by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — Although he established his lifetime mark of 1:54.3, which was three-fifths of a second off a North American season’s record, when he triumphed in a $75,750 division of the International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile on Oct. 7, his conditioner and previous pilot feels Big Chocolate’s best performance to date may have been a third place finish in the $400,000 Peter Haughton Final at the Meadowlands on August 6.

“As far as speed and probably looking the best, yes, I’d say that (his last race) was his best,” explained Homer Hochstetler, who entered the Illinois Harness Hall of Fame in 2009. “But he finished third in the Haughton and even though he didn’t win, he went a very good race that day. He had a tough trip and overcame adversity. He lost his cover going into the last turn and got a little bit rough, but I talked him through him it and he came back on. A lot of 2-year-olds would have broke and sitting behind him, I knew he had a foot problem. I was very impressed with him.

“Five weeks before the Haughton, I was training him and he got spooked at something, then jumped sideways,” he continued. “He stepped on his foot and mashed the quarter. I thought I wouldn’t be able to fix it up enough to go in that race, but we got lucky, got it set and healed. It was self-inflicted though probably no fault of his own and it’s the only problem I’ve ever had with him. So I knew what had been going on and he had excuses to do no good at all. I consider that race a pretty good race and it’s when I knew if I could get everything clicking he could be a player.”

Nigel Soult photo

David Miller piloted Big Chocolate to a personal best 1:54.3 score in a division of the International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile.

From the second crop of world champion Chocolatier and Shez Mine, Big Chocolate races as a homebred for Richard Keys of Chicago, Ill., and was foaled in the Bluegrass State. During his short career, the colt has won $201,560 in purse money and possesses two victories, five seconds and two third place finishes from 10 trips to the gate.

His wins were in the aforementioned International Stallion Stakes division and in his $20,000 Peter Haughton elimination at the Meadowlands on July 29. Big Chocolate has checked in second in the $175,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final at the Meadowlands on July 16 in only his second lifetime start, the $79,900 Historic-Harriman Cup at Vernon Downs on Sept. 2, the $67,400 American-National at Balmoral Park on Sept. 21 and a $85,250 division of the Bluegrass Stakes at The Red Mile on Sept. 30. The only time he failed to hit the board, he still collected a check, with a fourth place finish in a $10,000 Kindergarten Classic leg at The Red Mile on Sept. 9.

Big Chocolate’s next appearance will be on Friday (Oct. 21), when he leaves from post four at morning line odds of 9-2 in the second Breeders Crown elimination, which is also the second race on Woodbine’s card, for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

“He was pretty much automatic from the get-go,” Hochstetler recalled. “He had a natural trot and he even looked good in the field. His mom was a rough, big, raw-boned looking Balanced Image mare, but a lot of them look like that and I think that helps him. His dad was more refined and he is somewhere in the middle.

“Even training him down, I can only ever remember him jumping, making a break or anything like that one or two times,” he continued. “He’s also very good-mannered, with a nice, soft mouth, which also helps him.”

After managing the foot problem that now seems to be behind the colt, Hochstetler has simply been experimenting with Big Chocolate to find the perfect balance and decided to alter his equipment for his last pari-mutuel mile.

“I’ve been kind of tinkering with him and that was his first start (the International Stallion Stakes) in an open bridle,” he said. “When I was training him I thought maybe this could really work, not that he had raced badly before, but he was just more focused when he could see everything. I’m still not convinced, but I’ll keep it on him until he shows me he doesn’t like it.”

Already proven over four different racing surfaces, Hochstetler hopes Big Chocolate acquits himself well over Woodbine Racetrack’s oval.

“He’s pretty handy and went very good at Vernon, which is a seven-eighths-mile track,” he said. “I thought he trotted very good there and handled the turns fine, so I’m hoping for similar up here (Toronto).

“This (the Breeders Crown) will probably be it (for him this year),” Hochstetler continued. “After this he will probably get turned out at Dunroven Farm and have a few months off. That’s my plan.”

Below are the fields for the two Breeders Crown eliminations for freshman colt and gelding trotters.