After a miscue in his 2023 debut due to a broken hopple, Twin B Archie returned in Thursday's (April 6) qualifiers at Spring Garden Ranch with a stellar gate-to-wire performance.
Charlie Norris was in the bike for trainer Scott McEneny in the afternoon qualifiers in northern Florida. As the gate drew away, Norris was quick to the top with Twin B Archie. The pair secured a 1-1/2 length lead at the opening panel in :30.1 before drawing away on the field of three. Twin B Archie was up by four lengths at the half in :58.3 and then six lengths at the three-quarters in 1:27. With a last quarter in :29.1, Twin B Archie crossed the wire 7-1/2 lengths ahead of his competition in 1:56.1.
"It was a good mile and he was very handy doing it," trainer and co-owner Scott McEneny told Trot Insider.
The four-year-old gelded son of Archangel was a 2021 O'Brien Award runner-up and 2022 O'Brien Award winner. A $52,000 purchase out of the Harrisburg Sale, Twin B Archie has accumulated $775,518 in career earnings and a record of 10-6-2 in just 24 starts for the partnership of McEneny, Domenic Chiaravalle, Floyd Marshall and Martwest Racing Stable.
McEneny indicated that Twin B Archie would be heading north to Ontario on April 10, with plans to start competing in stakes action in the second leg of the Ontario-Sired Graduate Series.