“It was amazing, the people from the track told me that on the transponder they timed him in 1:46.1 and his last three-quarters in 1:18.3. Tim (Tetrick) never popped the earplugs or touched him."
The connections of two three-year-old pacing colts that saw their Pepsi North America Cup eliminations end in disappointment are hoping for turnarounds this weekend in the eliminations for the Max C. Hempt Memorial at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
Hurrikane Kingcole went off stride behind the gate in his North America Cup elim at Mohawk Racetrack, spotting the field two dozen lengths before rallying to finish seventh -- just 1-1/4 lengths from fifth place and a spot in the final.
I Fought Dalaw, in the same elim as Hurrikane Kingcole, was in contention early before dropping back and finishing ninth. After the race, trainer Sam DePinto discovered I Fought Dalaw was suffering from throat inflammation.
Entries for the Hempt, with an estimated purse of $250,000 for the final on June 30, close at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Hurrikane Kingcole, who seemed to jump a tire track in the North America Cup elim, has won six of 17 lifetime races and earned $306,952. He is owned by trainer John McDermott, Jeffrey Kuhen, John Levy Racing and the group of Jonathan Klee, Mitchell Cohen, Arthur Brewer II and Jeffrey Gordon.
“He’s been absolutely super,” McDermott said. “He feels great; he’s full of himself. He enjoyed his week off.”
The North America Cup elim was a disappointment because the colt appeared sharp once he got going. According to McDermott, the colt paced his own mile in 1:46.1 after recovering from the break in stride.
“It was just bad luck. He’s jumped over things plenty of times in his life and never made a break. It was just too bad that he got so far back because he raced tremendous after that.”
Hurrikane Kingcole, whose top win so far came in a division of the Nassagaweya Stakes last season at Mohawk and was third in the Breeders Crown, has also benefited from chiropractic work to make him easier to steer.
McDermott is still high on the horse’s ability.
“He’s the fastest horse I’ve ever seen in my life,” McDermott said. “(Trainer) Steve Elliott told me the other day he’s the fastest horse he’s ever seen, and Steve’s seen a lot of great horses. Not just seen them, he’s had them. For him to say that, it’s a big compliment.”
I Fought Dalaw has won six of 14 career starts and earned $239,991 for owners Shannon DePinto, Michael Parisi, Jerry Silva and Theresa Gentry Silva. He was the 2011 New Jersey Sire Stakes champion.
Trainer Sam DePinto believes the colt’s troubles in the North America Cup elim originated a week earlier in the final of this year’s New Jersey Sire Stakes when I Fought Dalaw clipped the wheel of the horse in front of him in the stretch and needed to be pulled up by driver David Miller to prevent him from falling.
“I know it carried over from the week before,” DePinto said. “I missed it.
“When a horse puts in a race like (the North America Cup elim), you look for tying up or bleeding and he didn’t do either. After that, you’re kind of stuck. But it’s all cleared up and it’s full steam ahead.”
DePinto said I Fought Dalaw was recovered from the throat issue and ready for action.
“I trained him (on Monday) and I was happy with the way he trained,” DePinto said. “He scoped real good; everything seemed good in his throat. His physical part is all good, his mental part is there -- he’s ready to roll.
“His attitude tells me how he is and his attitude has been very good. I expect him to do very well.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.