by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Williamsport, PA — Like many of the progeny of S J’s Photo, it took 7-year-old In Focus Hanover a little bit longer to come to hand, but her connections were always confident she would eventually find her best stride.

“I’ve had her since she was three and she’s always been a very classy filly,” said her conditioner Charlie Myers, who is currently responsible for 15 head. “But this year she is so sharp and has really put it all together. She had already made more than $55,000 by March.”

In Focus Hanover, a Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Illusion Of Virtue by Speedy Crown, was purchased as a yearling for $11,000 at the 2003 Adios Sale by Joseph Dolinar III and his wife Mila, upon the recommendation of horseman Tom Davis. Unraced at two, the mare has compiled a record of 19 victories from only 95 race miles, a lifetime mark of 1:55.3f, and nearly $175,000 in purse money. On February 25, 2009, when she established her career best time, she trotted the fastest mile of any older mare this year at The Meadows. The mare is only the second horse the Dolinars have owned and currently is the only equine in their shedrow.

“Tom (Davis) is a friend and how I got involved in the horse business,” the 47-year-old Dolinar, who resides in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, explained. “He has had some great success with picking great trotters in the past and we enjoyed success with the first horse we bought about eight or nine years ago (Ms Photographer 1:58.3f; $37,823), so we decided to buy a filly that we would try to get to some stakes races with. She (In Focus Hanover) has always been a very consistent horse and has been an unbelievable check-getter for me. We all love her to death.”

In her sophomore campaign, In Focus Hanover started seven times with four wins and two third place finishes, but did not make a smooth transition as a 4-year-old. In 17 trips to the gate, the mare collected two triumphs, and hit the board on two other occasions.

“I think we had her placed in the wrong spots and they didn’t have her hooked up right,” Dolinar said. “We went ahead and changed barns, as Tom had her, and Charlie has had great success with her ever since. Tom, Charlie and I are all a big circle, so everything has worked out very well.

“The track officials (at The Meadows) almost didn’t let us race her at three because she hiked so bad in front,” he continued. “We took her everywhere to try to find out what was wrong with her, but Tom always said she just needed to grow up and when she did she never hiked again. In fact, she hasn’t seen the vet in over a year and only had one injection; that was years ago.”

Ironically, In Focus Hanover has a very mild demeanor for such a competitive mare. She was easy to break, trains very well and requires little in the way of equipment. All she wears are trotting hobbles and light shin boots because of her prior tendency to have some trouble at the gate.

“She is really an absolute pleasure to be around,” Myers said. “She does absolutely nothing wrong and although she hasn’t had any problems at the gate in awhile, we still have left the equipment on. She really is a nice-gaited and a very happy horse.”

Dolinar intends to keep racing In Focus Hanover at The Meadows, give her a bit of a freshening in July and August and then bring her back for a fall/winter campaign. He dislikes racing her in the summer heat and feels she prefers the cooler weather.

“I’d like to race her on Jug Day if there is anything that fits for her,” he said. “Otherwise we will just go ahead and keep her here at The Meadows in the fall. It is one of the few tracks that offers trotting races for older mares and the purse money is good right now. I couldn’t have asked for anything more of her; she is a very, very special animal.”