Gillis Trainees Shine In Baby Races
Two-year-old pacers took to the track for another Saturday full of baby races at Mohawk Racetrack.
A total of 12 qualifiers were carded for the freshmen with a pair of Jeff Gillis trainees turning in the fastest miles of the day for colts and fillies in their second career outings.
Pacing gelding Santanna One cruised wire-to-wire to win by six lengths in 1:56.1 while filly Seaside Rory romped to a three and a quarter length victory in 1:57.3. Jody Jamieson drove both winners for Gillis.
Santanna One is a son of Santanna Blue Chip out of Pro Bowl Best. Gillis bred the half-brother to Higher And Higher ($910,674) and shares ownership with Mac Nichol, Ellen Ott, and 1140545 Ontario Ltd.
Seaside Rory was a $57,000 Forest City Sale yearling purchase for Gillis, Nichol, Ott, and M And L Of Delaware Inc. She is a daughter of Mach Three out of Artistic Melody, who is a half-sister to Mach Dreamer ($696,402).
Also winning her second qualifier was Charisma Hanover, a half-sister to Runover Feeling ($949,249). The Dragon Again-Caught The Bouquet filly rallied home off cover to win in 1:58.4 by three and three-quarter lengths for driver Steve Condren and trainer Clark Beelby. She was purchased for $15,000 at the Harrisburg Sale by 8113564 Canada Ltd.
With trainer Blair Burgess in the bike, Resistance Futile advanced first over to win his qualifying debut in 1:57.4 by four lengths. The Real Desire-Capelo Rose colt is a half-brother to Machapelo ($511,923). He was purchased for $33,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale by Robert Burgess, Karin Olsson Burgess, the Champagne Stable, and James Walker.
Stateside, Meadowlands Racetrack hosted 14 baby races for both pacers and trotters.
Topping the trotters was homebred colt Explosive Action (Conway Hall-Yettas Angel) with a 1:58.3 victory by half a length in his fourth outings for driver Andy Miller and trainer-owner John Grasso.
On the pacing side, trainer Tony Alagna sent out five winners including two of the fastest freshmen. The Yannick Gingras-driven Cyclone (Rocknroll Hanover-Hurrikane Cleo) and Tim Tetrick-reined Captaintreacherous (Somebeachsomewhere-Worldly Treasure) turned in matching 1:55.4 miles for Alagna.
Cyclone was purchased for $70,000 at Harrisburg by Brittany Farms, Little E LLC, Joe Sbrocco, and Mindset Partners. Captaintreacherous was a $250,000 yearling, purchased at the Lexington Selected Sale by Brittany Farms, Joe Sbrocco, and the Captaintreacherous Stable. His dam is a full-sister to Worldly Beauty ($2,146,076).
John Butenschoen trainee Troon (Rocknroll Hanover-Madura), a $13,000 Lexington yearling, also matched that mark in winning his second straight qualifier with Tetrick aboard for owner Vip Internet Stable LLC
To view Saturday's complete qualifying results from Mohawk Racetrack, click on the following link: Saturday Results (Qualifiers) - Mohawk Racetrack.
For qualifying results from the Meadowlands, click on the following link: Saturday Results (Qualifiers) - Meadowlands Racetrack.