Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Voracious Hanover From Post 6 In Staffords' Governors Cup Debut

December 1, 2004
By Bob "Hollywood" Heyden

The Governors Cup has 6 starters with a $237,400 pot this Saturday night. Starting from the far outside will be Voracious Hanover for Ben Stafford and Ben Stafford, Jr. Jim Morrill, Jr will drive the 9/2 morning line third choice.

"We paid $22,000 for him at Showplace last year (SAME sale where the year before Rainbow Blue brought $10,500). Dad liked him right from the start. I thought he was just average-he'd go where you wanted him to go but no more. But after a while you could feel just by jogging him that he was improving. A classy colt. Good to be around. One that took care of himself well. Not a lot of work," explained Ben Stafford, Jr.

Ben, Jr. continued, "He doesn't wear any bandages during the week-just a few on race night. We could tell right from the first baby race-Steve Smith drove him-that he was pretty special. He closed in 27.4 from well off the leaders. He can leave quick if you if you want him to-earlier this year in Pennsylvania, he went out in 26.4, home in 27.4 in a 1:53 mile. He's got a quick step out of the gate."

But maybe NOT as quick a step out of the gate as Precious Bunny. Why bring up his name? Because the Staffords trained him as a 2 Year Old in 1990. He was later sold and became the 1991 Horse of The Year, the single season $$ record holder and the sire of another Horse of The Year-Bunny Lake.

Ben, "I was basically the groom for Precious Bunny at 2. He could leave the gate real fast-but we didn't do so with him a lot at 2. I remember as a 3 year old heading into the Jug-Jack Moiseyev asked Jody (Stafford) if he could leave with him to get around Die Laughing. Jody told him he could leave 100 miles an hour, and Jack did just that and won the Jug because of it."
But Bunny was sold-$125,000-after his freshman season. What happened there?

Ben, Jr., "We hated to see him go, believe me. We knew he had the potential to be a top top horse. But owner Al Ochnser got what he thought was a fair price and took it. We didn't have any say in it at all."

How does Ben see this race going-Saturdays Governors Cup??

"Speed Demon was awesome at Dover. Dawn Of A New day can rough it. We've got post 6, and won't be too far out of it at any point-I can tell you that much."