Hambletonian: A final look at contender Venerate

Over the past dozen years, one Dan Patch Award-winning 2-year-old male trotter has returned at 3 and won the Hambletonian. That was Pinkman in 2015.

Venerate will attempt to accomplish the feat Saturday at The Meadowlands.

Trained by Julie Miller and driven by Andy Miller, the colt heads to Saturday's $1 million Hambletonian Stakes final with six career wins and a total of 11 top-three finishes in 15 starts. He enters the Hambletonian off a third-place finish in his elimination last week and is 8-1 on the morning line from post eight.

"I couldn't be happier with my horse," Julie Miller said. "He's had a good week. Knock on wood, he's been healthy, feeling good, jogging super. You can't ask for anything more going into a big race than having confidence in your horse and driver."

Horses starting from post eight at The Meadowlands have won at a 9.2 percent rate this year. Posts nine and 10, at 7.7 percent and 7 percent, respectively, are the least favorable posts.

"I'm all about the cup is half full; I didn't get the nine or 10," Miller said about the draw. "I think they're going to push out of there and I hope Andy can be a force and land where he feels it's best for Venerate to be and work out a nice trip for him.

"I'll be biting my nails in anticipation behind the gate to see how it unfolds," she added with a laugh. "Andy has got to make those decisions behind the gate. He knows what's best. He's going to look to his left and decide how he's going to play it."

For this season, Venerate has a win and two thirds in five races. His victory came in a division of the W.N. Reynolds Memorial on July 10. He went off stride in his two off-the-board finishes.

"We have been tinkering; changing shoes, changing the bridle," Miller said. "We've been changing equipment on him to tweak him for this moment.

"The gloves are off Saturday. I'm putting the blinkers back on him, we changed his shoes another time. At this level, you've got to take the risk to get an edge. Andy and I have decided that this is how we're setting him up for the race and we'll let the cards fall where they may."

Venerate, by Love You out of Peaceful Kemp, is owned by Pinske Stables and Andy Miller Stable Inc.

The Hambletonian and $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old female trotters will air live from 5:30-6:30 p.m. (EDT) on CBS Sports Network. First-race post time on Hambletonian Day's stakes-filled card is noon.

-edited release (Ken Weingartner/USTA)