Trainer George Ducharme often ships some of his young horses to Saratoga Casino Hotel to compete, usually earlier in the year before the start of sire stakes season.
On Thursday afternoon (June 7), Ducharme brought The Veteran, by Muscle Mass, to Saratoga to compete in the track’s $9,000 feature for New York-sired trotters.
The Veteran – who had finished third in last fall’s New York Sire Stakes Final during the Night on Champions – had prevailed in his most recent start heading into his Thursday assignment (he lowered his lifetime mark to 1:51.2 while winning at Vernon Downs during the Empire Breeders Classic consolation).
On Thursday, Frank Coppola Jr. catch-drove the three-year-old trotter, and sat back patiently with the public’s 1-9 betting choice before making a late move while on the final turn. The Veteran made it look easy, as he cruised to victory in 1:57.2.
The Veteran is poised to make another run at the New York Sire Stakes and will begin that campaign in the coming weeks.
Live racing continues at Saratoga on Friday evening with a 6:45 p.m. first post.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)