by Kim French, USTA Internet News Editor

Kim French

Columbus, OH — She is the defending champion of her division and banked $625,642 in only 14 trips to the post, yet when the stage is set for the most heralded contest of her career, the spotlight still fails to shine on Broadway Donna in this Saturday’s (Aug. 6) edition of the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks final.

“This is the race we have pointed for and wanted to win,” said Jim Campbell, her conditioner. “Right from the day she was born we fell in love with her. She was just a perfect foal and is still a big, strong filly. She looked the part of a nice racehorse and when we started to train her down she showed us why we felt so strongly about her. She is always professional. She can be tricky because she does like her own way, but she never gets hot like her mother could do from time to time. She has perfect manners and an excellent mind. The best way to put it is she has it all.”

Lisa photo

Broadway Donna will be looking to join her dam with a Hambletonian Oaks title.

The regally bred daughter of Donato Hanover and Broadway Schooner will commence her journey to an Oaks crown from post position seven in the 12th race on a nationally televised card (CBS Sports Network) at the Meadowlands. Where she commences her mile is not exactly what Campbell and regular pilot David Miller had envisioned, but this filly, who is the third choice on the morning line (7-2) behind 2015 Breeders Crown victress All The Time (9-5) and 2015 O’Brien Award winner Caprice Hill (5-2), not only possesses all the necessary attributes to triumph, but her presence on this stage appeared to be predestined long before she ever placed a hoof on the ground for those responsible for her birth at Fashion Farms.

Her mother, however, who is by Broadway Hall, would be a tough act for any of her progeny to follow. Broadway Schooner did not capture the adulation of the press in her first season of campaigning, as she only captured one race in seven starts, but the mare stole the show her sophomore season. She proved best in the 2009 edition of the Hambletonian Oaks and also appeared in the winner’s circle in that year’s Breeders Crown. At the end of the season she was honored with the Dan Patch Award for her performances.

Broadway Donna is her second foal. Her first foal, Musclesprinctonian (Muscle Hill, $69,280), is standing stud in Indiana and her younger sibling Wutan (Muscle Hill) sold for $130,000 as a yearling last fall. That kind of lineage is difficult for any horse to live up to, but with this filly, quite possibly, her best is yet to come.

Both Campbell and Miller acknowledged Broadway Donna was not as impressive as they had hoped at the end of her Hambletonian Oaks elimination, where she finished second but was placed third after a late break in stride. But despite the abnormal miscue, this filly should still be attracting attention to win this female classic.

“I really have a lot of respect for her,” Miller said. “It may not have appeared I was pushing on her to win her elimination, but I was. We wanted to be able to select our post position. She just was a little tired at the end of the race and that is uncharacteristic of her. She always does everything on her own and well within herself. The track that night may have had something to with it. It was very hard and you don’t know if it was stinging her feet.

“I do know this is a very competitive race and every advantage you have is going to be important. It will be difficult to win from the seven (post position), but this filly has already impressed with how she can overcome situations.”

Campbell agrees with Miller that this year’s Oaks should not have a clear-cut favorite.

“This is one of the toughest Oaks we have seen in a long time,” Campbell said. “There are five or six fillies in here that can easily win depending on how their trip goes. It is not an easy race and being drawn on the outside of some of these fillies could be the difference. That is racing though and the Oaks is one of those that we really want to win.”

$500,000 Hambletonian Oaks
Race 12 – Post time 4:41 p.m.
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line
1. Caprice Hill–Tim Tetrick–Tony Alagna–5/2
2. Celebrity Eventsy–John Campbell–Staffan Lind–6/1
3. Dream Child–Scott Zeron–Linda Toscano–30/1
4. Side Bet Hanover–Corey Callahan–Jonas Czernyson–8/1
5. Windowshopper–Brian Sears–Ake Svanstedt–40/1
6. All The Time–Yannick Gingras–Jimmy Takter–9/5
7. Broadway Donna–David Miller–Jim Campbell–7/2
8. Wildflower–Ake Svanstedt–Ake Svanstedt–30/1
9. Black Broadway–Brett Miller–Michael Eaton–50/1
10. Double Exposure–Tim Tetrick–Tony Alagna–15/1