All Speed Hanover, one of the top two-year-old colts of 2009, was installed the 2-1 favourite for the $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic on Saturday
, June 12 at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
The New Jersey Classic for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers tops $1.1 million in stakes for New Jersey-sired horses Saturday evening.
Carded as Race 6 (8:40 p.m.), the New Jersey Classic will share the spotlight with the companion $175,000 Thomas D'Altrui Miss New Jersey for fillies, and a pair of $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Championships for trotters.
In his second start of the season, All Speed Hanover came first up to stop BGs Folly at the wire in their New Jersey Classic elimination on June 5. Driven by Ron Pierce, All Speed Hanover was clocked in 1:50.4 as he vaulted past the $500,000 career earnings mark. At two, the son of Cams Card Shark won five of seven starts, including the $700,000 Breeders Crown. Only twice has a freshman Breeders Crown winner come back at age three to win the New Jersey Classic. If All Speed Hanover is successful Saturday, he will join the elite company of Jennas Beach Boy (1995) and Bettors Delight (2001). The colt will start from Post 4 in the New Jersey Classic.
"He was a fantastic two-year-old and he came back this year even better," Pierce noted. "I can't see this horse getting beat."
Noel Daley trains the colt for Adam Victor & Son Stable of New York, NY and John Fielding of Toronto, Ont. He is pointing All Speed Hanover toward the track's signature event, the $1 million Meadowlands Pace, on July 17. All Speed Hanover is also eligible to Canada's premier event for pacers, the North America Cup on June 26.
"Everything is right on schedule with him," Daley said. "He's been spot on. He doesn't need a trip [in a race] and you don't have to look after him. You don't want to be first over every start either, but with him there are less worries than with other horses. Our main focus for him is the North America Cup, and then the Meadowlands Pace."
"We are more excited at this point with him than we've ever been with any other horse at this time of year, pacer or trotter," added the colt's co-owner, Adam Victor, Jr. "No horse we've ever had has trained down as well between two and three. He's come back sound, has a sterling pedigree, great conformation and his attitude is super."
Valentino, the other New Jersey Classic elimination winner, is rated as the 4-1 second choice from Post 2 for driver George Brennan and trainer Lou Pena. The son of Rocknroll Hanover rushed up the inside to best Allthatgltrsisgold by a nose in 1:50.3 last week. Valentino enters the New Jersey Classic with a record of three wins in 12 career starts for Glenn Berger's Lightning Stable of Roosevelt, NJ.
The field for the $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic:
PP, Horse, Driver, ML
1, Classic Rock Nroll, John Campbell, 15-1
2, Valentino, George Brennan, 4-1
3, Allthatgltrsisgold, Dave Magee, 8-1
4, All Speed Hanover, Ron Pierce, 2-1
5, Piece Of The Rock, John Campbell, 10-1
6, BGs Folly, Brian Sears, 5-1
7, Shoobees Place, David Miller, 10-1
8, World Of Rocknroll, Tim Tetrick, 6-1
9, BJs Bequia, Daniel Dube, 20-1
10, Foreign Officer, Yannick Gingras, 15-1
(Meadowlands)