Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Peruvian Hanover Hopes to End Career with Another American National Victory
November 4, 2004
By Kimberly A. Rinker

Trainer Noel Daley is hoping that the ten-hole won’t stop Peruvian Hanover from scoring a repeat American National victory, and that it will give the horse a great ending to an illustrious career. A year ago, Peruvian Hanover won the American-National for older pacers, giving him his 24th lifetime win. Saturday night could be his last. Trainer Noel Daley said the $260,000 American-National final would most likely be the six-year-old Peruvian Hanover's last race.

"That would be a good way to go out," Daley mused. "We're pretty much set that this is his last race. He hasn't been himself the last month or six weeks. He's been a little lackluster. This is the first time I haven't been happy with the way he looks; he's always been a great-looking horse. He's not carrying his weight as well as he was. We're still trying to find somewhere to stand him. He deserves a spot somewhere. He's been a good horse for a long time."

Peruvian Hanover finished second to Quality Western in the American-National elimination race last week. The son of Life Sign, out of the champion Illinois-bred mare Plum Peachy was purchased for $28,000 as a yearling and has won 27 of 98 career races, earning $1.7 million in his four-year career.

A winner of just one of 22 starts this year, Peruvian Hanover has earned $376,024 thanks to a dead-heat second in the Breeders Crown, second in a division of the U.S. Pacing Championship and third in the Canadian Pacing Derby.

Last year, in addition to the American-National, Peruvian Hanover won two legs of the Classic Series and the Battle of Lake Erie, a race he also won in 2002. As a three-year-old, when he won 13 of 27 starts and earned $589,709, his top win came in the Progress. He also had a second-place finish in the Adios.

"He's a pretty resilient old bugger," Daley added. "He's done a great job. He's always been just a little under the limelight all the time. But he's seen plenty of horses come and go, and he's still up there."

Tim Tetrick drove Peruvian Hanover in his elimination race last weekend and will be up behind the bay stallion Saturday. He also drove him to the American-National title last year. In fact, Tetrick has driven Peruvian Hanover five times in his career and picked up three wins, a second and a third.

"The kid seems to get along with him great," Daley said. "It's going to be a tough spot. Casimir Camotion has been flying. We're just hoping to get a piece of it."

Casimir Camotion, Boulder Creek and Royal Mattjesty received automatic spots in the American-National final based upon their earnings. Quality Western, the winner of last week’s $44,000 American National elimination in 1:50.4 for driver David Miller, drew the coveted rail slot in the $260,000 AmNat Aged Pace.

Trained by Blair Burgess for owners Brittany Farms, Robert Burgess and Karen Olsson of Kentucky and Ontario, it was the fourth win of the season for the four-year-old Western Hanover horse in 15 trips postward.

Leaving hard from post six, Quality Western snared the lead at the :26.2 first quarter and never looked back, rattling off fractions of :55.1, 1:23.2 and using a :27.2 final brush to hold off his hard-trying rival Peruvian Hanover by a little less than a length. Quality Western pushed his lifetime bankroll to $557,046 with the win.

"He didn’t have an easy go of it in there," Miller said. "He was parked to the quarter and he raced really tough considering the conditions he was racing under—very strong winds. I still think that can be a factor and that it often takes its toll on horses."

Quality Western pushed his lifetime earnings to $559,046 with the win, his fourth of the year in 15 tries.

Royal Mattjesty, conditioned by Nat Varty for Perretti Racing Stable and John Rizzo of new Jersey, is the richest contender in the field of ten, with over $1.5 million in earnings to his credit. The five-year-old son of Matt’s Scooter has notched impressive credentials coming into tonight’s American National, including a 1:48.4 record mile recorded at the Meadowlands earlier this year.

Among other races, Royal Mattjesty has won the $196,000 Allerage Farm Pace at Lexington on October 9, the $135,000 Waronshore Pace on late June and the $125,000 Battle of Lake Erie at Northfield in early June.

Rival Casimir Camotion is the four-year-old lson of Camluck, who is conditioned and driven by Pat Lachance. This winner of $796,740 lifetime recorded a mark of 1:48.3 at Woodbine in early September, when he captured the Canadian Breeders Championship with Lachance at the lines. Since then he’s been racing at Canadian ovals in the Invitational and Open ranks for his trainer-driver.

Boulder Creek, a winner of $1.2 million lifetime invades for New York owners Cliff Siegel, Less Wasserman and John Fodera. This four-year-old son of Pacific Rocket owns a record of 1:48.1, which he set in the July 31, $552,500 Breeders Crown Aged Pace at the Meadowlands.

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