Wherever he goes, Alsace Hanover seems to feel at home. For his next trip, though, he will not have to travel far. The three-year-old pacer is gearing up for the Breeders Crown at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, only some 50 miles from trainer Tony O’Sullivan’s
base.
In his most recent start last Sunday, Alsace Hanover won his $243,000 division of the Tattersalls Pace at The Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky.
“He’s a very cool horse,” said O’Sullivan. “It doesn’t seem to matter where we go with him, he’s got his ears up. We’ve shipped him all over and every time he goes onto the track like he’s been there before. He’s quiet and he acts like he knows what he’s doing, wherever he is.”
Alsace Hanover has won seven of 13 races this year, including the $500,000 Adios Stakes, and earned $706,000 for owner John Fielding, who lives in Toronto. Although the gelding has raced primarily at Mohawk Racetrack, also not far from O’Sullivan’s base, he has traveled to Harrah’s Chester, The Meadows, Hoosier Park and The Red Mile.
“I think his year has been unbelievable,” said O’Sullivan.
Last season, Alsace Hanover won two of seven races and earned $90,839 while racing for trainer Richard “Nifty” Norman. He began this year by going off stride in an overnight at Harrah’s Chester and was shipped to Ontario, where he ended up with O’Sullivan. Racing in non-winners classes, Alsace Hanover won three of four starts and gained confidence. He then headed to Hoosier Park for the $500,000 Hoosier Cup and finished second to Custard The Dragon.
“I didn’t know what to expect at all,” said O’Sullivan. “I was told he was extremely fast, but had some issues getting around the turns. I’d say after his second start for me I thought he was something special then. He showed unbelievable last quarter speed. His first test was the Hoosier Cup and we nearly won it. He just had a little bit of road trouble with the flow.
“I’m always nervous when my horses race, but after that I really haven’t been worried about anybody. He was mainly staked in Pennsylvania. It turns out he’s a little bit better than that. We supplemented him to Lexington [for the Tattersalls for $45,000]. He has the Matron and the Progress Pace. We’ll see what he does in the Breeders Crown.”
Alsace Hanover won the Adios in a world-record 1:48.3, turning the tables on Custard The Dragon, and missed by a nose in the $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine, which was won by Meadowlands Pace champ Roll With Joe.
“In the Battle of the Brandywine, he just doesn’t like Chester. He doesn’t get around the track all that well,” said O’Sullivan. “He lost three lengths off the last turn. With the ground he lost off the last turn, he probably shouldn’t have even finished second. He’s a pretty amazing horse.”
Prior to heading to The Red Mile, Alsace Hanover twice finished fourth in the Open, against older horses, at Mohawk.
“There were no classes for him and we needed to get him tight to go to Lexington,” said O’Sullivan. “The best way to do that is to race and that was the only option we had really.”
In the Tattersalls, he won by a nose over Westwardho Hanover in 1:50 after reaching the lead by the halfway point for only the second time this year.
“He came out of [the Tattersalls] good,” said O’Sullivan. “He shipped home on Monday. He seems happy to be home and seems fine. I thought his race was OK. Generally, he isn’t very good on the front; he likes to chase. It’s just that as good as he’s been I thought he might have been a little stronger. But all in all I was pretty happy with him.”
Alsace Hanover will not be the only horse going to the Breeders Crown from O’Sullivan’s stable. Sing For Me George, a two-year-old gelding pacer who won his division of the International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile last Saturday, will be making the trip with three-year-old gelding pacer Fantaddy and a strong group of pacing mares led by Milton Stakes winner Laughandbehappy.
“If it’s true that there’s strength in numbers, we’re there,” said O’Sullivan, laughing. “We’ll see what happens. It’s pretty cool.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.