FRASERVILLE, ON — Freshman fever returns to Kawartha Downs on Thursday as 30 two-year-old trotting colts make their provincial debut in four Gold Series Eliminations.
Trainer Milton La Riviere will also celebrate his first start in the Ontario Sires Stakes when Hansen lines up alongside his peers in the third $25,827 elimination.
“We’re quite excited,” admits the Peterborough resident. “This is my first Sires Stake.”
La Riviere has owned and trained Standardbreds for almost two decades, but since retiring he has acquired a farm, a few broodmares and the odd stallion.
“It keeps us out of trouble, or deeply in trouble, I’m not sure which,” he says with a chuckle.
Hansen is the product of La Riviere’s expanded involvement in the breeding side of the business, among the first foals from sire CR Royal Flush, who stands at his Fairway Farm.
“He was a horse my son saw race down in the States, and thought so highly of that we brought him up here to stand stud when he retired,” explains La Riviere. “This is his first crop in Canada. We didn’t get many mares to him, but the reports we’ve had on the ones we’ve tracked here have all been good.”
La Riviere says Hansen has been almost unbelievably good through each stage of his early career. The chestnut colt was a quick study when it came time to learn his early lessons, has not had any physical or health problems, travels well and delivered a steady qualifying effort at Mohawk Racetrack on June 24.
Leaving from Post 5 the novice trotter and driver Mark MacDonald landed seventh, moved up the outside heading for the three-quarter marker and trotted home to finish third in a time of 2:08.3.
“So far in his schooler here (Kawartha) and in the qualifier at Mohawk he wasn’t touched or pushed. Both drivers just sat there,” says the trainer. “He shows all kinds of desire, he tries.”
The colt will start from Post 7 in Thursday’s fourth race, and La Riviere is comfortable with the outside post in the field of novice trotters.
“That’s not all bad with a seven-horse field,” he says. “They’re young and excitable and anything can happen. He should give a decent account of himself if they get away decently.”
La Riviere’s Fairway Farm Peterborough bred and owns Hansen, who will need a top two finish to earn his way into the July 6 Gold Final. With four eliminations only the two finishers, plus one third-place finisher drawn by lot, will earn a return ticket to Kawartha Downs for the $130,000 Final.
The two-year-old trotting colts square off in Races 1, 3, 4, and 6 this Thursday evening, with the first race going postward at 7 pm.
For complete entries please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/ekdfth.html