“He can pace with them if he races like he has been. He’s off to a good start. I think he’ll be even a little sharper this week. We’ll just do the best we can do.”
Now that he is healthy, Getitoffyourchest is trying to get it going.
Or, maybe more appropriately after winning his first two starts of the year, keep it going.
The four-year-old male pacer is two-for-two this season after capturing his opening round division of the Bobby Weiss Series last weekend at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. He starts from post No. 1 in the second of three $15,000 second-round divisions Saturday.
Getitoffyourchest, owned by Delaware’s David Banks and trained by Richard 'Dickie' Lewis, last year won two of five races before being sidelined by a hairline ankle fracture. For his career, the son of stallion Tell All has won five of 10 starts and earned $23,265.
Driven by Mike Simons, Getitoffyourchest won by a head over Dinner At The Met in a lifetime-best 1:52.1 last week. The Lunch Pail, the favourite, was third.
Getitoffyourchest was purchased for $3,000 at the 2011 Lexington Selected Sale. His dam, Jolie Hanover, is a half-sister to Jimmie Hanover, who was runner-up in the 2010 New York Sire Stakes championship for three-year-old male pacers. His family also includes stakes winners Lady Joanna and Stonebridge Regal.
“He was a nice looking colt and had a lot of sense,” Lewis said. “He had a lot of speed. As a two-year-old, his knees got to bothering him, so we quit with him. Last year, he had the hairline fracture and we brought him back real slow. He’s just a nice colt. He’s easy going and good to be around. You’d never know he’s a stud.”
The 66-year-old Lewis and Banks have known each other for decades, but Lewis only started training for Banks about three years ago. Lewis, who conditioned free-for-all trotter Calvert in the late 1970s, has worked for a number of trainers over the years, including his son Doug.
“I’ve known Mr. Banks for a long time,” Lewis said. “We drove together in our younger days. He needed a trainer and we’ve lucked out and come up with a few decent horses. Hopefully we’ll get a few more.”
In addition to Getitoffmychest, Lewis and Banks send out All Gold in the third division of Saturday’s Weiss. All Gold, who has won five of 18 career starts and earned $41,155, was scratched last week because of illness and a hoof abscess.
Geititoffmychest’s division features two other first round winners: Stratos Hanover, who won by three and three-quarter lengths over Kostas Wine in 1:52.2, and UF Rockin Dragon, who won by one and a half lengths over A Stitch In Time in 1:51.3.
Shark Fantasy, who also was a first round winner last week, competes in All Gold’s division.
The five-week series concludes with a $30,000 final April 19.
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.