Venerate’s Road to the Hambletonian starts Saturday at Meadowlands

Gordon Waterstone

Lexington, KY — Buoyed by his victory in last September’s inaugural Mohawk Million Trot, Venerate easily earned Dan Patch Award honors as the 2020 2-year-old Colt Trotter of the Year. As a result, Venerate has returned in 2021 as the top-ranked horse in The Meadowlands’ announcer Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Hambletonian, and that actual road begins on Saturday night (June 26) at The Meadowlands when he lines up in post six in a $15,000 overnight that is scheduled as race 11.

With a pair of impressive qualifying victories under his belt this year, Venerate was all dressed up but with nowhere to go as the 3-year-old open trot was unable to fill at The Big M. Instead, trainer Julie Miller entered the sophomore son of Love You in Saturday’s overnight where his nine rivals will include eight older horses. Also in the race is fellow 3-year-old Dancinginthedark M, who already has two overnight victories on his 2021 slate against older horses at The Meadowlands.

Venerate won last September’s inaugural Mohawk Million Trot. New Image Media photo.

Venerate’s five wins last year also included the $250,000 Kentucky Sires Stakes final at The Red Mile. After capturing his Breeders Crown elimination in late October at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Venerate was a late-closing third in the final. Overall, Venerate amassed earnings of $772,914 last year for owners Pinske Stables and Andy Miller Stable.

Venerate is driven by Andy Miller, who was impressed by Venerate’s pair of open-length victories in the qualifiers. Venerate won by three lengths in 1:54.1 on May 29, and then posted a four-length score in 1:52.3 on June 12, closing out that mile with a last quarter of :26.3.

“He qualified very good and we’re super happy with him right now. He had nice trips in both qualifiers and finished up strong,” said Andy Miller. “He’s come back bigger and stronger and it seems like all systems are go.”

Miller said Venerate’s future schedule will keep him at The Meadowlands, with a trio of stakes that includes the Reynolds on July 10, the Stanley Dancer Memorial on July 17, and the Tompkins-Geers on July 24. Those events lead up to the Hambletonian eliminations on July 31 and then the final on Aug. 7.

“The schedule is working out OK as he didn’t have to be ready too early,” said Miller. “His first stakes race is July 10 but we’re just trying to find a race for him. We found one, although it’s obviously not ideal racing against older horses. But I think he’s in an OK spot.”

Miller pointed to a similar situation with the 2020 2-year-old Colt Pacer of the Year Perfect Sting, who finished second in his first start this year in a Pennsylvania Sires Stakes against division rivals, but then had to face older horses last Saturday night when the 3-year-old open pace didn’t fill at The Meadowlands. Perfect Sting proved up to the task, which included fighting off a determined stretch challenge by Shake That House to win by a head in 1:48.1.

Perfect Sting was up to the challenge and raced huge against older horses,” noted Miller. “It’s never ideal racing older horses but sometimes you have to compromise a little.”

Being raced across the Hudson River on the half-mile track at Yonkers Raceway this weekend on Friday night (June 25) are the eliminations for the Yonkers Trot, and while Venerate was not eligible as Team Miller plans on keeping the trotter on bigger ovals, the barn will be represented by Steel. Miller will drive Steel from post five in the second of two $40,000 eliminations, with the top-four finishers in each returning for the $500,000 final on July 2.

Steel won just once in six starts last year but it was a big payday for owners Pinske Stables and Crawford Farms Racing as it came in the $225,000 New York Sires Stakes final on Sept. 12 at Yonkers. Splitting horses down the stretch, Steel scored by a head in 1:59, lighting up the toteboard at odds of 19-1.

“Steel needs to get a little lucky but he earned the right because he won the Sires Stakes final last fall at Yonkers,” said Miller. “If things shake out a little bit for him, he’s a nice horse.”

A gelded son of Chapter Seven, Steel won his sophomore debut in an overnight on May 20 at Harrah’s Philadelphia in 1:56.3. He comes into Friday’s race off a second-place finish in a similar event on June 18. Sandwiched between those starts is a fifth-place effort in a New York Sires Stakes split at Vernon Downs.

“He likes the small tracks and I think he will excel more on those small tracks,” said Miller. “He raced good at (Harrah’s Philadelphia) his last start. We’re trying to map out a good schedule for him but he’s pointed for the Sires Stakes.”

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