Robert Rosenheim, an owner and breeder of standardbreds and strong supporter of the industry for many years now, has made the 2010 Hambletonian cast with his colt
, Temple Of Doom.
The Yankee Glide son drew the three hole in the third “Hambo” elimination at the Meadowlands on July 31. Rosenheim knows anything can happen in that race but remains confident that “Doom” will make the final.
“We drew into the softest division,” he said from his office in Connecticut. “But even if we make it into the final, that draw will say more about our chances.”
He would like, of course, an inside draw in the final but cautiously said, “First we got to get there.”
Getting to this point has been, in itself, “the luck of the draw” according to Rosenheim. He had three colts eligible for the August classic: Temple Of Doom, Baximum and Matthew Hanover. The latter failed to make the cut. Baximum has done well but the focus has been on Temple Of Doom, who showed his potential at two against the top freshmen of 2009 and then came back at three raring to race.
“It all shakes out pretty quickly,” Rosenheim said about his eligibles, “and you get down to one.”
Temple Of Doom was purchased at Harrisburg for around $50,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg.
“He is a big horse and has nice conformation,” Rosenheim said.
Jonas Czernyson trains Temple Of Doom, as he has done from the start of the colt’s career. Rosenheim’s association with Czernyson comes from his dealings with Per Eriksson, who trained Prakas, Giant Victory and Alf Palema to Hambletonian victories.
Rosenheim is a “lone wolf” in the standardbred industry and he runs his businesses outside of horse racing as a solo act, also. Unlike so many other connections to racehorses, he does not have any partners. Over the years he has developed a full-fledged farm in Saratoga, New York, where he runs his standardbred outfit.
“It’s a hundred-and-twenty acres and it’s one of the things I love about this business. I am going to do more breeding there. I bought lifetime breedings to Donato Hanover and we have eight broodmares.”
In 1996 Rosenheim’s frosh-filly trotter, Armbro Prowess, won the Breeders Crown elim and final. He invested a lot of time and money getting to that point, as well as getting to this point, as close to a Hambletonian dream as anyone gets.
“Everyone has dreams in the business,” he said, “and most of them get shattered. I believe in the intangible element that makes a horse great. A horse can have good conformation and strength but ninety percent of what makes it a champion is that intangible. I like to think Temple Of Doom has that element.”
(Frank and Ray Cotolo for the Hambletonian Society)