Tom Fanning was pleased with the efforts of several of his stable’s two-year-olds at Monday’s (June 20) Gaitway Farm qualifiers, with male pacer Southwind Sambucca and female pacer Uncontrolled picking up victories in their second trips around the training center’s one-mile oval.
Fanning was among three trainers to notch multiple victories with two-year-olds. Trainer Ron Burke had five two-year-old winners on the day — filly trotter In Italian, male trotters Celebrity Bambino and Point Of Perfect, and male pacers Loubet and Ervin Hanover — and Joe Holloway sent out two in female pacer Summer Dreams and female trotter Trick Play.
Jennifer Bongiorno won the remaining of the 10 qualifiers for the two-year-olds with female pacer Beach Cowgirl.
For Fanning, Southwind Sambucca (American Ideal-Sisters Delight) won in 1:55.2 with Tyler Miller in the sulky. It was Southwind Sambucca’s second time out after finishing fifth in 1:59.2 last week. He is owned by David Van Wart and Fanning Racing and was bred by Southwind Farms. He was purchased for $72,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale. The family includes Fast N First, who won a 2019 Little Brown Jug elimination and finished second to Southwind Ozzi in the final.
“He qualified last week and I was a little bit disappointed in him,” said Fanning. “I don’t expect much out of their first qualifiers, but I thought he would be better than what he showed. We made some changes this week, let him see a little more, and it really made a difference. He was really good. He was loaded with pace and interested the whole way. It was a big step forward.”
Southwind Sambucca will go to the New York Sire Stakes.
Uncontrolled (Control The Moment-Scarlett O Terror) won in 1:58.1 for driver Tim Tetrick. She was third in her debut last week in 1:58.1. The homebred filly is owned by Howard Taylor and Fanning. Her family includes multiple Indiana Sire Stakes winner Brookview Bullet.
“She will be going up to Ontario soon to race up there in their Sire Stakes,” said Fanning. “She’s good. She qualified good. She was handy; Tetrick said she did nothing wrong. She was pretty comfortable winning. We were happy with her. She’s a racehorse.”
Also qualifying for Fanning was two-year-old female trotter Mississippi Gale (Cantab Hall-Mississippi Beauty), who finished third in her debut in 2:03. She is owned by Joe Smith and is a full sister to Smith’s Mississippi Storm, a Grand Circuit winner.
“We qualified her very carefully, but she was very solid, pretty professional,” said Fanning. “We were happy with that. She trained down very well. She can trot.”
The lone disappointment was male pacer Fendi Hanover, who went off stride for the second week in a row. Fendi Hanover (Stay Hungry-Fashion Katie) is owned by Taylor and Falcon Racing and is a three-quarter brother to last year’s Governor’s Cup winner Early Action.
“Of all my babies, I thought he was by far the best,” said Fanning. “Last week, he got run into in the first turn. This week, he was uncooperative; wouldn’t go on the gate, was trying to kick. I talked to the owner and we’re going to geld him.”
Early Action also is a gelding.
“I was really excited about him,” Fanning continued about Fendi Hanover. “He just needs to get refocused a little bit. He’s going to miss a little bit of time now, but he’ll still have plenty of races and he’s staked up good.”
Yannick Gingras drove all five of Burke’s winners. In Italian, the full sister to multiple Dan Patch Award winner and two-time Armbro Flight Stakes champion Atlanta, won her debut qualifier in 1:59 on June 6 and made it two-for-two with a 1:59.3 win Monday. In Italian (Chapter Seven-Hemi Blue Chip) was the sales topper at last fall’s Standardbred Horse Sale, going for $750,000. She is owned by Brad Grant and Howard Taylor. She was bred by Order By Stable.
Also winning for the second time were Loubet, Ervin Hanover and Celebrity Bambino.
Loubet (Sweet Lou-Atsallrite Hanover) won for the second time in three tries, stopping the clock in 1:53, which was Monday’s fastest mile. He won his debut in 1:57.2 on June 6 despite making an early misstep, then went off stride in a second-place finish in 1:58.2 last week. He is owned by breeders Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Michelle Yanek and Phil Collura. He is a full brother to Grand Circuit winner Shes Allright and 2022 Pennsylvania Stallion Stakes winner Code Cracker.
Ervin Hanover (Captaintreacherous-Eloquent Grace) made it two-for-two with a 1:56 win, with his back half in :54.4. He won in 1:54.1 in his first try June 6. He is owned by Burke Racing Stable, J&T Silva Stables, James Simpson and Weaver Bruscemi. He was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms and purchased for $115,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale. His family includes millionaires Ginger And Fred and Fred And Ginger.
Celebrity Bambino (Muscle Hill-Celebrity Ruth) won in 1:57.3 with a back half of :55.1 after capturing his opening qualifier on June 6 in 1:59. He is owned by Burke Racing Stable, J&T Silva Stables, Knox Services and Phil Collura. He was bred by White Birch Farm and purchased for $120,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale. His family includes Dan Patch Award winners Housethatruthbuilt and Master Lavec.
Point Of Perfect (Walner-Southwind Fiat) won in 1:58.4 after finishing second in 1:59.4 on June 6. He is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, J&T Silva Stables and Knox Services. He was bred by Black Creek Farm, Northern Lane Farm, Four Corner Stables and Hickory Hollow Stables. He sold for $205,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale. His dam is a full sister to Dan Patch Award winner Southwind Frank and Grand Circuit winner Sans Defaut.
Summer Dreams (Always B Miki-Arrivista Hanover) won in 1:55.4 for driver David Miller and Holloway in her second qualifying appearance. She was fifth on June 6 in 1:58.4. Summer Dreams is owned by Val D’Or Farms and Ted Gewertz. She was bred by Frederick Hertrich III and sold under the name Without Exception for $65,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale. She is a half-sister to multiple Buckeye Stallion Series winner Self Made and her family also includes millionaire Aracache Hanover and Grand Circuit winner Lyons Snyder.
Trick Play (Trixton-Perfect Delight) made a break on June 6 but came back Monday to win in 2:00.3, again with Miller driving for Holloway. She is owned by Val D’Or Farms and Ted Gewertz. She was bred by Jim Avritt Sr. and sold for $55,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale.
Beach Cowgirl (Captaintreacherous-Stonebridge Sundae) won in 1:55.2 for trainer Bongiorno and driver Joe Bongiorno. She finished second last week, timed in 1:56.1. Beach Cowgirl is owned by Joseph DiScala Jr., Zippett Racing Stable, Scarlett Stables and JAF Racing. She was bred by Crawford Farms and sold for $60,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale. She is a three-quarter sister to Bounty Hunter, a recent winner on the New York Sire Stakes circuit and two-time runner-up on the Grand Circuit last season.
For complete charts for Gaitway’s qualifiers, click here.
The First Mile, presented by onGait and produced by 412 Communications, provided coverage of the qualifiers live from Gaitway Farm with harness racing media veteran and series producer James Witherite serving as lead commentator. Replays are available below.
(USTA)