Trond Smedshammer hopes Hitchcock leaves fans spellbound this summer.
An unraced three-year-old, Hitchcock is being pointed by Smedshammer toward the May 9 Dexter Cup at Freehold Raceway, which is the first step on the road to August's $1.5 million Hambletonian at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Of the 46 trotters eligible to the Dexter Cup, 29 are also eligible to the Hambletonian.
Last week, Hitchcock prepped for the upcoming campaign with a 1:55.2 win in a qualifier at the Meadowlands. No three-year-old trotter has gone faster this season.
"I think you're allowed to be dreaming a little bit after a mile like that," Smedshammer said. "To go in (1):55 in only his second time behind the gate, you've got to figure there is some ability there. We'll find out."
Hitchcock is a son of Windsongs Legacy, the horse that Smedshammer guided to the 2004 Trotting Triple Crown. He was purchased as a yearling for $17,000 at the Lexington Selected sale and is owned by Smedshammer's American Viking Racing Stable. Hitchcock's mother, Mystical Oaks, is a half-sister to Three Little Words (1:53.4 - $433,608).
Last year, Hitchcock could be difficult to handle and was gelded.
"He showed a lot of ability, but was real stubborn," Smedshammer said. "He wouldn't follow horses at all. He was OK while training in Florida last year, on the sand track, but when he came up here and got on the stone dust he would get mad and refuse to follow horses. We trained him behind horses all winter. He'll throw his head a couple times, but he's OK now. Still, he likes it on the front end much better."
Hitchcock is not the only unraced Hambletonian prospect in Smedshammer's stable. Joining Hitchcock as hopefuls are Argus Hanover and Mr Alber.
Mr Alber, a homebred owned by Leif Alber, is a son of Muscles Yankee-Armbro Vivian and is a half-brother to Frank The Hands (1:57.1 - $322,938). He suffered from soreness as a two-year-old and was turned out to mature.
"I don't need a lot of excuses to quit with a two-year-old," Smedshammer said. "Very few at that age can do it at the top level, so if you have one with some ability you're better off giving them some time."
Argus Hanover, a son of SJs Caviar-Atavistic Hanover, was purchased as a yearling for $65,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is owned by Jim Simpson and Ed Mullinax. Argus Hanover, who was sidelined last year by ankle surgery, is a half-brother to Athena Hanover, who won the 2007 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship for two-year-old fillies. His mom is a half-sister to 2004 Merrie Annabelle winner Reinvent and 2007 Yonkers Trot runner-up Up Front Larry.
"He's got some pedigree," Smedshammer said. "He's not as quick or handy as Hitchcock, but after five starts I don't know whether that will be the case. They're both staked up pretty good even though they never raced at two. Hopefully, they can at least be in the big races. You can like them all you want, but you've still got to wait and see if they can do it."
(Harness Racing Communications)