A relative unknown to many racing fans outside of Illinois, Erv Miller trainee Power Of A Moment was impressive enough as a two-year-old to crack the top 10 in Trot Magazine's Pepsi North America Cup
Spring Book.
Throughout the course of the week, the SC website will countdown to the Spring Book favourite, complete with updates from the trainers on the pacers that Trot staff assessed as the leading contenders for the richest price in Canadian harness racing. Watch for the full list of Spring Book odds in the April issue of Trot Magazine.
With odds of 26-1, speedy Illinois-bred Power Of A Moment comes in at #10 and Trot Insider recently discussed his progress with Miller.
Where did he winter?
"He wintered really well. He was turned out in Missouri and I got him back around the end of January, which is late for me because I usually get started back around the first of January. It was a long stretch of racing for him last year, so I decided to give him a little more time."
When did you start back with him?
"At this point he's behind some of the other three-year-olds, but that is okay because we're not planning on starting off as early with him this year compared to some of the others."
Have you noticed any changes from last year to this year?
"He's definitely come back a lot more mature and smarter. He's a small horse and he didn't grow much. He filled out some because he's definitely thicker. He's long-gaited, but he's not big. He just gets over the ground so easily. He does it really easily. He's a horse that just really likes his work.
"I think his biggest asset is that he is really tough. He's the type of horse that can take a really rough trip and still hang in there."
What will his early schedule look like leading up to the Pepsi NA Cup?
"He's not going to have many starts before the North America Cup. We'll probably just qualify him a couple of times and then put him in to race close to home and then to the North America Cup."