by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — When it came to the draw for last week’s Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace, Badiou Hanover was more like “Badluck” Hanover, getting stuck with the most outside starting spot — post No. 10.

At least as the gelding prepares for Saturday’s eliminations for the $525,000 Delvin Miller Adios Pace at The Meadows, he is off to a better start. Badiou Hanover will start his elimination, the second of three divisions, from post two with driver Andy Miller. He is 8-1 on the morning line.

Badiou Hanover, pronounced “Ba-dew,” has won five of 10 races this season and earned $84,705. He should feel at home at The Meadows, having posted a win there in June in the Pennsylvania Stallion Series. In addition, four of his five victories this year have come on five-eighth-mile tracks, such as The Meadows.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Badiou Hanover has won five races this year, with earnings of $84,705.

Meadowlands Pace runner-up Dude’s The Man is the 2-1 morning line favorite in Badiou Hanover’s elimination, which also includes Lost For Words, Tomy Terror, Rock N’ Roll World, and Cooperstown. The top three finishers from each of the three eliminations will advance to the Adios final on Aug. 1 at The Meadows.

“It’s a nice draw,” trainer Julie Miller said. “This is a good group, needless to say. It’s going to always depend on who gets the good draw, who is in the best form and who gets the good trip. Those are the three things you need to win the race.

“I’m going into it pretty good. I’ve got a pretty good driver, a pretty good draw, and a fit horse. I’m ready to rock.”

Badiou Hanover had won four of five races, including the Hempt Memorial Consolation, prior to finishing fourth in his Meadowlands Pace elimination and then 10th in the final. Miller, who was making her first appearance in a Meadowlands Pace final, was philosophical about the outcome.

“For my Meadowlands Pace debut, that wasn’t much of a showing,” she said with a laugh. “But he was behind the 8-ball already with the 10 hole. Everything had to go wrong for them and everything had to go right for us.”

Badiou Hanover is a son of Well Said out of the mare Blind Ambition. He was purchased for $105,000 at the 2013 Standardbred Horse Sale and his family includes stakes-winners Cheyenne Rei, Ain’t No Stopn Him, Lon Todd Hanover, and Salute Hanover, as well as Artstopper, the dam of Yagonnakissmeornot and Always B Miki. He is owned by Pinkse Stables and Joe P Racing, which this week purchased the ownership share previously held by Jim Simpson.

For his career, Badiou Hanover has won seven of 17 races and earned $127,360.

“He’s powerful and big and has a good gait to him,” Miller said. “He was just a little lazy and lost focus at the beginning. But as a 3-year-old he’s come into form. He’s getting it. Andy says he’s a pleasure to drive. That’s half the battle, to have a versatile horse. He doesn’t mind if he’s on the lead or following. With the Meadows, I want to be up close or on the lead with it being a five-eighths (of a mile track) but he’s really handy.

“He’s just a nice horse. As of right now he’s no Wiggle It Jiggleit or Wakizashi (Hanover) but he’s getting money and we’re paying our bills and the owners are happy. I think he’s got a career ahead of him. He’s a sound horse. I could see him being a nice aged horse.”

Below are the Adios eliminations fields, in post position order with drivers, trainers and morning line. Post positions for the final will be determined by an open draw.

Race 4
1. Chaching Hanover, Dick Stillings, Jan Fread, 5-1
2. Angelo J Fra, Tony Hall, Norm Parker, 12-1
3. National Seelster, Tim Tetrick, Chris Ryder, 5-2
4. Dreams Beachboy, Dave Palone, Tony Alagna, 3-1
5. Rufo, Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke, 10-1
6. Dragon Eddy, Corey Callahan, John Butenschoen, 8-5

Race 5
1. Lost For Words, David Miller, Brian Brown, 5-1
2. Badiou Hanover, Andy Miller, Julie Miller, 8-1
3. Tomy Terror, Mike Wilder, John Butenschoen, 4-1
4. Rock N’ Roll World, Tim Tetrick, Kelly Stackowicz, 7-2
5. Cooperstown, Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke, 10-1
6. Dude’s The Man, Corey Callahan, Jessica Okusko, 2-1

Race 6
1. Berkley, David Miller, Randy Bendis, 4-1
2. Yankee Bounty, Corey Callahan, Ron Burke, 6-1
3. Utah Beach, Andy Miller, Tim Twaddle, 8-1
4. Trading Up, Dave Palone, Tony Alagna, 7-2
5. Jo Pa’s Well Said, Marcus Miller, Jim Campbell, 8-1
6. My Hero Ron, Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke, 5-2
7. Rise Up Now, Tim Tetrick, Brian Brown, 5-1