George Ducharme will send two horses to Friday’s $25,000 New York-New York Mile elimination for three-year-old female trotters at Yonkers Raceway and the trainer is looking forward to learning how they might fit with the best fillies on the Grand Circuit this season.
Contested Hanover and Lindys Dollywood were among 10 fillies entered in the New York-New York Mile, resulting in a single eight-horse elimination. The top-six finishers from the elim will join bye recipients Iteration and Sweeping Rainbow in the $150,000 final on July 2 at Yonkers.
Also on Friday, Yonkers will host eliminations for the MGM Yonkers Trot for three-year-old trotters, MGM Grand Messenger Stakes for three-year-old pacers, and Park MGM Pace for three-year-old female pacers. The Yonkers Trot and Messenger are the first legs of the Trotting and Pacing Triple Crowns, respectively.
In the New York-New York Mile elimination, Contested Hanover will start from post two while Lindys Dollywood will leave from post three.
“They’re just good, solid-gaited horses, and their attitudes are good,” Ducharme said about his FTM Racing Stable-owned entry. “Whether they’re fast enough to go with the very top group, we’re going to find out in the next few weeks. Both are staked to everything right through the year. They’ll tell us what to do. We’ll let them tell us which path they choose.”
Contested Hanover, by Chapter Seven out of CR Calendar Girl, has won two of eight career races and hit the board a total of five times, earning $64,344. Last year, she debuted with a win in a division of the New York Sire Stakes at Saratoga but started only five more times, winning once in a conditioned race.
“Last year, she just got tired,” Ducharme said. “She was just too big and growthy. We quit with her, and she filled out and matured. I’m very happy with how she’s come back so far.”
This season, Contested Hanover finished third in a New York Sire Stakes division and second to Iteration in a division of the Empire Breeders Classic.
“She’s handy,” Ducharme said. “She can do whatever you ask her to do. I think she can do whatever we need her to do. I think she’s going to be fast enough to race in some of the better stakes as the season goes on.
“Her first two starts this year are the most she’s ever trotted in her life, so she’s working her way up to that speed and learning how to go there. That’s what she needs to do to be competitive with the top group.”
Lindys Dollywood, by Muscle Hill out of Lindys Crazy Dolly, has won four of 13 lifetime starts and $55,957. Last year, she won the Garden State Trot for two-year-old fillies (the five horse in the photo below). This season, she has three wins and a second in five races, all conditioned events.
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“We wanted to make this her first big stakes race so we raced her in a couple overnights at Saratoga to make sure she would get around a half-mile track OK,” Ducharme said. “That didn’t seem to be an issue so we figured we’d throw her in with the big girls and see what she could do.
“I think both fillies will be competitive, especially with the races at Yonkers. They both get around the turns really nice and are really good gaited. After this, we’ll try them at The Meadowlands and see if they’re good enough.”
In addition to his two fillies, Ducharme will send gelding The Irishman to the second of two Yonkers Trot eliminations. The top-four finishers from each elim advance to the $500,000 final on July 2.
The Irishman, by Cantab Hall out of Demoiselle Hanover, has won four of 11 career races and $48,469 for owners Bill Donovan, Tom Dillon, Purnel & Libby, and Joe Sbrocco. He is a three-quarter brother to Grand Circuit winner Sherry Lyns Lady.
All his wins have come in the Pennsylvania Stallion Series. He will start his Yonkers Trot elimination from post one.
“He’ll get around a half, that won’t be a problem, but this is a pretty big step up for him,” Ducharme said. “But we figured if we were going to give it a shot, we’d do it on a half, where he can get around good and hopefully keep up where they’re not going to go in (1):50. He’s just honest. He’ll give us everything he’s got every week.”
Live harness racing begins at 7:15 p.m. (EDT) Friday at Yonkers.
(USTA)