Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Donato Hanover Still #1

November 26, 2007

Donato Hanover ended his career with a loss in the Breeders Crown on November 24 at the Meadowlands Racetrack, but remained a winner in the eyes of the majority of the harness racing pollsters. The 3-year-old colt trotter held the No. 1 spot in the final Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll for 2007 – a place he has occupied every Monday beginning on July 23 – by receiving 25 of 35 first-place votes. On September 4, he became the poll’s first-ever unanimous selection for No. 1.

For the year, Donato Hanover won 11 of 13 starts and earned $2.3 million – the most ever for a trotter in history. His wins included the Hambletonian, Canadian Trotting Classic, World Trotting Derby, Kentucky Futurity and Stanley Dancer Memorial. He won 19 consecutive races from June 2006 to last week’s Breeders Crown elimination races, when he was defeated by Arch Madness. In the final, Arch Madness won again.

Lifetime, Donato Hanover, driven regularly by Ron Pierce for trainer Steve Elliott, won 19 of 22 starts and came within $1,223 of $3 million. He will retire to stud at Hanover Shoe Farms.

“I wouldn’t do anything differently over the two years,” said David Scharf, one of Donato Hanover’s owners. “It was very exciting. I felt he got beat fair and square the last two weeks. Some people say he was short or sick; he was neither, in my opinion. I think those two heats in Lexington [for the Kentucky Futurity] took a little out of him. It was a whole long year and it caught up with him and [Arch Madness] was maturing and is a good horse.

“I wanted him to win, more for the horse; from that perspective I was disappointed. I don’t think about [his place in history]. He’s got a fantastic syndicate and should be booked to some unbelievable mares. Hopefully, he can advance the breed and become a force in that way.”

Donato Hanover will head home for the holidays, home to his birthplace at Hanover Shoe Farms, on Wednesday, December 5 at noon. The 19-race winner, who dominated the trotting ranks this year and is the probable Horse if the Year in harness racing, was born at Hanover Shoe Farms on May 3, 2004. He returns home to begin his fatherhood career with 19 wins, $2,998,777 million in earnings and tied for the fastest trotting time ever, 1:50.1.

"Snow White is the Best," Says Campbell
Snow White, driven regularly by John Campbell for trainer Kevin Lare, won 11 of 13 races this year and earned $1.2 million – the most ever for a 2-year-old trotter. She also is the fastest 2-year-old trotter in history with a mark of 1:52.4 set while winning by 10-1/4 lengths at Lexington’s Red Mile on October 2. Her triumphs included the Goldsmith Maid and Oakville stakes and her average margin of victory was six lengths.

“She’s the best 2-year-old I’ve ever sat behind,” Campbell said. “She’s head and shoulders the best 2-year-old I’ve ever been associated with. Kevin thought he had a top filly and even this goes beyond our expectations. She’s very gifted, she takes huge steps with her gait; there’s no waste of motion. Her manners are good. I mean I couldn’t ask for more as a driver and I’m just very fortunate to get to drive her.”

Campbell, incidentally, topped $250 million in career purse earnings when he drove Snow White to victory in the Breeders Crown final. It was his 42nd Crown title, increasing his own record.

Deweycheatumnhowe ended his campaign 10-for-10 after posting his one-length win over Celebrity Secret in the Breeders Crown. Driven, trained and co-owned by Ray Schnittker, Deweycheatumnhowe earned $936,191 – making him the richest 2-year-old male trotter in history. His mark of 1:54.2, set in a win at Lexington’s Red Mile on October 4, makes him the second fastest 2-year-old male on a mile track.

“It can’t get any better than that,” said Schnittker, who won his first Breeders Crown. “It was nice to win the last one; it would have been a little disappointing to get beat there. It’s nice going 10-for-10. A lot of things have to go right. I don’t know if he had good luck, but he didn’t have any bad luck, and that helped through the year.

“It was a great feeling. I had a lot of confidence in the horse. Of course, it’s easy to say that now.”

Schnittker, like Snow White’s Larrimore, pointed toward Donato Hanover as Horse of the Year.

“He had a great year,” Schnittker said. “He only lost two races. I hope I can go through next year only losing two races.”