"It’s been very frustrating. But if he can get a piece of it, I’ll forgive him a few of his past indiscretions. If he gets a good piece of it, we’ll call it square."
For much of his career, trotter Way Outta Here has driven trainer Noel Daley way outta his mind. But a strong performance in the Yonkers Trot could go a long way to smoothing things over.
Way Outta Here competes in the first of two $40,000 Yonkers Trot eliminations Saturday at Yonkers Raceway. He is the 4-1 second choice on the morning line in his division, which features Kentucky Futurity winner and Hambletonian Stakes runner-up Nuncio.
The Ron Burke-trained entry of New York Sire Stakes champion Gural Hanover and Hillustrious is the morning line choice in the second division. The top four finishers from each elimination advance to the $500,000 final Oct. 25.
Since the beginning of August, Way Outta Here has been mostly on his best behaviour, winning four consecutive starts and five of his last six. His only loss came when he went off stride, which probably tips one off to Daley’s frustration. All of Way Outta Here’s defeats in 10 lifetime starts have come when the horse made a break.
In fact, Way Outta Here has spent more time qualifying (11 times) than racing.
Daley bred Way Outta Here, who is a son of stallion Broadway Hall out of the mare Im A Pearl. Daley bought Im A Pearl, who is from the same family as past-Daley star Mr Muscleman, with the intention of breeding her to another of the stable’s former standouts, stallion Explosive Matter.
Explosive Matter’s book was already full the first year Daley owned Im A Pearl, so he bred the mare to Broadway Hall. The following year, he was able to breed Im A Pearl to Explosive Matter, but the mare passed away before giving birth.
Although Daley’s plan failed to produce an offspring of Explosive Matter, he ended up with a talented horse in Way Outta Here. The struggle has been finding a way to get Way Outta Here to focus, an issue that failed to improve even with gelding the horse.
“He’s always had ability, even at 2,” Daley said. “He’s a perfect gaited horse. It’s a concentration thing with him. I had him paid up to a lot of (stakes) but he drove me nuts. He kept disappointing me.”
Daley was ready to throw in the towel when Tom Hampton, a blacksmith who also works for Daley, and caretaker Emma Pettersson asked to have a chance with Way Outta Here. Daley credits the duo for the horse’s improvement.
“Tom and Emma have actually taken over with him,” Daley said. “They do everything with him. Emma has been riding him and that seems to have been the key.”
Way Outta Here, owned by Blair Blanchet-Hampton since the end of June, got his first win in decisive fashion on Aug. 1 in a maiden race at Harrah’s Philadelphia. He won by 15-3/4 lengths in 1:56.1 with driver David Miller.
He made a misstep in his next start, but won his next three races, all in conditioned classes, by a total of 11-1/4 lengths, including a career-best 1:53.3 victory at Philly. He heads to the Yonkers Trot elims off a 2-1/4 length win in a division of the Keystone Classic on Sept. 30 at The Meadows.
“I was a little pie-in-the-sky putting him in (the Yonkers Trot), but that was the last thing we had left,” Daley said. “Dave said he had more in the tank. It was worth a shot.
“If he wants to do it, he’s got enough talent. He’s not going to beat Nuncio, but if he picks up a piece in there we’ll be happy. If we can’t get through (the elimination) then we don’t belong in the final. But he has enough ability to go with everyone other than Nuncio.”
As for Way Outta Here’s future, Daley is optimistic.
“He might just get better, it’s not like he’s been raced a lot,” Daley said. “He’s basically a racehorse now. If he keeps behaving himself, he could whack away a living.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.