RC Gallent Image enters Saturday’s Hambletonian eliminations light on racing experience, light on lifetime earnings (a critical factor in qualifying for the $1.5 million final) but high on expectations
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The $55,000 Harrisburg yearling in 2008 trained so well this past winter in Italy that his connections, Riccardo Targioni’s Scuderia S Giuliano, not only kept him eligible to the major three-year-old stakes, but actually have now entered the first two legs of the Triple Crown.
This road less traveled to the Hambletonian began with the three-year-old son of Credit Winner, a full brother to the $665,000 winner RC Royalty, spending weeks in quarantine in Maryland during May. Trainer Bjorn Noren took hold of the training chores this side of the Atlantic and thought this big, good looking horse would fit well.
RC Gallent Image’s first qualifier in June didn’t give off the impression that he’d be racing in the sport’s biggest race the first week in August. A 17 lengths loss and a mile timed in 2:00 didn’t sound like the beginning of any Hambletonian journey.
But on June 11 the colt found himself pitted against a few promising three-year-olds in another qualifier. This time he tracked the pace quite well and finished a solid second to Hambo-favourite Holiday Road. With Pat Berry in the bike, he trotted a mile in 1:56.3, with a respectable :28.2 final quarter.
Six days later, RC Gallent Image made his career debut at the Meadowlands racing from off the pace. His second-place finish was nice for any trotter making his debut but what was to follow could have seemed crazy to anyone not connected to the horse.
The owner put up $10,000 to enter the Yonkers Trot. With just two qualifiers and one second-place finish and $2,750 lifetime earnings, trainer Noren sent his horse to the half-mile track for what appeared to be the biggest class jump off a loss in racing history.
“They told me he trained all winter over the half-mile track in Italy,” defended Noren. “I know that the half-mile track usually scares away good horses.”
The colt looked solid getting around the track but was unable to overcome a virtual outer-tier roadblock the second half. Noren thought with any better racing luck the colt would have qualified for the final. He missed qualifying in a close photo.
With June turning to July and time running short if the colt was to come to speed and become a Hambletonian contender, Noren entered him in a Three-Year-Old Open Trot at the Meadowlands on July 9. Though sent off at more than 50-1, driver George Brennan guided the lightly-raced colt as if he had a chance to win. The trip couldn’t have worked out better with RC Gallent Image tracking the highly regarded Break The Bank K’s live cover. The horse was in striking distance when suddenly Pilgrims Taj made an untimely break in mid-stretch and caused a chain reaction. By the time Brennan was able to get the horse back trotting the race was over.
“I thought he was going to win that afternoon,” said the trainer. “He would have trotted under 1:54.”
The colt came back last week with a solid 1:55.4 mostly-front end victory breaking his maiden in the process. “He never pulled the earplugs,” said Noren obviously confident that his horse could and would go much faster if necessary.
This Saturday he’s going to be tested for toughness. He drew post eight in what appears to be the toughest or second most difficult elimination field. Muscle Massive, Pilgrims Taj and Pilgrims Chuckie will all start inside of him. “I’m hoping for there to be some action up front. I think with his inexperience he’s best trying to race from off the pace,” noted the trainer, who starts two fillies in the Hambletonian Oaks eliminations.
Experience will only get you so far. Talent is what shines in classic races. Noren believes his horse has as good a chance as any. “I don’t think there are any Muscle Hills or Donato Hanovers in this group. I think the race will go between 1:52 and 1:53,” said the conditioner, who is based at White Birch Farm.
For RC Gallent Image, a trip to the Hambletonian final would be something else. After all, he’s already wintered in Italy.
(Hambletonian Society)