Maynard Miller planned on giving Indiana-bred female pacer Walkin On Sunshine a chance to compete out east on the Grand Circuit, but first he wanted to provide her the opportunity to mature and ease into the transition from racing against fillies at age three to mares at age four.
After watching Walkin On Sunshine close out her four-year-old campaign in 2024 by winning seven of her last 10 races — including the Indiana Sire Stakes championship for pacing mares — and open this season with a victory in the Fillies & Mares Invitational at MGM Yonkers Raceway, even Hannibal Smith would likely be pleased with the way the plan appears to have come together.
Walkin On Sunshine, who is being pointed toward the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series at Yonkers, returns to the Mares Invitational on Friday at The Hilltop, where she was assigned post seven in a field of seven and is the 7-5 morning-line favourite. Jason Bartlett will handle the driving for trainer Brett Pelling.
“I wanted to give her the four-year-old season, because I know it’s tough, the transition from three to four to go with the big dogs,” said Miller, who owns Walkin On Sunshine with Daniel Lehman and Michael Yoder. “That was kind of the plan, to give her that year to grow up, then send her out east and stake her to some stuff and have her go with some of the big girls. She filled out more and seems a lot stronger.
“Her first going, we’re getting her ready for the Blue Chip Matchmaker [which begins on March 28]. Then there will be a few other stakes, and whether she’s good enough to go or not, she is going to have to tell us that. But I think the half-mile Yonkers track will suit her really good because she’s a little smaller horse and she can scoot around a half pretty good. We’ll see.”
Walkin On Sunshine is a daughter of Always A Virgin-Hatsoff Hanover from the family of U.S. Hall of Fame broodmare Hattie. She was Hatsoff Hanover’s 15th foal and is a three-quarter sister to two-time New York Sire Stakes champ and 2017 Little Brown Jug runner-up Funknwaffles. The family also includes Meadowlands Pace winners Holborn Hanover and Beach Glass.
Miller and his partners acquired Walkin On Sunshine from breeder Victory Hill Farm following the filly’s two-year-old season, during which she won two of eight races, finished third three times and earned $15,450.
Walkin On Sunshine, trained throughout her days in Indiana by Jay Cross, came back at three to hit the board in 14 of 20 starts, winning five and earning $147,650. She finished third in the Indiana Sire Stakes championship.
“I bought her after her two-year-old season, as a racehorse is what I had in mind,” said Miller. “She ended up just being better than that. After her first couple races, I thought she was more than just a regular racehorse. She just continued to get a little bit better, and a little bit better. Ricky Macomber drove her one time [in mid-July] and just kind of went down the pike with her and took a mark of [1]:49.4. That’s when we knew she was a sire stakes filly.
“It’s always special when they exceed what you expected.”
Last year, Walkin On Sunshine again hit the board in 14 of 20 races, this time winning eight and earning $200,856. She got a taste of the Grand Circuit when she competed in the Dayton Distaff Derby, where she finished fourth behind Twin B Joe Fresh, Sylvia Hanover and Always B Naughty. It was one of only two finishes worse than second in her last 10 races of the season.
“I give Jay the credit for getting her to where she’s at,” said Miller. “I think he brought her along just the way you should.
“She was sharp [to end last year]. He had her sharp when we needed her. That’s a credit to him.”
As for Walkin On Sunshine’s best qualities, Miller said, “She’s so versatile and she’s so easy on herself. She will only do what you ask her to do. If you want to leave with her, she’ll leave, and she hasn’t gotten hot. Even in the barn, she’s just a good horse to be around. Normally, you find those good ones are [difficult] to be around. But she’s not.”
Walkin On Sunshine prepped for her 2025 debut with a 1:52.4 win in a qualifier at The Meadowlands on Jan. 18, covering her last quarter-mile in :26. She captured her race at Yonkers by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:54.1 from post six. The only downside was Miller was on a cruise and unable to watch the race live. It didn’t take long for him to know the outcome, though, as his phone began receiving congratulatory text messages.
“I asked if she won and they said she jiggy jogged,” said Miller. “That was kind of awesome.”
Racing begins at 6:45 p.m. (EST) at Yonkers. For a free Friday program courtesy Standardbred Owners Association of New York, click here.
(USTA)