Uncle Peter, co-owned by Ontario's Jim and John Fielding, is the latest horse confirmed for Sweden's prestigious Elitlopp. But according to the colt's driver, that's not going to be his only European appearance.
The five-year-old son of Cantab Hall made his seasonal debut last Friday at The Meadowlands, finishing a close second to the speedy Modern Family and trotting his individual mile in a sharp 1:51.2.
"He's come back really good," driver David Miller told Trot Insider. "We had two qualifiers into him, and for his first start I thought that was a really good race. He closed right in on [Modern Family] and by the wire I couldn't have been more happy."
The Jimmy Takter trainee is entered for Friday's top class trot at The Meadowlands, and with the event handicapped by class Uncle Peter drew the outside Post 7 in against a group that includes seasonally-debuting Arch Madness (PP6) and seasonally-undefeated Sevruga (PP5). Miller says he's "sure he's up for the task" despite the outside starting spot.
No matter where he finishes on Friday, this will be Uncle Peter's final North American start before heading overseas. Thus, he will not be starting in the 2014 Arthur J. Cutler Memorial, set for May 10 (elim) and 17 (final) at The Meadowlands.
"Right now his schedule is that he's going to race this Friday and then he's going to go to Denmark," said Miller, confirming that Uncle Peter will race in the Copenhagen Cup on May 11 and that the Hall of Famer will drive in both European starts.
"This is something I've always wanted to do so when I got the chance I definitely wanted to go," continued Miller. "Jimmy asked me last week if I would go and I told him I would...I'm very glad they invited me to come along with 'Peter'."
Miller first picked up the assignment on Uncle Peter a year this week: May 4, 2013, finishing second (interestingly, again to Modern Family) in the Meadowlands Maturity. One knock against Uncle Peter as a two- and three-year-old was his lack of consistency, but Miller feels Uncle Peter is getting better with age. Miller notes that if you scratch his effort from a poor post at Mohegan Sun Pocono in the Breeders Crown, his starts before (winning the Centaur over Market Share in a track record 1:52.3) and after (finishing second to Market Share in the TVG Final in 1:51.1) that race give indication that a more consistent trotter has developed.
"This year, he seems to have grown up some. I think you'll see a more consistent Uncle Peter as the season goes on."
One thing the Uncle Peter team won't have to worry about is how the horse gets over a five-eighths mile track, like the tracks in Copenhagen and Solvalla. His 1:50.3 mark over Mohegan Sun Pocono in 2013 stands as the fastest ever on that size oval. Miller notes that the horse's lines also show he doesn't have to take his racetrack with him.
"He raced at Chester, he raced at Hoosier Park, he raced at The Meadowlands...he hasn't had a problem with any surface."
The one difference in Sweden will be that Uncle Peter will have to race a longer distance (in Denmark) and two heats (in Sweden) for the first time, something Miller feels that due to the horse's stature and conditioning won't be an issue.
With more than 64,000 lifetime starts under his belt, these will be Miller's first drives in Europe. The Ohio native is coming off his best year to date for purses earned -- $12.25 million -- and sits just shy of 11,000 lifetime wins. With the North American stakes season getting underway, Miller's trips to Europe will be short and professional.
"I think me and Jimmy had talked about going a day early to Denmark but I have to get back and go right to work."