by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Freehold, NJ — When Tim Tetrick first heard Jimmy Takter suggest he would race filly Pampered Princess in the Hambletonian and offered him the drive, he laughed.

“I guess he was serious,” Tetrick said Wednesday, laughing again, one day after Takter entered Pampered Princess in the Hambletonian and named Tetrick to drive.

John Campbell has been the regular driver of Pampered Princess, last season’s 2-year-old filly trotting champion who has won 14 of 17 career starts and almost $1.1 million, but co-owns another Hambletonian starter, Flirtin Man. Campbell has won a record six Hambletonian trophies.

“What are you going to do? John’s got a horse,” said Takter, who won the 1997 Hambletonian with Malabar Man. “But who is hotter than Tim? He’s been very lucky. I hope it stays with him for a while.”

Pampered Princess is attempting to become the first filly to win the Hambletonian since Continentalvictory in 1996. Twenty-one horses entered the race and were split into three elimination divisions, which will be contested Saturday at the Meadowlands.

The top three finishers from each division, plus the fourth-place finisher with the highest lifetime earnings, will advance to the NBC-televised $1.5 million final on August 4. Donato Hanover, the No. 1-ranked horse in harness racing and last season’s 2-year-old male trotting champ, headlines the third elim.

Tetrick already has two million-dollar wins under his belt, the Meadowlands Pace and Art Rooney Pace, both with Southwind Lynx. The 25-year-old is the youngest driver to ever win a million-dollar event and also leads North America in victories (683) and purses ($8.7 million) this season. His win total is a career high, and he’s on pace to break Walter Case, Jr.’s record of 1,077 triumphs in a year, set in 1998.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Tetrick said about driving in the Hambletonian. “She’s a great filly. I’m going to enjoy it and take it all in. Jimmy’s been here before; he knows what it takes to win. He also knows great fillies; he’s had a bunch.”

Takter has won the Hambletonian Oaks, the filly companion race to the Hambletonian, three times — with Gleam in 1994, Southwind Allaire in 2003 and Passionate Glide in 2006. He is confident Tetrick can find an immediate connection with Pampered Princess.

“I’m not really worried about that; she’s nice to drive,” said Takter, who has driven Pampered Princess to three victories in her career. “It’s not like she’s a complicated filly. She’s a sweetheart.”