by Anna Svensson, Harness Racing Communications

Freehold NJ — Bernie Noren, 33, is the trainer of 3-year-old pacing colt Vertical Horizon, who made it to Saturday’s $230,000 Berry’s Creek final by finishing fifth in his elimination race. The same colt got Noren — a Skara, Sweden native who previously worked for Jimmy Takter — his first career victory, also at the Meadowlands, on April 22.

“Vertical Horizon came to me in mid-November last year when I had just opened up my own racing stable at White Birch Farm. He had been turned out in Kentucky for a couple of months,” Noren said.

USTA/Anna Svensson photo

Trainer Bernie Noren is hoping for good luck with his pacer Vertical Horizion in Saturday’s Berry’s Creek final.

Noren knew nothing about the colt’s past, but started him on a typical training program with plenty of jogging and training sessions on the round track. As he got closer to the racing season, he started training intervals on a half-mile straight track.

“I normally go six intervals, each in about 1:15 (2:30 mile speed),” Noren said. “I like the straight track. It has nice and soft footing, which is gentle on the horse’s legs and feet.”

Even though Noren thought the colt had charisma and a smooth flowing pace, Vertical Horizon (Western Ideal-Summer Mystery) did not really impress him during the training miles.

“He wasn’t lazy or anything, but he just didn’t show much go until I took him to the Meadowlands to qualify,” Noren said. “He’s a totally different horse on the racetrack. There he’s all business.”

Having a horse in the Berry’s Creek final is a big thrill for Noren, but the draw didn’t turn out as well as he had hoped.

“We got the 10-hole, which is the worst possible, but I hope that the race will go really fast and that he’ll catch them at the end,” Noren said. “He can come home really fast; that’s his strength.”

After the Berry’s Creek, plans are to keep Vertical Horizon, named for a U.S. rock band, racing at the Meadowlands in the New Jersey Sire Stakes and New Jersey Classic.

At this time, Noren has more pacers than trotters in training. Interestingly, though, Vertical Horizon has trotting blood on his mother’s side. His fourth dam, La Pomme Souffle, was by 1968 Hambletonian winner Nevele Pride and out of trotting mare Pompanette. La Pomme Souffle was the only pacer to result from the union and her full sister, La Soubrette, was the mother of 1983 Hambletonian champion Duenna.

“I consider the trotters more of my specialty, but I don’t mind the pacers at all,” Noren said. “I’ve always dreamed of running my own racing stable and it’s so great that owners are giving me a chance to do what I love.

“I don’t mind spending long hours at the barn every day. I know it takes a lot of hard work to get anywhere and I want to do the best I can. If anybody is curious about what I’m doing, they should come and see me. I welcome people to come visit my barn.”

The Berry’s Creek will feature a field including eight Meadowlands Pace eligible horses. Leading the way is Hypnotic Blue Chip, who won his Berry’s Creek elimination race by a neck over Arctic Warrior in 1:51.2 on May 2. River Shark won the other Berry’s Creek elim by 1-3/4 lengths over Western Posse in 1:51.3.

Hypnotic Blue Chip has won five of eight races this year and earned $95,028. He won the Junior Trendsetter at the Meadowlands in February and was third in the Matt’s Scooter Series final in March.

“He’s a very nice horse; he’s very handy and well taught,” driver Tim Tetrick said about Hypnotic Blue Chip. “I think there are nine other ones to beat, too, not just River Shark. It will be an interesting race.”

River Shark, who won the Suslow Series in April at the Meadowlands, and Vertical Horizon are the only Berry’s Creek finalists not eligible to the $1 million Meadowlands Pace.

“I wanted to go easy with him and it worked out,” said Daniel Dube, who drove River Shark. “I just waited until a horse came up next to him and then went with him. He just does everything right.”

Below is the field in post position order, with listed drivers and trainers, for Saturday’s $230,000 Berry’s Creek for 3-year-old pacers. The connections of elimination winners River Shark and Hypnotic Blue Chip selected posts.

Horse-2009 Record-Driver-Trainer
Lisagain–9-2-3-1–$28,420–1:52.1–A. Miller–E. Miller
River Shark–8-4-3-0–$102,600–1:50.4–D. Dube–D. Sabatelli
Hypnotic Blue Chip–8-5-2-1–$95,028–1:50.2–T. Tetrick–M. Harder
Western Posse–3-1-1-0–$13,750–1:53.3–B. Sears–N. Daley
Annieswesterncard–1-0-0-0–$2,000–Q1:53.3–R. Pierce–J. Seekman
Arctic Warrior–2-0-1-0–$6,250–Q1:59.3f–D. Miller–S. Beegle
Drop Red–2-1-0-1–$10,500–1:51.1–G. Brennan–R. Horowitz
Vertigo Hanover–2-1-0-1–$10,500–1:52.3–J. Campbell–D. Marfisi
Pair A Dice–3-1-0-0–$8,450–1:54.1–J. Campbell–S. Elliott
Vertical Horizon–3-1-0-0–$6,750–1:52.3–Y. Gingras–B. Noren