Giwner: Walner likely to be sold to breeding interests

Ken Jacobs on Wednesday (9/27) confirmed that he is considering multiple offers for his star trotter Walner.

“The offers are just too good,” said Jacobs, who will retain a big interest in the colt if he elects to pull the trigger. "There are several groups interested, including the Europeans. I have to make a decision.”

Walner was the 2-year-old Dan Patch champion in 2016 while winning seven of eight starts and earning $484,037. The Linda Toscano trainee came into this year as the heavy favorite to win the Hambletonian. He was perfect in two starts in July, including a 1:50 2/5 win in the Stanley Dancer at The Meadowlands, but stepped in a hole causing a minor injury leading up to the classic on the first Saturday in August and has never raced again.

While Jacobs feels retirement and a stallion career is the most likely path, trainer Toscano said a racing career is still very much a possibility.

"While Ken is leaning towards selling him as a stallion, his racing career does not need to be over," said Toscano late Thursday night. "He remains in training and I actually trained him yesterday. I might even bring him to The Red Mile to train so people can see him."

Toscano added that fertility testing delayed any chance the son of Chapter Seven had of making it back in time for the Breeders Crown.

"I don't want to put him on the racetrack unless from a conditioning standpoint he is 100 percent. I want him to be on the track as good as he has been in every previous start," said Toscano.

For Jacobs, who only recently dipped his toes in the trotting waters and has never started a horse in the Hambletonian, he now has an itch to scratch when it comes to the trotting classic. In order to quench that desire, the 80-year-old won’t simply stick to New York-bred yearlings as he has in the past when shopping at the upcoming sales.

“I’m going to try to find another Walner. That won’t happen, but I’m going to try,” said Jacobs with a chuckle. “I want to win the Hambo. I won the Breeders Crown several times but I’ve never really gone after trotters until the past year, so this is on my radar and I really do want to win it. I thought I was going to win the Hambo this year but fate said no.”