by Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

The program page lists nine challengers Chocolatier must defeat to win Saturday afternoon’s $1.5 million Hambletonian at the Meadowlands Racetrack. They include elimination victors Mr Pine Chip and Here Comes Herbie, both out of the powerful stable of trainer Trond Smedshammer.

Another foe, though, is unlisted. Its name is history.

Since 1979 just two trotting colts named the Dan Patch Award winner as their division’s best two-year-old returned the following season to win the Hambletonian. They were Mack Lobell, who won the Hambletonian in 1987, and Malabar Man, who won the race in 1997. Continentalvictory, who claimed the Dan Patch Award as best two-year-old filly trotter, won the Hambletonian in 1996; but even with her thrown in, it’s still just three winners in 25 years.

In fact, of the two-year-old colt trotters to win the Dan Patch Award since Malabar Man, only Banker Hall returned to win any Triple Crown race – the 2001 Yonkers Trot.

Chocolatier, of course, was the 2005 Dan Patch honoree. Last season, two-year-old champion Ken Warkentin went off stride in his Hambletonian elimination race and failed to reach the final. Many wondered if Chocolatier would suffer the same fate after the colt went off stride in the Stanley Dancer Memorial on July 15 at the Meadowlands.

He was on his best behavior, however, in last Saturday’s Hambletonian elim. Driver DR Ackerman eased the colt into the mile, racing in sixth place through the opening half, before coming home strong with a 27.1-second final quarter to finish second behind Here Comes Herbie. Chocolatier was beaten by one-and-a-quarter lengths, timed in 1:52.1.

“That was very good,” Ackerman said. “I was happy with second. I would have liked to have won, but I didn’t get up close enough to the pace, and that’s a very good horse that beat me. That’s part of the game.

“I figured I better take the easier approach and make sure I get in. I didn’t catch much cover flow, but I had plenty of time. I just couldn’t quite track [Here Comes Herbie] down. He trotted home very good. He stroked clean all the way to the wire the whole way. He liked passing horses and he kept it up all the way to the wire and trotted all the way through as a matter of fact.”

Chocolatier has won 10 of 16 lifetime starts and earned $572,000 for trainer Doug Ackerman, who owns the colt with his wife, Ada Jean, plus Southwind Farm and Lindy Farms of Connecticut. In four of his losses, Chocolatier has gone off stride. In the other two, he finished in second place, both times to Here Comes Herbie.

“I thought I had a legitimate big shot [in the Dancer] and he made a break there for no reason,” DR Ackerman said. “My confidence was a little down, but I’m ready to go now. I like my chances very good. It’s going to be a great race. There’s five horses that are very good horses. Post position is part of it, but that’s just something you’ve got to overcome.”

Ackerman has driven in three Hambletonian finals with his best finish, fourth, coming with Coventry in 2004. Despite the trouble in the Dancer, he was still confident about Chocolatier reaching the Hambletonian final – if not even willing to joke about it. “I thought I could do really well, but I thought I could do really well the last time, too, and I didn’t do too good,” Ackerman said with a laugh. “That’s part of the game. This is very rewarding. He’s a great horse. Southwind Farm and Lindy Farms have been so gracious. They’re just great people to come on board and be a part of this with us. It’s fun, and I’d really like to do as well as I could for them.”

ON A ROLL: Mr Pine Chip brings a six-race win streak into Saturday’s Hambletonian final. He won his elimination race by three-quarters of a length over Glidemaster in 1:53.4. The colt was bred by co-owner Joe Sbrocco, who was unable to get the mother, Miss Pine Chip, to the races.

“When she was training I thought she was going to be a champion, but she never turned out,” said Sbrocco, who is retired and lives near Cleveland, Ohio. The mare was so smooth every step of the way. She was so super looking. She started hitting her knees and we couldn’t get her out. Instead of having her bang them, I decided to turn her out and breed her instead of waiting for a year and coming back with her. I’ve been in the business a long time and I’ve had my ups and downs, spent a lot of money over the years. This represents a lifelong dream.”

Mr Pine Chip won the Stanley Dancer Memorial Trot on July 15 at the Meadowlands, the final prep for the Hambletonian. He has won 11 of 19 career races and earned $571,905.

CLOSE CALL: Glidemaster, who was second to Mr Pine Chip in his elim, stepped on a nail sometime during the week leading up to the race, which was of great concern to trainer Blair Burgess.

“He didn’t have the kind of week you want to have going into the eliminations for the Hambletonian, but that’s horse racing and things don’t always go 1-2-3-4; but we took it as it came,” Burgess said. “We’re guessing it happened sometime inn the middle of the week. It seemed in the last 24 hours or 36 hours [before the elim] he was going in the right direction. He sounded up and performed well, so I can’t complain.”

Glidemaster was second in the Goodtimes in June at Woodbine Racetrack. He has won five of 11 career races, been second five times, and earned $166,782.

Below is the field in alphabetical order for Saturday’s $1.5 million Hambletonian at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey. Listed drivers and trainers are from most recent races. The press kit will be available Tuesday on the Meadowlands’ Web site at www.thebigm.com Don’t forget: Saturday’s post time is 11:30 a.m.