After celebrating a career year with over $1.1 million in earnings, which included a victory in the Breeders Crown with Monkey On My Wheel, trainer Travis Umphrey is hoping Twin B Wrangler will be his next superstar pacer
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The lightly-raced freshman son of Mach Three--Stryper will headline his $50,000 Autumn Stakes final after an impressive 1:53 lifetime-best score in his elimination, but Umphrey has much bigger praise for his bay gelding.
“I’m hoping he can be (an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold) horse next year,” Umphrey said. “He’s got such a terrific gait and attitude to him. He [wants] to do it and he’s got all the qualities to be a good horse.”
Umphrey privately purchased Twin B Wrangler from breeder Twinbrook Farms in July, but Umphrey had been studying the gelding for quite some time.
“Chad Milner was training the horse for Rob and Tammy McNiven (Twinbrook Farms) and he told me the horse was for sale because they're in the breeding game. We are both stabled at First Line Training Centre, so I always got a good look at him on the track and liked what I saw.”
Twin B Wrangler did not enter public auction as a yearling due to a cut on his leg prior to sale time.
When the two-time winner entered Umphrey’s barn, he faced and immediate problem.
“He got sick then it became worse,” said the resident of Guelph, Ont. “That’s why he didn’t qualify until September, but maybe it was for the best because he’s such a growthy colt. That’s another reason why I’m looking forward to next year with him. Once he fills out, he’s going to have a great shoulder and even better stride.”
Twin B Wrangler will start from Post 4 in his Autumn Stakes tilt on Monday evening, which Umphrey has confirmed it will mark the freshman's final start of the year.
“He’s going to get about four to six weeks off after Monday,” he said. “Then we’ll get him ready for the spring. He came out of his elimination great and is in great shape heading into the final. That mile the other night didn’t bother him at all.”
Twin B Wrangler boasts a record of 2-2-1 from five career starts and $30,410 in the bank for Umphrey, who co-owns with Mac Nichol and Derek Wilson.
(WEG)