Before Arch Madness scored a convincing 1:52.4 triumph in the $85,000 Trotting Classic on Saturday night at the Meadowlands, Trond Smedshammer provided the latest on his top open trotter and he also discussed
this year’s Hambletonian during the Racing From The Meadowlands pre-race show.
“He’s doing good. He was actually training back super all winter and I probably over-estimated a little bit as far as his fitness and his ability to go fast right off the qualifiers. We had planned a European trip and he just came out a little bit sluggish so we kind of decided to regroup and let the horse come around on his own instead of panicking and he really came around fast. Last week he was very good.”
On April 24, Arch Madness scored his first win of the season in the $31,500 Invitational Trot at the Meadowlands winning in a career-best 1:51.4.
“Well we had plans to go to both Oslo and the Elitlopp but Oslo is already on Sunday so we're kind of running out of time. We’ll make a decision. I don’t think we’re going to go just for the Elitlopp. If we’re not going to make Oslo then we’ll probably stay home.”
Reminiscing on the 2002 Elitlopp with HP Paque, Smedshammer commented on the European experience.
"The track is very, very good. You’re not going to find a better racetrack to race on in Solvalla. HP Paque couldn’t go with Arch Madness but he had one advantage. He could leave the gate like a pacer and that’s a huge advantage in Sweden. The racing style is completely different there. They leave off the gate, the positions are very important and that was his game and so he was good that day. He was second to Varenne, which was one of the greatest horses we’ve seen.”
When asked why foreign trainers seem to have the upper hand in the trotting game, Smedshammer said, “Well first of all they don’t have pacers in Europe, at least not in Scandinavia or in Italy. They’ve got some maybe in Great Britain but its a lot of tradition with trotters in Scandinavian countries and a lot of the trainers from there take pride in their horses – how they look and how they are presented on the track - and it's just good old fashioned horsemanship.”
Switching focus to North American racing, Smedshammer revealed his thoughts on this year’s Hambletonian contenders.
“Well, we’ve got a few horses that are eligible - nice horses that I didn’t race much last year but they got to start racing here now. To expect them to go all the way up to the Hambo that’s dreaming. But again, in 2004 I didn’t think I had a Hambletonian contender either and Windsongs Legacy won the Triple Crown so anything can happen. We’ve got some nice horses but I’m not sure if we got anything that can go all the way.”
In the last two years, a pair of two-year-old champions, Donato Hanover and Deweycheatumnhowe, returned to the track to win the prestigious event at three. This year’s early favourite, Muscle Hill, will attempt a similar comeback.
“It's unusual in modern time for them to come back and dominate after a tough two-year-old season but in the last two years they did it and I think it’s a great chance for it to happen again. He's a very good horse, Muscle Hill, I watch him everyday and I think he’s got a good chance.”