Meadowlands: Butenschoen rookies ready to graduate in Kindergarten finals

To some following the Breeders Crown the season is over. To trainer John Butenschoen, who sends out the undefeated Seven Hills in Saturday’s $221,540 Kindergarten Classic final at The Meadowlands, the season has just begun.

“He was a big growth colt and the owners were willing to give me time with him,” said Butenschoen of the Muscle Hill colt that cost $87,000 at last year’s Lexington Selected sale.

Seven Hills is a rarity in the breeding sense in that he’s a son of Muscle Hill from a Valley Victory-sired dam. Southwind Maywood traces far back as the winner of the 2002 Merrie Annabelle over the very same Meadowlands surface, though the finish marker was on the opposite end of the oval.

“We always liked him,’ said Butenschoen. “He had a curb that we had to deal with.”

Obviously setbacks are part of the game for any trainer and fortunately the connections supported Butenschoen’s patience and are now on the precipice of finding out how good Seven Hills can be.

Corey Callahan, who will guide Seven Hills in the third race final on Saturday, drove the colt in his maiden victory at Harrah’s Philadelphia on September 26, a 1:59 effort where he came from well back, effortlessly. Since then he’s gotten better with each start dominating in consecutive Kindergarten preliminaries at The Meadowlands in advance of the final.

“We always thought he had ability and that’s why we staked him,” said Butenschoen. The Kindergarten final will find Seven Hills as the favorite, but he’s not the only horse in the field of 10 with a chance to win. Divine Spirit, a son of Father Patrick, enters the final off consecutive wins for trainer Brett Pelling and driver Andrew McCarthy. He drew post four.

Lucky Weekend, a son of Lucky Chucky, has shown improvement for trainer Chris Lakata and now has five wins in nine starts this season. He drew post eight in the field.

Though winless in 2018, Reign Of Honor has plenty of Grand Circuit stakes experience. He put up a solid fight but couldn’t hold off Thunder in last week’s final preliminary. The effort should have him sharp for the final from post six.

“I don’t usually buy Ontario-breds,” said Butenschoen in regards to No Ordinary Man, his entry in the $173,800 Kindergarten Classic for 2-year-old colts and geldings. “But I had a nice Betterthancheddar last year named Speed To Market that got hurt and I’m bringing him back now.”

No Ordinary Man is a Betterthancheddar-sired gelding with a solid family and Butenschoen says his story is similar to that of Seven Hills. “He was a big horse as well and I needed to take my time with him,” said Butenschoen. “I put aluminum glue-on shoes on him and it has helped.”

Unlike his stablemate, No Ordinary Man enters the Kindergarten final winless in four starts but that hardly diminished the trainers confidence in the horse. “In that first leg of the Kindergarten (October 12) he got locked in for Corey (Callahan) and was raging with pace,” said Butenschoen.

No Ordinary Man drew post five in the final, carded as race nine and his trainer believes he can go as fast as any in the field of 10.

Stella Jane is the lone filly among 10 in the $236,060 Kindergarten Classic final for juvenile trotters that competed last week in the Breeders Crown finale, a race she drew post nine in and never got close to the undefeated Woodside Charm. Still her trainer has been happy with the progress of the daughter of Crazed.

“She’s a beautiful filly,” said Butenschoen. “The owners did a great job of mapping out a game plan and I’m very happy with the way she’s come along and improved.”

Stella Jane drew post eight in a field that includes three from the Linda Toscano stable that all boast stakes victories in 2018. Global Pageant drew post four and likely has the best shot coming off consecutive Kindergarten preliminary victories. Hanna Dreamgirl (post 9) and Sister’s Promise (post 10) have both shown ability in their first year on the track with the former a winner of $112K and the latter a Peaceful Way elimination winner in 1:55 4/5 in early September.

First post for Saturday’s 11-race Meadowlands program is slated for 7:15 p.m.