M1 - De Pinto Seeks Vengeance With We Will See

De Pinto Seeks Vengeance With We Will See

Although he wasn’t pleased when We Will See missed out on a 2011 Dan Patch Award, trainer Sam De Pinto is confident his world champion pacer is poised for a peak season in the free for all ranks.

The five-year-old by Western Hanover makes his 2012 debut in Saturday’s $50,000 invitational at the Meadowlands Racetrack.  Hall of Famer Ron Pierce will drive him from post four.

We Will See blossomed as a top flight three-year-old in 2010, then unfurled a $1.2 million campaign in 2011.  He won 11 of 23 starts, including the $500,000 Ben Franklin in 1:48.4, a $174,250 division of the US Pacing Championship in a world record of1:47.2, the $848,640 Canadian Pacing Derby in a Canadian record of 1:47.4, and the $183,000 Allerage Farm in 1:48.4.  He also set a world record of 1:48 on a five-eighths mile track at Pocono Downs.

De Pinto felt his horse made a strong enough case for 2011 Older Pacer of the Year, but We Will See lost to Foiled Again in the balloting. 

“I didn’t want to seem like a cry baby, but I was screaming on this end,” admitted De Pinto, 56, whose stable is based at Showplace Farms in Englishtown, NJ.  “When We Will See won the big ones, he beat the best the ones out there.  Ten of his eleven wins were in 1:49 or better and five of them were in 1:48.  He tied two world records and broke a track record.  What more can he do?

“The race that sticks out in my mind [last year] was the Open at Pocono Downs in 1:48,” recalled De Pinto.  “I was just ecstatic when he won the Canadian Pacing Derby.  I had always wanted to win that one.”

Originally a $30,000 Harrisburg yearling, We Will See is owned by De Pinto of Cream Ridge, NJ; E.J. Smith of Millstone, NJ; and Teresa and Jerry Silva of Long Beach, NY.  He has 19 wins in 49 career starts and $2,115,354 on his card.  De Pinto believes We Will See is on the verge of what could be his peak season. 

“Under the right circumstances I think this horse can go in 1:46 and change,” projected De Pinto.  “I’m hoping he can be a monster.  Ron Pierce was really happy with the way he qualified.  When I train him I see a difference in him from four to five.  He’s bigger and stronger.  I mean, the way he’s come back has been totally different, yet I still treat him the same way.  You might not expect much more than he did last year, but I think he’s going to give me more.

“You’ll see Ronny drive him a little different this year,” he continued.  “After the Breeders Crown, he asked me about coming first over with him, and I told him he loves to chase down horses that way.