Johnsen busy caring for Hambletonian favorite

By: Ken Weingartner
   Attention is a two-edged sword. Certainly, it is nice to be recognized and highly regarded. Yet, the weight of expectation can be a heavy burden.
   Chesterfield’s Ann Christin Johnsen understands this duality; she’s been dealing with it for months. Johnsen, better known as A.C., is the caretaker of Donato Hanover, the No. 1-ranked horse in harness racing and the favorite to win trotting’s Holy Grail, the Hambletonian, on Saturday at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
   Donato Hanover, the 2-year-old male trotting champion trained by Steve Elliott and driven by Ron Pierce, has won 12 consecutive races since his third-place finish in his debut on June 22, 2006. Only once in his last 10 triumphs has his margin of victory been less than a length, and that was three-quarters of a length. He has won the Peter Haughton Memorial, Breeders Crown and Stanley Dancer Memorial on his way to $957,587 in purses.
   All of which means nothing as he prepares for Saturday’s race. The road to the Hambletonian winner’s circle has been hijacked in recent years by party crashers: Glidemaster, Vivid Photo, Windsong’s Legacy, Amigo Hall, Chip Chip Hooray – none was the favorite.
   "You set yourself up for disappointment if you get too caught up in it," Johnsen said. "Really, they’re horses; they’re not machines. It’s hard because you see them every day and you know every little thing that can go wrong; just the little things, like getting sick. You don’t want to go into that circus expecting that it’s meant to be."
   Johnsen, a 36-year-old native of Norway, is no stranger to the spotlight of racing’s big stages. She moved to the U.S. in 1990 and took care of 1996 Meadowlands Pace winner Hot Lead for trainer Brian Magie. She’s worked for Elliott for three years and has taken care of Donato Hanover since his arrival at the stable in the winter of 2005.
   Elliott thought highly of Donato Hanover from the beginning, and the exploits of his half-brother, Here Comes Herbie, added to the expectations. Here Comes Herbie was a world record holder at 2 and Hambletonian finalist last year.
   "Steve didn’t talk (Donato Hanover) up, but as soon as he started baby racing, people started calling to buy him," Johnsen said. "Pretty much everyone that sees him talks him up more than Steve. But that’s his boy. He has tremendous respect for the horse. He’s an awesome horse. He loves what he does, that’s the thing."
   Johnsen knew from Donato Hanover’s pedigree, he had potential. As she worked with him, she started to believe he could fulfill it.
   "You can tell with babies if they’re smart, the way they pick up things and if they work with you," Johnsen said. "Usually, the good horses work with you. They might put up a little fight, but just because they have some ‘go’ to them, not because they’re sour.
   "He’s very good. There’s nothing fussy about him. He never did anything wrong; he always did what you asked him. He’s very, very smart and takes care of himself. He’s just good to be around."
   Yet for all Johnsen’s experience and all Donato Hanover’s talent, the days leading up to the Hambletonian eliminations were filled with tension. Johnsen joked that if she thought about the pressure and expectations, she wouldn’t want to get out of bed in the morning.
   "Yeah, I feel the pressure," she said after laughing. "It’s more stress, so you don’t get to enjoy it as much. Afterward, when you’re home and you think about it, you enjoy it more than when it’s happening.
   "But it’s all right; it’s good. If you have the attention at least that means you’re doing something good."
   Donato Hanover, owned by David Scharf, Golden Touch Stable, Steven Arnold, and the Donato Hanover Syndicate, certainly has captured the attention of the harness racing world, particularly the fans that see him regularly at the Meadowlands.
   "People think they haven’t seen the best of him yet," Johnsen said. "The people at the track, they’re calling out when he races, ‘Let him loose tonight, Ronnie, let him loose.’ That’s good. You want to save it. It’s like Steve says, it’s that special day in August, that’s when you can show off a little bit."
   For those involved, that day can’t get here soon enough.