It did not take long for trainer Bernie Noren to step into the spotlight

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Six months after striking out on his own, the 33-year-old Swedish native will send out a pair of three-year-old stakes hopefuls at the Meadowlands. Showherthemoney bids for a starting berth in the $200,000 Thomas D’Altrui Miss New Jersey on Friday night, while Vertical Horizon goes postward in the eliminations for the $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic on Saturday.

As far as learning the ropes of harness racing goes, Noren had an Ivy League education. He worked 12 years for the Jimmy Takter stable, serving as second trainer for the last eight of them. During that time, he handled such superstars as Moni Maker, Kadabra, Tom Ridge, Passionate Glide, Lantern Kronos and Mr Feelgood. Noren broke out on his own last November and is now stabled at White Birch Farm.

“Bulletproof Enterprises contacted me last fall, and they asked me if I was interested in training a couple of their horses,” Noren said. “I was just starting out on my own. It was good timing, and I told them it was no problem. I have 13 stabled here at White Birch Farms, including six two-year-old trotters, and they are all going well.

“I had the best education you can have in this business because Jimmy Takter is such a tremendous horseman,” he continued. “He taught me a lot about how you treat each individual differently. I’ve only been on my own for a few months, and I don’t feel any pressure to produce just because I worked for Jimmy. On the other hand, I still put pressure on myself to get results.”

Vertical Horizon, a son of Western Ideal, will start from Post 6 in the first of Saturday’s two $25,000 eliminations for the $500,000 New Jersey Classic. Rated at 5-1 on the morning line, he is coupled in the wagering with Amazon Art. The top five finishers in each elim advance to the New Jersey Classic final, the richest of all state-bred events, on Saturday, June 13.

“I got Vertical Horizon in the middle of November,” Noren explained. “He hadn’t done much last year as a two-year-old and he had been turned out when I got him. When I started training him down I really had no idea what kind of horse he was. He was just okay, but the first time he qualified Ron Pierce told me he was a good one. His first win (1:52.3 on April 22) stood out, and he’s gone on from there.”

In his first stakes test, Vertical Horizon flashed a :26.4 final panel to qualify for the $230,000 Berry’s Creek, but was never a factor in the final on May 9. He came home in :26.3 to finish fourth, two lengths behind the winner, Redneck Riviera, in the opening leg of the NJSS on May 16. In the second NJSS leg on May 23, Vertical Horizon faded to fifth after setting the early pace.

“He’s stepped up quickly racing in the Berry’s Creek and at the New Jersey Sires Stakes level,” Noren said. “Unfortunately, last time he cut perfect fractions, but was bleeding pretty good when we scoped him after the race. That’s why he’s on Lasix now. He still came home in :27.2 and paced his mile in 1:51.3. He’s not staked to the Meadowlands Pace, but he’s got a lot of stakes later on like the Adios and the Little Brown Jug. That makes sense since he’s late developing.”

With two wins and two thirds in five starts this season, Showherthemoney has been the more consistent of the two pacers. The daughter of Cams Card Shark will start from Post 6 in the first of the Friday’s $20,000 eliminations for the $200,000 Miss New Jersey. She was a $50,000 yearling purchase at the Lexington Selected Sale.

“Showherthemoney is the best horse I have, and she’s another one owned by Bulletproof Enterprises,” Noren said. “In the sires stakes final last week, she got shuffled and needed more room to shake loose. I definitely have high hopes for her. I think she’ll be a good, small racetrack horse because she has a tremendous burst of speed. She acts like a classy horse, she’s staked to the Jugette, and that’s what we’re aiming for.”

(With files from the Meadowlands)