by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — When trotter Dontyouforgetit arrived in Jimmy Takter’s barn, the trainer’s expectations for the colt mirrored the horse’s size — small.

At the time, Takter could not see what Dontyouforgetit possessed inside, in terms of heart. That, he soon discovered, was large.

As he prepares Dontyouforgetit for Saturday’s $450,000 Yonkers Trot, Takter hopes the colt can come up big again. So far in his career the 3-year-old has won 10 of 17 races, finished off the board only twice, and earned $533,569.

Mike Lizzi photo

Dontyouforgetit held off Fico by a nose in their Yonkers Trot elimination.

“I didn’t even think he’d have a chance to get to the races, that’s how tiny he was,” Takter said. “But he has a huge heart. He’s just such a lovely horse.

“From where he came from, as basically a midget when he came in here as a baby, to make over a half-a-million dollars just shows you that horses that want to do it and have desire (can succeed). And of course his pedigree is fantastic. All these things make a difference on a horse.”

Dontyouforgetit is a son of stallion Cantab Hall out of the stakes-winning mare Solveig, who was trained by Takter and named after his mother. Dontyouforgetit was bred by Solveig’s Breeders and is owned by Solveig’s Racing Partners, groups led by Takter’s wife, Christina.

The Yonkers Trot is the first jewel in the Trotting Triple Crown, followed by the Hambletonian and Kentucky Futurity. Takter has won the race three of the last four years.

Dontyouforgetit won his Yonkers Trot elimination last weekend by a nose over Fico in 1:57.2. He will start from post four in the final, with Brian Sears listed to drive, and is the 8-5 favorite on the morning line.

“The horse raced pretty good in his elimination,” said Takter, who drove in the elim. “I had a little problem with him to get good footing on the track; this is the first time he raced on that track after three starts at (Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs) so of course that’s a big change. But he always fights hard and is a horse that never gives up.”

Last year, Dontyouforgetit won six of 10 starts, including the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship and the Standardbred Stakes at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio, where his time of 1:55.3 set the world record for 2-year-olds on a half-mile oval. He won by nearly 18 lengths.

Dontyouforgetit this season has won four of seven starts and $195,732. He won a division of the Currier & Ives Stakes at The Meadows in June. He was second in the Dexter Cup and third in the Beal Memorial.

All but two of Dontyouforgetit’s 17 lifetime starts have come on either half-mile or five-eighths-mile ovals, but Takter does not think the colt is limited to the smaller tracks. Yonkers is a half-mile oval.

“They say the small horses probably fit better on the half-mile (track) but I don’t think it matters with this colt,” Takter said. “He’s long-legged and has a good stride; I don’t think it matters if he’s on a half-mile or big track. If he feels like he’s in contention he wants to race anything.”

Following is the field for the Yonkers Trot with listed drivers and trainers (and morning line odds): 1. Fico, George Brennan, Staffan Lind (6-1); 2. Dewycolorintheline, Ray Schnittker, Schnittker (3-1); 3. Celebrity Stimulus, Tom Jackson, Susanne Strandqvist (10-1); 4. Dontyouforgetit, Brian Sears, Jimmy Takter (8-5); 5. Boffin, Charlie Norris, Norris (8-1); 6. Creampuff Macdaddy, Jason Bartlett, Brad Maxwell (4-1); 7. Lauderdale, Brent Holland, Jonas Czernyson (8-1); 8. Cantab Abs, Trond Smedshammer, Smedshammer (20-1).