En Hanse, like his father, Hansen, seems to like Turfway

Dr. Kendall Hansen unveiled his namesake colt, Hansen, at Turfway Park in 2011. The son of leading sire Tapit won his first two starts, including the Kentucky Cup Juvenile, by a combined 15 1/2 lengths before taking the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile over eventual classic winner Union Rags to lock up an Eclipse Award.

Hansen was back at Turfway last Saturday with En Hanse – a member of the lone American crop sired by Hansen, who was subsequently exported to the growing stallion market in Korea. En Hanse lived up to his father’s affinity for the Florence, Ky., track, drawing clear to win the $50,000 WEBN Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths, finishing 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.84, and just missing the track mark of 1:15.35.

The WEBN is the first local prep for the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes on March 25, which essentially awards the winner a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate with 50 qualifying points. The local prep series continues with the John Battaglia Memorial on March 4.

Like Hansen, whom he campaigned in partnership with Skychai Racing, Hansen has a partner in his latest rising star – that being Olympic gold-medal-winning skier Bode Miller, a racehorse owner who recently entered the stallion business.

Hansen, the equine, is the sire of 25 winners from 60 first-crop starters, with En Hanse joining Grade 2-placed stakes winner Han Sense atop that group. Hansen is also the sire of stakes-placed The Walk, Lady Hansen, Two Charley’s, and Grandson Tap.