by Rich Fisher, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — As Semper Fit prepares for Wednesday’s American-National Stakes elimination for 2-year-old male trotters at Balmoral Park, trainer Homer Hochstetler isn’t making any bold predictions one way or the other.

“I haven’t really seen any proof yet,” he said. “The horse is fit and I guess he’s probably got as good a shot as anybody; I don’t know.

“He’s been pretty consistent. I think he’ll go a pretty good race tomorrow night.”

So far this year, Semper Fit has won three of six races and finished second to Powerful Poe in each of his last two starts. Powerful Poe, Super Classic and Show Ticket received byes to the $76,500 American-National final on Sept. 19 at Balmoral. The top seven finishers from Wednesday’s elim will join them.

Timothy M. Jones photo

Semper Fit was a 1:57.4 winner in his Illinois State Fair elimination on August 10 at Springfield.

Semper Fit is a homebred colt by stakes-winner American Native out of the mare Colors Of The Wind. He is a half-brother to millionaire American Lane, who won the 2008 Credit Winner Stakes, and a full-brother to 2008 American-National runner-up Dr McDreamy.

Dr McDreamy also was trained by Hochstetler and bred by his wife, Connie.

“Actually, he resembles Dr McDreamy a lot,” Homer said. “He’s maybe a half a hand shorter, but he’s a little thicker and he looks a lot like him.

“I raced the mother and she’s been good to us. She’s had a lot of good foals. He’s a nicely put together horse. He goes nice and clean, you can race him front, back, whatever you want.”

Semper Fit won his first two starts before going off stride in the Peter Haughton Memorial and failing to advance to the final. He bounced back with a victory in his State Fair elimination at Springfield and finished second to Powerful Poe in the $40,000 final at Balmoral Park.

In his most recent start, on August 26 in the Darn Safe at Du Quoin, he was second again to Powerful Poe.

“He was trotting around (1):57 and (1):58; I think he’s going to be a little better,” Hochstetler said. “I scoped him and he’s had a little trouble with his palate. He’s been working on that. He trained well Saturday so we’ll see what happens.”

Semper Fit will start the American-National elimination from post two. To his inside will be King Mufasa and to his outside Crazed N Lindy, Longwell, Held In Balance, Pacific Wave K, Dreams Of Thunder, Southwind Metallic, The Art Of Lindy, and Odds On Windy City.

While Hochstetler is looking forward to Semper Fit’s race in the American-National elim, he also is getting 3-year-old colt trotter Big Chocolate ready for the Grand Circuit at Lexington’s Red Mile.

Last year, Big Chocolate won a division of the International Stallion Stakes at the Red Mile and was second to Possess The Will in a division of the Bluegrass on his way to $201,560 in earnings. He has struggled with health issues this year, but won in 1:54.3 at Balmoral on Sept. 2 in his first start since the Hambletonian eliminations in July.

Hochstetler hopes to have Big Chocolate, who has won four of eight races and $19,275 this year, ready for the Kentucky Futurity on October 7 at The Red Mile.

“He’s acting like he’s getting his health back,” Hochstetler said. “I’m going to race him this Sunday (at Balmoral) and ship him back to Lexington.”