by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent
Louisville, KY — Although he established his lifetime mark of 1:54.3, which was three-fifths of a second off a North American season’s record, when he triumphed in a $75,750 division of the International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile on Oct. 7, his conditioner and previous pilot feels Big Chocolate’s best performance to date may have been a third place finish in the $400,000 Peter Haughton Final at the Meadowlands on August 6.
“As far as speed and probably looking the best, yes, I’d say that (his last race) was his best,” explained Homer Hochstetler, who entered the Illinois Harness Hall of Fame in 2009. “But he finished third in the Haughton and even though he didn’t win, he went a very good race that day. He had a tough trip and overcame adversity. He lost his cover going into the last turn and got a little bit rough, but I talked him through him it and he came back on. A lot of 2-year-olds would have broke and sitting behind him, I knew he had a foot problem. I was very impressed with him.
“Five weeks before the Haughton, I was training him and he got spooked at something, then jumped sideways,” he continued. “He stepped on his foot and mashed the quarter. I thought I wouldn’t be able to fix it up enough to go in that race, but we got lucky, got it set and healed. It was self-inflicted though probably no fault of his own and it’s the only problem I’ve ever had with him. So I knew what had been going on and he had excuses to do no good at all. I consider that race a pretty good race and it’s when I knew if I could get everything clicking he could be a player.”
From the second crop of world champion Chocolatier and Shez Mine, Big Chocolate races as a homebred for Richard Keys of Chicago, Ill., and was foaled in the Bluegrass State. During his short career, the colt has won $201,560 in purse money and possesses two victories, five seconds and two third place finishes from 10 trips to the gate.
His wins were in the aforementioned International Stallion Stakes division and in his $20,000 Peter Haughton elimination at the Meadowlands on July 29. Big Chocolate has checked in second in the $175,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final at the Meadowlands on July 16 in only his second lifetime start, the $79,900 Historic-Harriman Cup at Vernon Downs on Sept. 2, the $67,400 American-National at Balmoral Park on Sept. 21 and a $85,250 division of the Bluegrass Stakes at The Red Mile on Sept. 30. The only time he failed to hit the board, he still collected a check, with a fourth place finish in a $10,000 Kindergarten Classic leg at The Red Mile on Sept. 9.
Big Chocolate’s next appearance will be on Friday (Oct. 21), when he leaves from post four at morning line odds of 9-2 in the second Breeders Crown elimination, which is also the second race on Woodbine’s card, for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
“He was pretty much automatic from the get-go,” Hochstetler recalled. “He had a natural trot and he even looked good in the field. His mom was a rough, big, raw-boned looking Balanced Image mare, but a lot of them look like that and I think that helps him. His dad was more refined and he is somewhere in the middle.
“Even training him down, I can only ever remember him jumping, making a break or anything like that one or two times,” he continued. “He’s also very good-mannered, with a nice, soft mouth, which also helps him.”
After managing the foot problem that now seems to be behind the colt, Hochstetler has simply been experimenting with Big Chocolate to find the perfect balance and decided to alter his equipment for his last pari-mutuel mile.
“I’ve been kind of tinkering with him and that was his first start (the International Stallion Stakes) in an open bridle,” he said. “When I was training him I thought maybe this could really work, not that he had raced badly before, but he was just more focused when he could see everything. I’m still not convinced, but I’ll keep it on him until he shows me he doesn’t like it.”
Already proven over four different racing surfaces, Hochstetler hopes Big Chocolate acquits himself well over Woodbine Racetrack’s oval.
“He’s pretty handy and went very good at Vernon, which is a seven-eighths-mile track,” he said. “I thought he trotted very good there and handled the turns fine, so I’m hoping for similar up here (Toronto).
“This (the Breeders Crown) will probably be it (for him this year),” Hochstetler continued. “After this he will probably get turned out at Dunroven Farm and have a few months off. That’s my plan.”
Below are the fields for the two Breeders Crown eliminations for freshman colt and gelding trotters.
1 — Trot, purse $25,000
BREEDERS CROWN – ELIMINATION – 2 YEAR OLD COLTS & GELDINGS
Post time: 07:30 P.M.
1. Quit Smoking Now-D. Miller-C. Coleman-8-1
2. Little Brown Fox-J. Morrill, Jr.-J. Takter-5-1
3. Classic Conway-S. Bouchard-C. Connor-15-1
4. Possess The Will-T. Tetrick- J. Campbell-9-2
5. Power Play-J. Jamieson-S. Elliott-5-1
6. Magic Tonight-R. Pierce-N. Daley-7-2
7. From Above-B. Sears-G. Peck-5-2
8. Prestidigitator-S. Filion-R. Jones-6-1
2 — Trot, purse $25,000
BREEDERS CROWN – ELIMINATION – 2 YEAR OLD COLTS & GELDINGS
Post time: 07:50 P.M.
1. Archangel-J. Morrill, Jr.-P. Arrigenna-7-1
2. American Gangster-B. Sears-C. Oakes-2-1
3. Uncle Peter-J. Takter-J. Takter-7-2
4. Big Chocolate-D. Miller-H. Hochstetler-9-2
5. Royal Shyster-D. Daley-D. Daley-5-1
6. Norway Hanover-J. Jamieson-B. Burgess-15-1
7. Appomattox-T. Tetrick-F. Antonacci-20-1
8. Delano-R. Schnittker-R. Schnittker-8-1
9. Tymal Oh So Nice-A. Macdonald-C. Jamieson-30-1
- San Pail prepares for first Breeders Crown test (Tuesday, October 18, 2011)
San Pail, without question North America’s top older trotter, will once again be center stage as he contests his first Breeders Crown.
- Breeders Crown draws 162 in Woodbine championships (Tuesday, October 18, 2011)
Entries for the $6 million Breeders Crown finals Tuesday morning (Oct. 18) revealed the expected — San Pail, Big Bad John, We Will See — and the unexpected in sophomore filly pacer See You At Peelers and 15 sophomore colt trotting entries, including supplements Daylon Magician and Dejarmbro.
- Buck I St Pat denied Crown entry (Tuesday, October 18, 2011)
With 11 entered for this year’s Breeders Crown Mare Trot, the connections of Buck I St Pat have launched an appeal as the bay mare was declared ineligible for this year’s $250,000 event.
- Breeders Crown eliminations drawn (Wednesday, October 19, 2011)
Breeders Crown eliminations are set for this Friday (Oct. 21) and Saturday (Oct. 22) at Woodbine Racetrack.
- Daley seeks Breeders Crown redemption with Royal Shyster (Wednesday, October 19, 2011)
After finishing fifth in the 2005 Breeders Crown with RC Royalty, Dan Daley will seek redemption at Woodbine Racetrack with the best colt in RC Royalty’s 17-foal first crop, Royal Shyster.
- Katz has experience buying and breeding the best (Wednesday, October 19, 2011)
Marvin Katz and his business partner Al Libfeld have been collecting high quality trotting broodmares for years. Their exquisite taste in bloodlines often had them bidding on six-figure yearlings. About six years ago the pair decided to change the way they do business.
- Holloway sends trio to Breeders Crown (Wednesday, October 19, 2011)
Trainer Joe Holloway is sending three horses to the Breeders Crown and already knows he will have at least one horse in next weekend’s finals.
- Czernyson hopes for big night at Breeders Crown (Wednesday, October 19, 2011)
Trainer Jonas Czernyson sends five horses to the Breeders Crown, with three of them, all older horses, advancing to their respective finals on Oct. 29, as no eliminations were needed.
- Minor is ‘under the radar’ heading to 2011 Breeders Crown (Wednesday, October 19, 2011)
Last October, Dewayne Minor headed to the Breeders Crown for 3-year-old male trotters with stakes-winner Wishing Stone and nearly came away with the trophy as his colt finished second from post nine to Break The Bank K in a world-record mile at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. This year, Minor goes to the Breeders Crown without much fanfare, but he hopes to make noise again.
- Plenty of title shots in wide-open soph colt Breeders Crown pace (Thursday, October 20, 2011)
Each year the battle for the Breeders Crown is waged with divisional honors hanging in the balance. Rarely, if ever, has there been a field assembled with as many as five different horses who could catapult to the top of the division with a Crown triumph. Such is the case this year as legitimate contenders and major race winners in the signature 3-year-old sophomore pacing colt division vie for the Dan Patch title.
- Royal Shyster: A smooth operator (Thursday, October 20, 2011)
Dan Daley has been here before. The trainer-owner-driver who bases his operation at Vernon Downs has made a solid living developing young trotters for action on the lucrative New York Sire Stakes circuit. Year-in-year-out he cultivates good-gaited colts and fillies that appear as effective on the half-mile ovals as they do on larger tracks.
- Buck I St Pat appeal denied (Thursday, October 20, 2011)
On Tuesday, the connections of Buck I St Pat launched an appeal regarding the rejection of their entry for this year’s Breeders Crown for older trotting mares. The appeal was denied this morning at the Toronto office of the Ontario Racing Commission.