Reg Petitpas, a co-owner of the great Somebeachsomewhere, has a promising son of his former champion, the two-year-old Varadero Hanover, poised to provide him more winner's circle moments.
Varadero Hanover (New Image Media)
With a pair of starts under his belt, Varadero Hanover has already tasted victory, in his pari-mutuel debut, followed up with a second-place performance, both at Mohawk.
When Monday’s first round of the Dream Maker Series gets underway at the Campbellville oval, Petitpas expects his pupil to be up to the task.
“He’s been a nice horse all winter,” Petitpas said. “He’s had a good start to his career so far and that should continue on Monday. He’s a very mature horse with a lot of class and loves his job.”
A $17,000 yearling purchase at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, Petitpas watched Varadero Hanover go through the sales ring, but failed to raise his hand.
“I got sidetracked because I was selling a few of my own that day and I sold one just before Varadero,” he said. “Afterwards, I found out that Blake MacIntosh bought the colt, so I went and offered him a profit of $3,000 and he took it. The rest is history.”
The colt is the second foal of the Western Hanover mare Vaudeville Margie and the second dam is the $916,000 winner Incredible Tillie.
It was love at first sight for Petitpas, who had been eyeing Varadero Hanover for quite some time.
“Because of my relationship with Beach and with him standing stud at Hanover Shoe Farms, I looked at every Beach they were selling that year and this horse stood out to me,” he said.
Following the sale, Petitpas elected to give the horse to Steve Mahar to train before selling a piece of the horse to Geoffrey Lauzon and Dr. Ruth Irving.
“That was an easy decision,” Petitpas said, in offering the horse to Mahar to condition. “Steve is a very capable trainer and I’ve known him a long time.
"He trains at Pinehurst Training Center in North Carolina in the winter time and I have a place in Florida in the winter, as well, so it wasn’t too far for me to come see the horse train.”
Petitpas sees a lot of Somebeachsomewhere in his offspring.
“When I was at Mohawk watching him race, I really noticed that they have the same gait. Also, Beach was a good-sized horse and he’s passed that onto Varadero. He’s no kid's pony; he’s a really big horse.”
Varadero Hanover will begin from post three in the $20,000 Dream Maker Series first leg on Monday evening for driver Sylvain Filion. First race post is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.
(WEG)
