by Dean A. Hoffman

Arild Eggen is most of the most cerebral trainers in the sport, always thinking of innovative solutions to the perplexing challenge of training trotters. He’s proven his abilities in the past with such standouts as the Hambletonian Oaks winner Fern and stars like Norevlous Hanover and Norway But My Way.

Now the tall 32-year-old Norwegian trainer has a new star in his stable and this colt Worship starts from the rail in Saturday’s $297,816 Yonkers Trot at Freehold Raceway.

Worship is a newcomer to the top ranks of the sophomore trotting class, although Eggen says that the colt has always shown ability. Eggen also quickly points out that his colt is not in the same class with Yonkers Trot favorite Ken Warkentin, but the fact that Worship has post one and Ken Warkentin drew post eight tips the scale somewhat toward Worship.

USTA Photo

Arild Eggen

Worship is a son of Enjoy Lavec and the first foal from Beautiful Blood by Lindy Lane. He’s owned by the Wcb Racing Stable of Bordentown, New Jersey and was bred by Robert Waxman of Ontario . The colt was a $5,500 yearling purchase at Tattersalls in 2003.

He showed ability as a 2-year-old, getting a 2:01 mark at the Meadowlands and earning $6,250.

Eggen picked him up earlier this year and liked what he saw in the colt.

He started Worship in three qualifiers, his third try resulting in a 1:56.4 win. His first purse start was a 1:58.2 win in an overnight for Stephane Bouchard. (It’s interesting to note that the next time Bouchard drove was in last week’s Yonkers Trot elimination heat, which also resulted in a win. Bouchard is thus unbeaten in two drives behind with Worship.)

Worship broke at the start of his Stanley Dancer elim in early July over an off track and failed to advance to the final. He then had a tough trip in a 3-year-old open at the Meadowlands and faded in the stretch after challenging for the lead. Worship was then second to Great George Two in another 3-year-old open, timed in 1:55.

The son of Enjoy Lavec had gone tough race miles several weeks in a row, so when he entered the Hambletonian eliminations, Eggen worried that Worship might not be at this best. He was right; the youngster finished well behind Classic Photo.

The colt then got two weeks off and started in the Yonkers Trot elimination, his first try on a half-mile track. He went off at odds of 14-1 despite the fact that trainer Eggen thought Worship was the best horse in the field. He proved to be the best horse in the field as he sailed past the leaders in the stretch to win by 1-1/2 lengths.

While having the rail at Freehold certainly helps Worship, Eggen doesn’t see Bouchard sending his colt to the front and trying to cut all the fractions. Instead he sees a race much like Worship’s elimination heat win in which he trots midway through the pack for the first part of the race, then rallies in an attempt to pick up the leaders in the final quarter.

Eggen is a native of Trondheim , Norway and learned under the noted Swedish horseman Torbjorn Jansson and other Nordic horsemen. He came to the United States and quickly made his presence known when he patiently developed the headstrong filly Fern, a daughter of Sierra Kosmos . In 1998 when Eggen was just 25 years old, he guided Fern through a championship season as she won 12 of 19 starts, including the Hambletonian Oaks. She earned $664,823 that season and continued racing as an older mare, retiring with career earnings of $1,245,502.

When he campaigned Fern, Eggen also had Box Trot 3 ,1:55 ($295,788) in his stable and she was one of the best fillies ever sired by Cumin.

USTA Photo

Eggen has trained such standouts as the Hambletonian Oaks winner Fern.

Eggen has never trained an exceptionally large stable and hasn’t always had the best pedigrees in his shedrow , but he’s also developed the top SJ’s Photo colt Norvelous Hanover 3, 1:54 ($237,640) and the Donerail filly Norway But My Way 3, 1:53 ($209,411). Norway But My Way started in the Hambletonian elimination against colts in 2002 and loomed as a likely winner in mid-stretch until she broke stride.

Eggen is an intelligent, articulate trainer and he and partner Malin Kvist base their stable at The Red Mile in Lexington . He knows that Worship must go the race of his life and get some luck to win the Yonkers Trot, but he’s been around racing long enough to know that upsets happen.

He’s praying for Worship on Saturday.