Oskar
06-11-2012, 10:39 PM
It’s still early, but the four-year-old Panderosa gelding Alsace Hanover has been a big disappointment in his three 2012 starts. Off what he did last year—eight wins in seventeen starts for more than $870,000—he should be getting comfortable with the top tier of aged pacers right now, not getting soundly beaten by the open crowd at Mohawk. Thus far he hasn’t shown any of the grit and speed that allowed him to succeed in 2011.
Alsace didn’t compete in the Meadowlands Pace, North American Cup or SBSW last year; he wasn’t quite ready for that kind of a workload. However, he finished second to Custard in the Hoosier Cup in late June, then took an open at Mohawk in mid-July. That’s when he started tearing up the track. He was first up at the quarter in his Adios elimination and ground the field to dust with a 26.4 third quarter, winning by open lengths in a TR equaling 48.4 for Ron Pierce. That seemed to establish the racing template for Alsace for the rest of the season. He won the Adios final with the same sort of first over forever heroics, taking a tick off his winning time in the elimination and in the process setting a WR for a three-year-old gelding on a 5/8 track.
He was a nose late in catching Roll With Joe in The Battle Of Brandywine. Alsace was flying at the end. The bettors had made him the even money favorite over RWJ off his performance in the Adios. He won a division of theTattersalls, then came from last at the three-quarters to get second in his BC elimination. Once again, he was moving at a furious pace in deep stretch. He finished third in the final.
In the Progress at Dover Pierce had 1-5 favorite Alsace first up at the quarter. He gradually wore down pacesetter Westwardho as well as Rock To Glory, winning in 50.1. Pierce had to take him three deep around dead cover in the final and he just got beat by Westwardho. RWJ was better in a workmanlike way, but Alsace made folks sit up and take notice. When he was good he was really good.
Special T Rocks (G) is the only 4-year-old male pacer to step up to the aged pacing top tier this year. Betterthancheddar has been outstanding against lesser, but Coleman has been sidestepping the better players in that class. The Mohawk Gold Cup Invitational is this week. I assume he’ll be entered in that one. He was toying with the usual suspects at Mohawk.
Up The Credit was a huge disappointment in his one start in a Molson Cup elimination. It appeared that something was wrong with him. He’s been breeding and training. Off what he showed in the Molson, they may just retire him. But with the screws tightening on the Ontario program he may wind up with the same problem as HBC: no mares to breed, so it's race or relocate Down Under.
Let’s hope Alsace doesn’t turn out like One More Laugh, who was expected to walk right into the FFA division last year off a successful three-year-old campaign. He only won twice in 26 starts in 2011 for $225,000. This year he’s one for eleven, having beaten nw13K at Harrahs. OML has earned a paltry $25,000 in 2012.That’s why old-timers like Won The West and Foiled Again stick around.
WWS was a rarity last year. We don’t get many four-year-olds like him.
Alsace didn’t compete in the Meadowlands Pace, North American Cup or SBSW last year; he wasn’t quite ready for that kind of a workload. However, he finished second to Custard in the Hoosier Cup in late June, then took an open at Mohawk in mid-July. That’s when he started tearing up the track. He was first up at the quarter in his Adios elimination and ground the field to dust with a 26.4 third quarter, winning by open lengths in a TR equaling 48.4 for Ron Pierce. That seemed to establish the racing template for Alsace for the rest of the season. He won the Adios final with the same sort of first over forever heroics, taking a tick off his winning time in the elimination and in the process setting a WR for a three-year-old gelding on a 5/8 track.
He was a nose late in catching Roll With Joe in The Battle Of Brandywine. Alsace was flying at the end. The bettors had made him the even money favorite over RWJ off his performance in the Adios. He won a division of theTattersalls, then came from last at the three-quarters to get second in his BC elimination. Once again, he was moving at a furious pace in deep stretch. He finished third in the final.
In the Progress at Dover Pierce had 1-5 favorite Alsace first up at the quarter. He gradually wore down pacesetter Westwardho as well as Rock To Glory, winning in 50.1. Pierce had to take him three deep around dead cover in the final and he just got beat by Westwardho. RWJ was better in a workmanlike way, but Alsace made folks sit up and take notice. When he was good he was really good.
Special T Rocks (G) is the only 4-year-old male pacer to step up to the aged pacing top tier this year. Betterthancheddar has been outstanding against lesser, but Coleman has been sidestepping the better players in that class. The Mohawk Gold Cup Invitational is this week. I assume he’ll be entered in that one. He was toying with the usual suspects at Mohawk.
Up The Credit was a huge disappointment in his one start in a Molson Cup elimination. It appeared that something was wrong with him. He’s been breeding and training. Off what he showed in the Molson, they may just retire him. But with the screws tightening on the Ontario program he may wind up with the same problem as HBC: no mares to breed, so it's race or relocate Down Under.
Let’s hope Alsace doesn’t turn out like One More Laugh, who was expected to walk right into the FFA division last year off a successful three-year-old campaign. He only won twice in 26 starts in 2011 for $225,000. This year he’s one for eleven, having beaten nw13K at Harrahs. OML has earned a paltry $25,000 in 2012.That’s why old-timers like Won The West and Foiled Again stick around.
WWS was a rarity last year. We don’t get many four-year-olds like him.