Bumblebzbuzz might become a honey of a trotter if he learns to mind his manners. That being said, the $5,200 yearling purchase has already exceeded the expectations of co-owner/trainer Tom T. Tetrick.
A three-year-old son of stallion Pinetucky out of the mare Bumblebzannie, Bumblebzbuzz has won two of 11 career races and earned $74,650 for Tetrick and Ervin Wickey. Last year, the gelding captured a $75,000 Indiana Sire Stakes final for two-year-old male trotters at Hoosier Park, rallying from seventh-place at the half to win in 1:58.
“He was very aggressive last year,” Tetrick said about Bumblebzbuzz. “His manners left a lot to be desired and they’re starting to come together now. I’d like to believe it’s a matter of maturity. I spent a lot of time with him over the winter working on manners. He’s getting better. Nothing is perfect yet, but maybe we’re getting closer. It’ll be a long summer and it will still be a test all summer for him.”
On Wednesday, Bumblebzbuzz is the 9-2 third choice on the morning line in the $18,000 Expresson Series final at Hoosier. Bumblebzbuzz and Hoosier’s leading driver, Trace Tetrick, one of Tom’s younger brothers, will start from Post 3 after back-to-back third-place finishes in the preliminary rounds of the series.
Sebiskit Bluegrass, who starts from Post 10 in the second tier, is the 7-2 favourite. He has won three of four races this season and will have John DeLong in the sulky for trainer John Merkel.
“If (Bumblebzbuzz) puts it all together he’s got a shot to win some races,” Tetrick said. “But you’ve also got some pretty nice colts in the state. It’s a tough program. However you’re going to race it, you’ve got eight, nine, 10 colts that can trot (1:) 55 with a quarter in :27 every week.”
The Tetrick family had enjoyed success with a Pinetucky-bred filly named Huntingforpennies several years ago, and when Tom saw Bumblebzbuzz, he decided to take a shot on the horse. From the beginning, he knew it was going to be a bit of an adventure as Bumblebzbuzz acted as much as a little kid as he did a racehorse.
“He’s into a little bit of everything every day,” Tetrick said. “He plays a lot, messes around. It took a long time to get his mind on his business. But when he would trot, I always thought he had a big turn of speed. If I could ever get everything to go right I think he could trot with whatever is in the state. He’s a work in progress.”
When Bumblebzbuzz won his Indiana Sire Stakes final last August, he displayed the type of potential and talent that Tetrick thought the horse possessed.
“He raced phenomenal that night,” said Tetrick, who trains about two dozen horses with his father, Tom D. Tetrick. “It seemed like everything came together. He trotted the turns the way he’s supposed to.”
Tetrick enjoyed career highs for training wins (61) and purses ($426,242) last year. He is currently tied for eighth place in the trainer standings at Hoosier Park, with eight wins, and has a 15.1 per cent win rate. Jamie Macomber leads the standings with 16 victories.
For his career, 38-year-old Tetrick has 461 wins as a trainer and 393 victories as a driver.
While Tetrick might not have Grand Circuit plans for Bumblebzbuzz, he is looking forward to watching the horse’s continued development on the Indiana Sire Stakes circuit.
“It’ll be a tough enough summer for him,” Tetrick said. “I don’t think he’s a Grand Circuit contender; I think he’s just a nice solid racehorse. I just hope I can compete on a high level in Indiana with him.
“But whatever he does, he’s exceeded expectations. It was a good year for him last year, he made $72,000. We’re along for the ride. Hopefully it all works out for us.”
Racing at Hoosier Park begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Expresson Series final is Race 9, with an estimated 8:54 p.m. post time.
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.