“My wife and I just started going to Kawartha Downs to watch the races about six years ago, and I just kept on getting more and more interested in it and decided I wanted to give it a go.”

Just over two years ago Brian Peterson made the leap from harness racing fan to yearling owner, and four weeks ago he made his first start as a trainer, winning an overnight event with three-year-old trotting filly Amoureuse Hanover.

On Sunday Peterson shipped Amoureuse Hanover to Rideau Carleton Raceway for the second Ontario Sires Stakes Gold leg of the season and the filly delivered a track record equalling 1:55.3 effort to give the Port Hope, Ont. resident his first training win in the Ontario Sires Stakes program.

“My wife and I just started going to Kawartha Downs to watch the races about six years ago, and I just kept on getting more and more interested in it and decided I wanted to give it a go,” said Peterson of his transformation from fan to owner.

Peterson purchased two yearlings from Hanover Shoe Farms in the spring of 2013 and, with the help of his friend and longtime horseman John Smith, started to teach them the basics of racing. One year later Amoureuse Hanover was ready to qualify and the daughter of Pilgrims Taj and A Youre Adorable proved good enough for the OSS Gold Series.

Racing out of Smith’s barn, the two-year-old Amoureuse Hanover posted one win and two seconds in Gold Series action, and finished fourth in her elimination and the final of the Peaceful Way at Mohawk Racetrack, for freshman earnings of $102,435.

With an additional year of knowledge under his belt, Peterson stepped into the training role in time for Amoureuse Hanover’s second start this season, and the filly rewarded him with a 1:56.3 victory at Mohawk Racetrack. In the June 18 Gold Series opener one week later the filly finished fifth for her newly minted trainer and driver Mike Saftic of Campbellville, Ont.

“She was good as a two-year-old, and this year she just seems to have matured,” said Peterson. “She just wasn’t quite as driveable. Last year she was just to the front, to the front and there was no stopping her. This year she’s learned to race.

“Mike’s done a great job driving her this year, an awesome job.”

Amoureuse Hanover showed off her maneuverability in Sunday’s Gold Leg, circling out three-wide at the three-quarters and accelerating home to reel in the leaders and fend off a late challenge from runner-up Lady Ping. Fan favourite Stubborn Belle rounded out the top three in the 1:55.3 mile, which matched the three-year-old trotting filly track record set by the great Peaceful Way in 2004.

While Amoureuse Hanover has been a full-blown success for the novice horseman, Peterson has not been so lucky with the pacing colt he acquired.

“He hasn’t made it to the races yet. He’s got some leg issues that I’ve been dealing with, so he’s still unraced,” explained Peterson.

“Gary (Oliver), I board my horses at his place now, he says, ‘You’ve got the one per cent and you’ve got the 99 per cent,’” Peterson added with a laugh.

One percenter Amoureuse Hanover will attempt to continue her successful season in the third Gold Leg at Mohawk Racetrack on July 16. Joining her will be division leader Muscle Baby Doll, who won her second straight Gold Series trophy in the other $105,000 division at Rideau Carleton on Sunday.

Starting from Post 1, driver Doug McNair allowed Muscle Baby Doll to float away from the gate into fifth spot while Juanitas Fury battled her way to the :28.2 opening quarter. Heading for the :58 half McNair tipped the heavy favourite to the outside and Muscle Baby Doll made a powerful move to the front and had opened up a two length lead before the 1:26.2 three-quarters.

LMC Marshmellow attempted to catch Muscle Baby Doll in the stretch, but the leader refused to yield and hit the wire three-quarters of a length on top in 1:56. Juanitas Fury finished third.

Guelph, Ont. resident McNair engineered the win for trainer Tony O’Sullivan of Cambridge, Ont. and owners F. Bellino And Sons LLC of Bronxville, NY. The victory was Muscle Baby Doll’s fourth in five starts this season, boosting the Muscle Mass daughter’s earnings to $127,640, and giving her sole ownership of top spot in the division with 100 points.

Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Rideau Carleton Raceway on Thursday, August 13 with a unique program that will feature both the Grassroots and Gold Series divisions of two-year-old pacing colts.

(OSS)