Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Donato wins Kentucky Futurity Saturday

October 6, 2007

          Donato Hanover wins the 2007 Kentucky
          Futurity at The Red Mile in Lexington

The third leg of the Trotting Triple Crown, the Kentucky Futurity, was held Saturday at The Red Mile in Lexington, and Donato Hanover, the leading money-winning horse in North America scored his 18th win and tenth straight triumph of 2007.

Trained by Steve Elliott, Donato Hanover won his elimination and his 12th Race final heat easily--setting a new world record of 1:50.1 in that final.

“He’s just a good horse,” said Elliott, “and I’ve got a good crew.”

Though Donato has had no paddock time, a staple for many horses, while at The Red Mile, he doesn’t miss it.

“We don’t turn him out at home, either, because he’ll go through a fence,” says Elliott. “It’s like they’re not even there, he just walks right through them. Oh, he’s done it, when he was little, so we just don’t turn him out.”

Elliott says Donato, like many other good horses, requires very little special treatment.

“Keep them sound and happy and they’ll do the rest. He’s just got a great temperament, that’s all, a really, really good temperament, nothing fazes him, he doesn’t get excited about anything.”

Donato has a relaxed outlook on his daily jog.

“We walk him a mile or two or three, depends on him” says Elliott. “Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn’t. He can be jogging and if he sees someone walking, he’ll go up alongside him and walk, too. He doesn’t let too much bother him. He jogs about an hour and 15 minutes every day.”

Elliot handles the jogging duties himself most of the time, or his assistant Toni Rose does so if he is not around. After the Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands on November 24, Elliott says Donato will likely head off to fatherhood duties, with no racing at age four.

Elliott will start prepping for the Breeders Crown after the Futurity with no particular race planned in between.

$207,760 Kentucky Futurity Final Heat The Red Mile: Race 12
Saturday, October 6, 2007
PP Horse                    Driver
1 Donato Hanover         Ron Pierce
3 Arch Madness             Brian Sears
5 Green Day                 Andy Miller
4 Standpoing                 Trond Smedshammer
:27      :54.3      1:22.3      1:50.1

Kentucky Futurity First Elimination The Red Mile: Race Eight
Saturday, October 6, 2007
PP Horse              Driver
6 Flirtin Man          John Campbell
1 Standpoint          Tr Smedshammer
3 Green Day         Andy Miller
2 Rune                 Marcus Johansson
7 Mythical Lindy   David Miller
4 Anderberg         George Brennan
5 Up Front Larry    Dave Palone
8 Blessed Victory   Jody Jamieson
:28.1      :56.3      1:24.1      1:52.2

Kentucky Futurity Second Elimination The Red Mile: Race Nine
Saturday, October 6, 2007
PP Horse                    Driver
1 Donato Hanover        Ron Pierce
6 Arch Madness           Brian Sears
9 Pampered Princess   John Campbell
4 Please Poppy           Yannick Gingras
2 Photo Maxx               Marcus Johansson
1 Up Front Ben            Tim Tetrick
3 Operation Lindy         Dave Palone
9 Manfinity                  George Brennan
7 Val Taurus                Mike Lachance
:27.3      :54.4      1:24      1:51.1