Bestofbest Hanover, the little horse with the big heart that ailing trainer Gabriel Boily used to call “my best medicine,” now is assuming the same role for co-owner Jean-Roch Perron
of Quebec City.
Sudden weight loss in the weeks after Bestofbest Hanover’s stirring victory in the 2011 Confederation Cup at Flamboro Downs led Perron to consult a doctor. He was diagnosed with inoperable kidney cancer. Boily is battling bladder cancer.
“I’m 62 and I feel 82,” said Perron, who is undergoing chemotherapy. “The horse is one of the things that keeps us going. We need to hear how he’s doing every day.”
So far, Bestofbest Hanover is doing just fine. Now four, he’s filled out and apparently healed from throat surgery last fall and a hairline fracture. He qualified for the first time last Thursday at Rideau-Carleton, pacing a mile in 1:58.1 with a final quarter in 29 seconds for Boily’s assistant Melanie Plourde. He followed that up this morning with a 1:55.4 score over a track rated off one second.
Plans are for him to qualify once more, make his first start at Rideau Carleton, then race a couple of times on the Woodbine Entertainment Group circuit before returning to Ottawa for his first stakes race of the season, the Des Smith on July 15.
He’s also nominated for the Canadian Pacing Derby, the Bobby Quillen Memorial Pace and the Breeders’ Crown.
In addition to winning the $532,500 Confederation Cup final last year, Bestofbest Hanover captured a $100,000 division of the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes and the North America Cup consolation. A $27,000 yearling, the son of Western Hanover has earned more than $400,000 for Perron’s Ecurie Triple P.
(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Paul Delean)