He captured his first Breeders Crown trophy in 1994, and since that first win owner John Fielding has been on a nearly unstoppable roll in harness racing's championship series
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"They've all been great because I've always had a couple partners and it's fun to share the joy with those partners," noted Fielding to Trot Radio's Norm Borg. "My very first one in 1994 was a special one, that was with Eager Seelster and Ted Jacobs trained and drove."
On today's episode of Trot Radio, Norm Borg talks to Fielding, who sits second all-time in Breeders Crown wins and money among owners after posting memorable wins with horses such as Ken Warkentin, Allamerican Nadia and All Speed Hanover - all horses that won for Fielding on Canadian soil. Fielding has a piece of five horses in Saturday night's lucrative finals plus one horse he owns outright - world record holding sophomore pacer Alsace Hanover.
"He's a very, very, very fast colt and the only reason he hasn't tussled with these guys more is that I didn't pay him into the North America Cup or the Meadowlands Pace - quite honestly because I didn't think he was that good. He's been a real nice surprise. He won the Adios, just got beat a nose in the Battle of Brandywine. I think he's the now horse....he drew a good post and I think he'll be very tough."
Fielding noted that transferring Alsace Hanover to the barn of Tony O'Sullivan from two to three was more a matter of geography than preference.
"Nifty Norman had him before and Nifty does a fantastic job. He had him on those tight tracks, those smaller tracks and he's not as fluid-gaited as you'd like him to be. He touches his knee a bit, actually more than touches it so really the move wasn't to try to take him from Nifty it was more trying to get him to a big track at Mohawk and get him re-gaited, if you will."
While Alsace Hanover is eligible to the Progress and the Matron, Fielding wouldn't say for sure if the colt would race in those stakes. One thing he is sure of, Alsace Hanover will come back and race at 4.
Fielding also heads into the three-year-old trotting filly division with the favourite, track and Canadian record holder Cedar Dove.
"I've said all along, she hasn't lived up to her potential. Noel Daley thought she was a top, top filly from the day he broke her. She's been around the fringes and hasn't really put it all together but she certainly put it together in Lexington for the Kentucky Filly Futurity and she did last week as all so, again, if she behaves herself and does everything she's supposed to she's a force to be reckoned with on Saturday."
To hear Fielding's thoughts on his two-year-old colt pace contender Hillbilly Hanover and his trio of colts in the freshman trot final, click the play button below.
Episode 234 – Owner John Fielding
Audio Format: MP3 audio
Host: Norm Borg
All 12 of the 2011 Breeders Crown finals will take centre stage this Saturday (October 29) at Woodbine Racetrack in suburban Toronto. The program will feature a special first-race post time of 6:30 p.m. (ET).
With more than $6 million in purses money on the line, the racing program will mark the first time in Canada that all 12 of the Breeders Crown championships will be contested on the same card. The Score will be broadcasting the evening live, coast-to-coast in Canada. The broadcast will begin at 7:30 p.m. and run until 11:15 p.m.
To view the entries for Woodbine's Breeders Crown program, click here. To access a free printable program for Breeders Crown Night courtesy of TrackIT, click here.
Please note that the opinions expressed in the featured interview are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect Rideau Carleton Raceway and/or Standardbred Canada.
(Photo credit: New Image Media)