Ben Wallace can’t remember sending a three-year-old pacer out for 31 starts in a year, but the trainer will watch as his Easy Lover Hanover makes start No. 31 in Monday’s (Nov. 28) $314,600 Hap Hansen Progress Pace at Dover Downs.
At least Wallace can expect the gelding to be tight after all that racing.
“I’m not flying down to train him, let’s put it that way,” Wallace said, laughing.
Easy Lover Hanover has helped Wallace rebuild his stable after a fire Jan. 4 at Classy Lane Training Centre destroyed a barn that housed horses trained by Wallace, Roger Mayotte, Chantal Mitchell, Kris DiCenzo, Dan Lagace, and Floyd Amos.
Brad Grant owned four horses killed in the fire, all trained by Wallace, including multiple-stakes-winner Apprentice Hanover. On Jan. 18, Grant and Wallace bought three horses at the Tattersalls January Select Mixed Sale at the Meadowlands. Easy Lover Hanover was among that group, purchased for a price of $70,000.
The horse began racing immediately for his new connections and won his first six starts before finishing second in the Youthful Series final at Mohawk Racetrack. He rebounded with a win, but finished off the board in his next three races and was given a respite during which he was gelded.
After rounding back into form, Easy Lover Hanover won six of seven races prior to a second-place finish by a neck to Check Six in his Progress Pace elimination on Monday.
“He’s one that gelding helped a lot,” Wallace said. “His attitude sort of came right around. It wasn’t an overnight process, but he figured out what we wanted to do and started to finish up his miles real good. That’s kind of why we kept going with him.
“It was something that I felt he always needed, but he was racing so good at the time when we got him it was kind of hard to do. We didn’t want to set him back. Then he threw in a bad race at Flamboro and I said to Brad that this horse has been trying to tell us something all spring and maybe it’s the time to geld him. So we did.
“He’s right now about as nice a horse as you’d want to have. You can do anything with him.”
Easy Lover Hanover has won 14 of 30 races this season and earned $156,824. He has helped Wallace’s stable post a total of 42 victories and bank $422,312 in purses this year, figures nearly identical to 2015.
“I lost 18 horses in that fire (in January), so when I got Easy Lover Hanover I was trying to get something that I could (race) right away,” Wallace said. “On Jan. 5th, I had nothing. Everything was gone. And we still found a way to win 42 races up here. So it hasn’t been as bad as it could have been. But I lost Apprentice Hanover. This is a nice horse, but by no means is he an Apprentice Hanover.”
Easy Lover Hanover will start Monday’s Progress Pace from Post 1 with Doug McNair in the sulky. Easy Lover Hanover is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line, behind 2-1 early choice Boston Red Rocks from Post 2. Check Six, who would top $1 million in seasonal earnings with a cheque, is 9-2 from Post 4.
“We’re happy enough with the spot we got,” Wallace said. “He’ll be in the race, that’s for sure. If you draw outside with that bunch, they can all leave great – as can he – but it is an advantage when you know that you don’t have to overcome a bunch of obstacles to maybe get where you’re going.”
The Progress Pace will be Easy Lover Hanover’s final start this year. The horse’s connections are looking forward to more good times next season.
“He’ll get some time off and then hopefully chase some of those four-year-olds next summer,” Wallace said. “I think if we pick our spots and get a little lucky here and there he might be OK in the open division, but I think he would be well suited for some of those four-year-old races like the Confederation Cup and Prix d’Ete.
“If he takes some time and muscles up again he could come back and could be a nice little pacer. We’re happy with him and he’s finishing up the year good. Hopefully we get a decent trip on Monday and really finish the year off great.”
Following is the field for the Progress Pace in post order:
(PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line)
1-Easy Lover Hanover-Doug McNair-Ben Wallace-3/1
2-Boston Red Rocks-Tim Tetrick-Steve Elliott-2/1
3-Manhattan Beach-Matt Kakaley-Scott DiDomenico-5/1
4-Check Six-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke-9/2
5-Lyons Snyder-David Miller-Jimmy Takter-10/1
6-Western Fame-Mark MacDonald-Jimmy Takter-8/1
7-JK Will Power-Corey Callahan-David Smith-12/1
8-Katies Rocker-Andy McCarthy-Jim Campbell-15/1
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.