Hansen to sport a blue tail in the West Virginia Derby at the Mountaineer Racecourse
The Mike Maker trained, Hansen, is gaining a significant amount of attention in the market ahead of the Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby, which will be hosted at the Mountaineer Racecourse on 4th August, 2012.
The 3-year-old will break from post 9 over 1 1/8 miles. The colt has a lot to prove and will be expected to live up to the hype since he is racing as a favourite with rider Mike Smith.
His usual rider, Ramon Dominguez, will not be aboard, so the colt will have to adjust to this jockey.
Foaled by Sir Cat mare Stormy Sunday, there has been a certain amount of speculation regarding his form after he finished 9th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at 1 ¼ miles.
However bounced back to ace the 1/16 mile-Grade 3 Iowa Derby in June, 2012, where he romped to a 10-length victory over the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby long shot hero, Hero of Order, and completed the race in 1 minute and 42.01 seconds.
The Kentucky bred seems to be on top of his game. Over at 1 1/8 miles, Hansen ran in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, where he finished second to Dullahan.
The colt is in impeccable form, which handler Mike Maker confirmed when he said:
“He’s already fit, and we know he’s fast,” Maker stated. “It was just a little maintenance breeze, as they say.”
Hansen excelled in his work-out when he completed half-mile in 52.20 seconds.
Owner Kendall Hansen is trying to make the race more exciting for the fans and, the gray/roan colt will be running with his tail painted blue.
The owner attempted to do this in New York and Kentucky but was denied. The West Virginia officials have allowed it and the colt will stand out even more on the track.
The son of Tapit is also preparing for the bigger event, the Travers Stakes at Saratoga, which covers a distance of 1 ¼ miles.
The owner commented that one of the purposes of running Hansen in this race was to prepare him for the bigger event and this is “another building race for Hansen.”
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