitting the board in six of eight starts while banking just over $100,000 for his efforts.

“It was a few starts in and we started to wonder,” said part-owner Bill Manes of Rockwood, Ont. "After the Goodtimes, we thought we had a serious contender.”

In the 2014 Goodtimes at Mohawk Il Sogno Dream finished runner-up to Trixton, the 7-2 second choice in this Saturday's Hambletonian. Il Sogno Dream trotted his mile in a swift 1:52.4.

Trotting in 1:54.2 or faster in his last five starts, Il Sogno Dream has been improving on every performance each time he goes behind the gate. Recovering from a bout of sickness last week, he still managed a quick mile over The Meadows with North America's leading seasonal dash winning driver Aaron Merriman at the lines. Merriman will be making his Hambletonian debut.

“Aaron (Merriman) will drive him again for the ‘Hambo’. He’s driven him three starts and he gets along really well with the colt. We’re confident in his capabilities.”

The calendar following Saturday’s prestigious event is full for the trotter, staked to the Kentucky Futurity, Breeders Crown, the Canadian Trotting Classic and more Pennsylvania Sire Stakes events. Manes believes the colt has a bright future and is looking forward to what comes next. Though he won’t be trackside, he will be glued to his television for the big race.

“We’ll be having a big Hambletonian party at the house; the rest of them [owners Dan Manes, Leonard Christopher and Randy Christopher] will be there to see the magic happen.”

The Hambletonian will feature the sport’s three-year-old trotting stars, in contention for a purse of $1,006,125. Carded as the thirteenth race of the day, trainer Jimmy Takter will be sending out the three morning line favourites with Father Patrick (PP10, 4-5), Trixton (PP7, 7-2) and Nuncio (PP5-9-2). Despite returning to the heat format in 2013, this year’s event will be contested with a single field of eleven and the Takter trio may be part of the reason.

“Takter has very good horses and they deserve to be there. I’m not comparing us to his three at all, but we’re as good as the rest.”

This will be first time in the 89-year history of the Hambletonian that the field advances directly to the final without heats or elimination races.

$1,006,125 Hambletonian, Race 13, Post time 5:11 p.m.
Horse - driver - trainer - odds
1. Resolve - Corey Callahan - Nancy Johansson - 20-1
2. JJ Alex - Francisco Del Cid - Francisco Del Cid - 50-1
3. Doncango - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt - 20-1
4. Datsyuk - Charlie Norris - Charlie Norris - 12-1
5. Nuncio - John Campbell - Jimmy Takter - 9-2
6. Royal Ice - Ron Pierce - Trond Smedshammer - 20-1
7. Trixton - Jimmy Takter - Jimmy Takter - 7-2
8. Il Sogno Dream - Aaron Merriman - Chris Beaver - 50-1
9. Harper Blue Chip - Sylvain Filion - Mark Steacy - 12-1
10. Father Patrick - Yannick Gingras - Jimmy Takter - 4-5
11. Don Dorado - Tim Tetrick - Robert Baggitt Jr. - 20-1 (second tier starter)

(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Hannah Beckett)