On Monday, April 5 when the Marshall calls to pacers for Monticello Raceway’s 12th Annual Passover Pace, Peter Kleinhans will be among the participants
.
“I wanted to drive last year,” Kleinhans recalled ,” but I called in too late and all the mounts were promised to others. But this year I got in early and I am looking forward to taking home the trophy as well as the box of matzohs that has been a part of the event since its inception.”
Kleinhans is a diverse individual with degrees in law, philosophy, and creative writing and he was a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He is also a racing analyst and at age 18 was one of then youngest announcers at Lake Shore Meadows in Erie, Pa. He has developed a pilot for a television show on handicapping and is currently fine tuning a book and computer program on the subject. And he is part of the ownership of Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs.
Kleinhans is also an astute trainer, owner and breeder and has raced horses for more than 20 years. He has owned such stars as Wearable Art, Lavec Dream and the sport’s fastest trotter Enough Talk and splits his time between Manhattan and a 230-acre farm in Flemington, NJ.
Though Kleinhans doesn’t often get a chance to drive in a pari-mutuel race but when the opportunity presents itself he nevertheless enjoys the experience. He started three times this year in pari-mutuel events and has one win to show for his efforts. He recently jumped up behind Enough Talk and qualified him at the Meadowlands trotting in 1:55:1 while finishing second to Arch Madness.
Over the years, from a limited amount of pari-mutuel races Kleinhans has reined 42 winners. On the training side he has harnessed 262 winners who have won nearly $4.1 million.
He now joins a line-up which includes former Passover Pace winners, Alan Schwartz, Mike Kimelman, Dr. Douglas King and PJ Lutman. Others expected to have a mount in that race include Sheldon Rose, Dave Yarock, and Harness Eye’s Derick Giwner.
“We have a lot of drivers of Jewish descent who have expressed interest in the Passover Pace but unfortunately we can only use eight,” noted Eric Warner, the track's Director of Racing. “However, if we get any cancellations we’ll contact others who have expressed interest in driving in the event.”
Post positions and driving assignments for the Passover Pace will be finalized on Wednesday morning March 31.
(Monticello Raceway)