Two years ago this month, it was the best of times for Bestofbest Hanover and principal owner Jean-Roch Perron of Quebec City.
The three-year-old son of Western Hanover captured the $500,000 Confederation Cup final at Flamboro Downs, giving Perron his biggest victory in the sport.
Anything seemed possible then, but life had other plans.
Perron never saw the horse race again. He was diagnosed with inoperable kidney cancer a few weeks after the Confederation Cup and died last year, at age 62.
Bestofbest Hanover had an operation to correct a breathing problem after the Cup and hasn’t been the same horse since returning to the races at 4.
This week, however, he won a $2,600 pace at Hippodrome 3R by two lengths for driver Melanie Plourde in 1:55.1, giving Plourde, the current owner, hope he’ll be competitive on the Woodbine Entertainment circuit this fall.
Plourde, who along with trainer Gabriel Boily was instrumental in breaking and developing Bestofbest Hanover for Perron, bought him and four others from Perron’s spouse Isabelle Paquet after his death.
“It was a bit sentimental, but he’s still quite a horse and he appears to be on the right path now. I know we won’t get another like him in our lifetime,” said Plourde, 31.
(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Paul Delean)