Weekly Update
This past week, the stable sent out the following horses:
Yamaka:
Yammy made his second start at Bangor this week from the 4 post, and it was a winning one. He got away nicely in second and patiently waited in the pocket for racing room. A perfect ground-saving trip developed, and once the passing lane opened up late, it was over from there. Yamaka exploded up the inside and paced right by them for a very impressive victory in 1:58.3. He continues to be in great form out in Maine for trainer Chris Dubois.
Phantom Tom:
Tom picked up a 4th-place finish this week from the 7 post. Drawing outside is always tough, but Tom managed to contribute with another check and a decent effort. We can see that trainer Gary Levine is starting to heat up, recently posting a triple-double at Saratoga Harness. We remain confident that Tom will continue to perform as we play the long game with him and trust that he will be a solid trotter for the stable. With the schedule being rearranged for Belmont, we await the entries to see when Tom will be racing next.
Peter Petrify N:
Pete was the star of the stable last week with a very impressive win at Plainridge. He now steps up in class to a $17,000 race and draws the 2 post. He is listed at 9-2 on the morning line, and although the step up in class may be a little salty, we think Pete has a great chance given his recent form at Plainridge and with Mitch Cushing back in the bike.
Wonka Bar:
Wonka Bar put in what may have been the strongest effort of his career this week from the 6 post. He fired off the gate despite the outside draw and got away second. He popped the pocket late, and although he couldn’t quite catch the 1 horse, Wonka was clearly best of the rest, closing strongly for a solid second-place finish and missing by only a small margin. Unfortunately, he did not get in this week and was placed on the AE list, but after two strong second-place finishes, we think it’s only a matter of time before he cracks this NW1 class.
Beat Bobby Bayou:
Bobby was unable to pick up a check this week in just his second start back for the stable. He left from the 7 post and was able to find a seat, but was unable to make up much ground or be a major factor this time out. Trainer Rob Harmon said Bobby is sound and believes he needs more race miles under his belt to get back to his winning ways. We look forward to his next start.
Beef N Cheddar:
Beef showed major improvement in his second start for the stable. Despite drawing the 8 post, he put in a good race and paced a solid 1:55 flat. Although he did not manage to hit the board, he was competitive throughout and right there with the rest of them. Due to the adjusted racing schedule at Saratoga Harness this weekend, he is not in to go yet, but we remain optimistic about his next start and think an inside draw could help lead to an even stronger effort.
Dance Machine:
Similar to Beef, Dance Machine showed significant improvement in his second start for the stable. Despite drawing back-to-back 7 posts and going checkless again, he put in a solid effort and looked good out there. Trainer/driver Booooch was very pleased with his performance and had great things to say about Dance Machine afterward. He moves inside to the 4 post this weekend at Buffalo Raceway, and we are excited to see what he can do from a better post position.
Manhattan Artist:
Manhattan Artist put in a solid first start for the stable. He took advantage of his inside post and got away a nice second. He sat patiently in the pocket and tried to come up the passing lane in the stretch but couldn’t quite get there in time. He finished 4th, but it was an extremely close 4th-place finish, as he did not miss by much at all in a tight photo. With another inside draw from the 3 post, we look forward to his second start for the stable this Monday.
Cruzin America:
Our new horse with trainer Tee Wine made his debut for the stable at Tioga Downs from the 2 post. He got to the lead, and despite eventually being passed by the heavily favored 1 horse, he still fought on gamely for a clear second-place finish in a speedy 1:52 mile. Tee was pleased with the effort and felt there was no shame in losing to that horse. Cruzin America is back in to go at Tioga Downs this Sunday for an $11,500 purse in another 5-horse field and has drawn the rail. We are very excited for his second start with the stable.
We also received a great update on our yearling Besta Blue Chip from trainer Gary Levine. Besta trained well today and is pointing towards his first qualifier in a few weeks. We also got an update from trainer Chris Dubois who noted that Top Notch Treasure is training well and getting ready to compete in the upcoming Main Sire Stakes Series.
As always, we will be back with another update next week.
