by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Hypnotic Blue Chip is wide awake this winter at the Meadowlands.

The 3-year-old pacer won the $82,500 Junior Trendsetter Series final on February 21 and has his sights set on the upcoming Matt’s Scooter Series, which begins Friday, March 6, and concludes March 21, and the $225,000 Berry’s Creek in May.

This season, Hypnotic Blue Chip has won twice and finished second twice in four starts. Lifetime, he has won three of 12 races and earned $98,380 for trainer Mark Harder, who owns the horse with Deena Frost, Marcia Gingold’s and Eugene Kurzrok’s Stable 45, and Robert Murphy.

Hypnotic Blue Chip prepares for a workout this morning at Gaitway Farm.

“He’s coming along. He’s done well,” Harder said. “We were a bit disappointed with what we accomplished last year; we thought he should have done better. I didn’t know if he was going to be the best out there, but I thought he was a top 10 colt and should have made way more than he made. But that’s everybody’s expectations.”

Hypnotic Blue Chip (Art Major-A Traceofmagic) won his first start last year, but became more difficult to handle after a series of poor posts. Hypnotic Blue Chip started no closer to the rail than post five in his first seven races.

“We had some bad draws and ended up leaving with the horse a few times and he got a bit hot,” Harder said. “There was some immaturity and there was a little hiccup in his gait. He had that little tendency to do some silly things a couple of times at 2. It seems he’s grown out of a lot of these things. He’s smarter, he’s quieter, and good gaited.”

Following a sixth-place finish in last year’s Governor’s Cup in late October, a decision was made to shut down and prepare Hypnotic Blue Chip for the winter series schedule at the Meadowlands.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photos

Hypnotic Blue Chip has won three times in 12 career starts, with lifetime earnings of $98,380.

“So far so good,” Harder said. “If everything goes well, maybe we could do some of the big races. We kept him eligible to the Meadowlands Pace. Will he be a bit tired then? Will he be good to go with them then? Who knows? The options are open. By the time you get there, hopefully you’ve got a couple hundred thousand made and it makes it easier to make that decision.”

Hypnotic Blue Chip cast a spell on Harder from the beginning. Now, it seems the horse is living up to Harder’s expectations.

“I loved him right from the start,” Harder said. “He’s an all-around racehorse now. He’s got speed, he’s well built, and he’s sound — knock on wood. There are just a lot of things to like about him.”