by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent
Kimberly French
Louisville, KY — It took this guy some time to come around, but now that he knows he is not the one in charge, 3-year-old trotting colt Denver is showing a world of promise at the right time.
“He’s very easy on himself,” said Anette Lorentzon, his conditioner. “But now he is getting better with every start since Trace (Tetrick) did a very good job of teaching him how to do everything. Before he didn’t really want to do what the driver wanted him to. If he wanted to go you had to let him because otherwise he would just run for you. I figured he wasn’t ready to run on the Grand Circuit, so that’s why we turned him out last year.”
Owned by ACL Stuten AB, Denver is a son of Andover Hall and the Cocktail Jet mare Bahama It. Purchased for $80,000 at the 2011 Lexington Selected Sale as Denver Boko, the colt is a half-brother to Farifant (And Arifant, 1:52.1f, $839,754) and a full brother to Bavarde (3,1:55.2f, $43,873).
Chris Gooden photo
Denver has hit the board in six of his eight lifetime starts.
He commenced his career on July 27, 2012, with an eighth place finish in a $9,000 non-winners race at Harrah’s Philadelphia. His next start was a seventh place finish after breaking at the start in a $20,000 Stallion Series event at The Meadows on August 6. He captured his qualifier on August 14 at Harrah’s Philadelphia and broke his maiden in a $9,500 non-winners contest at Pocono Downs on August 21.
After his first victory, the colt was given quite a long vacation and did not return to action until April 16, 2013, at Hoosier Park with a triumph in a $5,500 non-winners race. He was back in the winner’s circle at Hoosier Park on April 30 in a $7,000 non-winners contest, was second under exactly the same conditions on May 14 and had his picture taken in a $20,000 Stallion Series race on May 22 at The Meadows.
Denver was then third in his $29,400 Goodtimes elimination at Mohawk on June 8 and will leave from post three in the C$225,276 final on Saturday (June 15) as part of the North America Cup card.
His career record is 8-4-1-1 with $26,278 in the bank and a lifetime mark of 1:55.2f.
“I hope we do well in the final,” Lorentzon said. “After that we will go back to the Sire Stakes. To me, he raced okay in the eliminations. He didn’t race for two and a half weeks so he needed one. Hopefully we have a trip from behind which he likes better. The way the race was going last time we had no choice but to go to the front. He raced okay, but I hope he steps up in this next race.”
Although Denver is eligible to the $1.5 million Hambletonian on August 3, the colt’s connections are not exactly certain he’ll be behind the gate that day.
“He’s paid in there but I wouldn’t go just to be in the race,” Lorentzon said. “If we are going out there he has to have a shot at getting some really good money. Otherwise I don’t want to go there. It’s going to be a tough race, especially with the heats, so he will have to show he belongs.”
The main reason Denver has a record of 5-3-1-1 this season is his maturity. The time out in the field helped him grow and discover his purpose.
“So far he’s been really handy in his races,” Lorentzon said. “You can do whatever you want with him now and he really likes to do his job. He just really likes being out there.”
Following is the Goodtimes field in post position order with listed drivers and trainers: 1. Rossini, John Campbell, Jim Raymer; 2. Gotta Secret, Sylvain Filion, Richard Moreau; 3. Denver, Yannick Gingras, Anette Lorentzon; 4. Bwt Taj, Per Henriksen, Henriksen; 5. Toocool Forschool, Mike Saftic, Glenn Lalonde; 6. Brewmaster, Anthony MacDonald, Blair Burgess; 7. Hamdalla, David Miller, Riina Rekila; 8. Rolls Blue Chip, Randy Waples, Tom Durand; 9. Flanagan Memory, Chris Christoforou, Rene Dion; and 10. Caveat Emptor, Ray Schnittker, Schnittker.