by Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

Hambletonian runner-up Chocolatier is expected to headline the American-National for three-year-old male trotters at Balmoral Park in Chicago. Eliminations are slated for Saturday and the $175,000 final is August 26.

Chocolatier, the 2005 Dan Patch Award winner as best two-year-old male trotter, has won two of seven starts this season and earned $438,750. Lifetime, he has won 10 of 17 while banking $947,000. Following his appearance in the American-National, he is being pointed toward the World Trotting Derby on September 2 in DuQuoin, Illinois. Chocolatier is trained by Doug Ackerman and driven by DR Ackerman.

“He’s doing very well,” DR Ackerman said. “He’s at home (Hazel Park near Detroit) resting up. He came out of the Hambletonian well.”

In the $1.5 million Hambletonian, Chocolatier started from post 10 and followed eventual winner Glidemaster throughout the race. The tandem raced near the back of the pack on the outside for much of the mile before fanning three wide on the final turn and passing rival through the stretch. Glidemaster won in a stakes record 1:51.1, finishing 1¼-lengths ahead of Chocolatier.

“Around the last turn I thought I was in position, but when [John Campbell] moved Glidemaster he jetted away; he was very strong,” Ackerman said. “But [starting from post 10] it worked out as well as it could work out. That’s part of life. We won the silver medal and we had a good time. It was a roaring success.”

Glidemaster, meanwhile, will remain idle until the Simcoe on September 9 at Mohawk Racetrack in Ontario, according to trainer Blair Burgess. He will use the Simcoe as a prep for the Canadian Trotting Classic, which will have eliminations on September 16 and a C$1 million final on September 23. Glidemaster has won three of seven starts this year and earned $867,460.

“That’s just the easiest because there’s no travel,” said Burgess, who has won two Hambletonians in his career. “That’s the plan, anyway. We’ll probably just go straight into the Simcoe, but if I think he needs work a qualifier the week before wouldn’t be out of the question. The Trotting Classic will end up being a pretty stiff test. I think there will be a few three-year-olds that weren’t ready for the Hambletonian that will be more ready in September.”

Mr Pine Chip, the beaten favorite in the Hambletonian, is expected to return to action in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, which has its final on August 24 at the Meadows. He also has the Old Oaken Bucket on September 21 at the Delaware County (Ohio) Fairgrounds on his agenda. Mr Pine Chip had won all six of his starts this year entering the Hambletonian, but came down with a virus of some type the week prior to the $1.5 million final.

“He took a few days to get back to being himself,” trainer Trond Smedshammer said. “He was tired and worn out after that race. He’s back to being himself now.”

Blue Mac Lad, another Smedshammer trainee who was third in the Hambletonian, is being pointed toward the Simcoe. Blue Mac Lad has won one of seven races this season and earned $391,000.