V75®: Henriksen's Derby hope hard to stop at Åby
After two impressive victories it's time to try on V75®.
On Saturday Per Henriksen's Norwegian Derby hope can determine the outcome of the V75 Champions at Åby.
"It would take a very good horse to beat him" says the Åby licensed trainer.
Last year Broadway Sun (V75-7) raced in the biggest races for three year olds in Norway and he made it to the final of the Norwegian Kriterium. But he never got to visit the winners' circle and after nine starts he was shipped to Sweden and Per Henriksen last fall.
"Geir Vegard Gundersen sent me the horse and he told me he's a very good horse but he wasn't able to get the best out of him. That's why he wanted me to try to get him going and it seems to be working so far" says Per Henriksen.
It's hard to argue against that Per Henriksen has succeeded so far with this talented four year old. After finishing third in his first start in Sweden he has been in a class of his own winning from the lead in his last two starts.
"He has been surprisingly good. I knew he was good, but I didn't think he was as good as he was at his first win. That made us realize what kind of horse he is and he was good when he won his last start too".
The fact that all of Broadway Sun's starts in Sweden have been over 2,640 meters is no coincidence.
"He is eligible to the Norwegian Derby so I wanted to try him over the long distance".
And he couldn't have gotten a better answer. At his first win he simply bombed around the racetrack in 1:13.6. That's only two tenths of a second over the Norwegian record and he did it on a wintry track.
"That bodes well for this season. We will make this start on Saturday and if he is real good again we will probably let him train for a couple months before we set aim at the bigger four year old stakes".
"Very high potential"
Per Henriksen has trained many good horses during his long and successful career in North America. in 1986 he won the Hambletonian with Nuclear Kosmos and in 1999 he trained the Hambletonian Oaks winner Oolong. So he has something to compare with when we ask him to evaluate Broadway Sun's potential.
"I don't really know because he has never been tired for me and I haven't had him for that long either, but of course he has a very high potential. We will see when he comes back out this summer how he stands up to the best four year olds in Scandinavia, but he is both strong and fast and he has already shown a lot of ability".
Per thinks he wins
Jorma Kontio has driven the horse to victory both times and on Saturday the horse can help him to take home the prestigious V75 Champions, where the most winning drivers on V75 last year battle it out. Besides distributing the V75 millions, V75-7 is also the sixth and final leg of V75 Champions. The fact that the distance is 2,140 meters this time is no disadvantage according to the optimistic Per Henriksen.
"It's rather an advantage. He leaves so quickly and it would take a very good horse to beat him".
You leave him singled in the V75 Expert Picks?
"I don't think they will beat him. If nothing happens I think he should win".