Through the years, long-time owner and trainer Harry Von Knoblauch has had many Down Under pacing stars and it looks like the 85-year-old has another in Power Of Tara N, the pre-race 3-1 favorite in Saturday night’s Invitational Handicap at Balmoral Park.
It didn’t take long for the 9-year-old New Zealand bred to make his first stop at a winner’s circle in the United States. Mike Oosting guided Power Of Tara to a one length victory in last week’s $17,000 invite in the gelding’s second start for Von Knoblauch.
The 1:54 flat mile earned Power Of Tara a shift from the pole position to the 10-hole in tonight’s ninth race feature which was handicapped by groups. Dabestleaderever (programmed 5-1, Marcus Miller), who came up short after a month off, has the 8-slot.
“I’m not sure how Power Of Tara will do Saturday with the 10-hole,” said Harry “But he is a very nice horse. He’s a great horse to be around. Very friendly. And he had been racing at the top level in both Australia and New Zealand the past several years.
“That’s one of the reasons I was able to get him,” continued Harry. “There aren’t a lot of races for top level horses like Power Of Tara there. They race all over the place and the horse would have to do a lot of traveling to get a start. It’s not like here where you have so many tracks and they’re all racing most of the time.
“The horse was also handicapped over there. He was racing in all kinds of long distances and starting in the second tier, sometimes from a standing start. The horse made almost a half-million dollars and that’s a lot of money Down Under.”
Last week Power Of Tara sprinted away nicely and was in the two-hole before Oosting took him out, gaining command soon after a :28.4 half. The New Zealand bred went unchallenged through a :29.1 second quarter and part of a :28 third quarter before the field bunched up on him. That’s when he picked it up in the lane and drew off.
“He was probably falling asleep out there with no horses going after him,” continued the native of Kentucky who resides in Monee, Illinois. “When Power Of Tara was challenged he stepped it up and put those other horses away.
“They race long distances in New Zealand and a lot are 1 mile and 5/8’s. Some even 2 miles. You can’t ask a horse to go 100 miles an hour those entire long distances so they usually sprint out, and then spend the middle of part racing very relaxed. Then they come on strong for the finish.
“I think that’s what Power Of Tara did last week. He was relaxing in the middle of his race and then turned it on when they came at him.”
The first 8 slots in Saturday’s feature belong to Best Man Hanover (4-1), Bet On Him (15-1), Special Joe (8-1), Major Monet (12-1), Perrito Caliente (4-1), St. David Hanover (6-1), Star City Hero (8-1) and Dinnerartsplace (6-1).
Best Man Hanover and Perrito Caliente are coupled.
