It has been announced that one of the favoured colts to capture the 2018 edition of the Hambletonian recently had a testicle removed.
According to the Meadowlands Racetrack, the Jimmy Takter-trained and Yannick Gingras-driven Wolfgang is the colt that recently underwent the procedure.
Wolfgang, pictured winning the 2018 Goodtimes at Mohawk with Yannick Gingras (New Image Media)
In terms of pari-mutuel contests, the bay son of My MVP last raced at Woodbine Mohawk Park on June 16 in the $266,000 Goodtimes Stakes, which he captured by four lengths in 1:52.1. After that, Wolfgang hadn’t been heard from until this past Saturday (July 7), when he came from off the speed in a qualifier at Meadowlands Racetrack to post a half-length victory in 1:53 with Takter at his lines.
News of the removed testicle has come from the Meadowlands’ Ken Warkentin, who noted the development in his notes for Week 8 of the ‘Road to the Hambletonian.’
Despite the procedure, Wolfgang has still been installed as the leader atop the current Road to the Hambletonian rankings.
Warkentin’s notes regarding Wolfgang state the following: ‘Goodtimes elimination and Final winner, off last three weeks, had a procedure to remove a testicle and lost 10 days of training, tuned up for the Dancer winning a ‘Big M’ qualifier on July 7 in 1:53.’
Takter has raved about the career winner of five of 12 races and $464,000 in purses, as he stated after the Goodtimes win that Wolfgang, “is a very good horse and you can do anything you want [with him]. He was a really big horse and a little bit immature [last year]. I drove most of his early races in Kentucky and he got better and better as the year went. He’s a very different horse—I don’t think we’ve seen a limit in him yet.”
To view the eighth installment of the Road to the Hambletonian, click this link or view the PDF below.