Dover: Nijinsky looks to make road trip pay off in Progress Pace

After a bit of a rest, and a bit of travel, Nijinsky is ready to go in Thursday’s $35,000 Progress Pace elimination for 3-year-old male pacers at Bally’s Dover.

Originally not eligible to the Progress, the connections of Nijinsky paid a $25,000 supplement fee to get into the last Grand Circuit event of the season for sophomore male pacers.

For the year, Nijinsky has earned $1.14 million in purses ($1.56 million Canadian) thanks to 11 wins and three seconds in 15 races.

His triumphs for owners West Wins Stable, John Fielding, and Mark Dumain include the North America Cup, Simcoe Stakes, and Ontario Sire Stakes championship. After finishing second in both his Breeders Crown elimination and the final last month at The Meadowlands, the colt rebounded to win the Monument Circle at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Nov. 1 in his most recent performance.

“He’s had a good couple of weeks, a little break for him, since Indiana,” trainer Anthony Beaton said. “It was a lot of travel for him, going from New Jersey to Indiana and then back to Canada and back down here. But he seems like he’s handled everything good. We’re very hopeful for (Thursday).”

Nijinsky made the roughly nine-hour trip from Ontario to New Jersey, where he is based this week, on Tuesday. The horse could have remained in Indiana this month to race at Hoosier Park but his connections decided to pursue the $250,000 prize in the Progress final.

“We were a little more interested in that than staying in Indiana for a month,” Beaton said. “So, we took him home and freshened him up. Everything seems good. I was talking to the owners and said I can’t believe how sound he is right now. It’s amazing. So, that kind of played a factor in our decision making too. He’s sound and seems healthy, so we’re taking our chances. Obviously, we’ll hope for some luck and hope to come back next week.”

The top-eight finishers from Thursday’s elimination will advance to the Progress final on Nov. 27 at Dover. Nijinsky and driver Louis Roy will leave from post two in the field, which also includes Breeders Crown champion Mirage Hanover and recent Matron Stakes winner Captain Albano.

Mirage Hanover, one of three horses starting in the second tier, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite and will have Dexter Dunn driving from post 11 for trainer Jake Leamon. Nijinsky is the 7-2 second choice followed by Captain Albano at 9-2. Captain Albano will leave from post three with Todd McCarthy at the lines for trainer Noel Daley.

“It’s certainly not going to be an easy race,” Beaton said. “It’s almost ridiculous having 11 horses on a five-eighths-mile track, but we’re not the decision makers. We drew well, that’s a bonus, but at the same time it’s going to be a cavalry charge into the first turn. Who knows where you’re going to get away. Hopefully, everyone gets around safe and sound, and we’re in the top eight.”

Beaton said Nijinsky’s future beyond this season remains undecided. The colt could go to the breeding shed, continue racing, or do a combination of both.

“I’m more than happy to race him because it’s hard to fill that stall when you move him out of it,” Beaton said with a laugh. “It’s been a very special year for him.”

Of course, for now, the future can wait. The goal now is to make Nijinsky’s road trip pay off.

“It’s a long hike, but we hope to make it a prosperous hike,” Beaton said.

Racing begins at 4:30 p.m. (EST) at Bally’s Dover.