Trainer Ron Burke sent out seven winning two-year-olds Monday (June 16) as the second round of qualifiers was held at Gaitway Farm.
There were 17 qualifiers for the two-year-olds, with 101 horses competing. It was more than double the number of horses that appeared last week when heavy rains forced numerous scratches.
Burke picked up wins with colt pacers Too Darn Hot, Play The Field and Cartoon Daddy, filly pacers Sassa Hanover and Eloquently Stated, colt trotter Habitat, and filly trotter Mission Brief.
Cartoon Daddy recorded the fastest mile of the day, winning in 1:55 over a “good” track with driver Mike Lachance. Cartoon Daddy edged stablemate K Rock by one length thanks to covering the final half-mile in :54. Cartoon Daddy (Art Major-Ask Alice) is a full brother to colt Ari Allstar, who finished fourth in the 2013 Breeders Crown, and his family includes multiple-stakes-winner Western Ace.
Too Darn Hot won in 2:00 with Yannick Gingras at the lines. Too Darn Hot (Rocknroll Hanover-Kiss Me Kate) is the first foal out of Kiss Me Kate, who is a full sister to multiple-stakes-winners Kikikatie and Just Wait Kate.
Habitat (Conway Hall-Habits Best) was driven to a 27-1/4 length win in 1:58.1 by Gingras, covering the final half-mile in :56. It was the second winning qualifier of the month for Habitat, whose dam is a half-sister to millionaire Civil Action.
Mission Brief won by 23 lengths with Gingras in the bike, stopping the clock in 1:57.4, also with a :56 back half. Mission Brief (Muscle Hill-Southwind Serena) was purchased for $150,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale. Her dam won a Breeders Crown in 2007 and is a half-sister to Burke’s stakes-winning Southwind Spirit.
Sassa Hanover (Rock N Roll Heaven-Sayo Hanover) notched her second qualifying win with a 1:58.1 effort with Gingras. She is the first foal out of Sayo Hanover, who is a half-sister to multiple-stakes-winner Shadyshark Hanover and 2009 New York Sire Stakes championship runner-up Shaky Hanover.
Play The Field (Bettors Delight-A Votre Pante) and Gingras won in 1:57. He is a half-brother to 2012 Ontario Sires Stakes champion filly Love Canal.
Eloquently Stated won her second qualifier of June in 2:00, finishing with a :26.1 final quarter-mile. She won her debut in 1:55.4. Eloquently Stated (Well Said-Jennie Fanetta) is a half-sister to 2012 New Jersey Futurity winner Verdad.
Trainer Steve Elliott won twice on the card. First came colt trotter Twain Drive (Credit Winner-Whats Your Name), who was guided to a 2:05 win by Jeff Gregory. One race later, Scott Zeron won in 1:57 with filly pacer Stacia Hanover (Western Ideal-Stolly Up Bluechip).
Scott DiDomenico also had two winners. Filly pacer Harmony Hudson (The Panderosa-Heavenly Hudson) won for driver Tim Tetrick in 2:00.3 in her first try. She is a half-sister to Huxley, who finished second to Michaels Power in the 2012 Upper Canada Cup.
Filly pacer American Truth (American Ideal-Copywriter) also won for the Tetrick-DiDomenico duo. American Truth is a full sister to 2014 Buddy Gilmour Memorial runner-up Capital Account and his family includes millionaire Image Of Dawn.
Colt trotter Elettrizzante, bred and owned by renowned race-caller Tom Durkin and Joe Spadaro, won in 2:01.1 for driver Gingras and trainer Julie Miller. Elettrizzante (Conway Hall-Electra Hanover) is a full brother to 2012 New York Sire Stakes champion Coraggioso, who also was bred and is owned by Durkin and Spadaro.
Steve Smith drove filly pacer Arielle Lynn to victory for trainer Kevin McDermott in 1:57.4. Arielle Lynn (Somebeachsomewhere-Ladyking) is a half-sister to former McDermott trainee Lookout Hanover and current McDermott trainee Lonewolf Currier, who both have banked more than $325,000 lifetime.
Filly trotter Tuscanellie (Andover Hall-Ornellaia) won in 2:01 for driver Jim Marshall III and trainer Donna Marshall. The Marshalls’ son, Jim IV, finished second in the qualifier with Doc Simons Dream (Muscle Massive-Lady Valla Hanover) in his first-ever drive.
Rockntouch, a colt pacer, won in 1:57.1 for driver Brett Miller and trainer Monte Gelrod. Rockntouch (Rock N Roll Heaven-Touch Of Bogart) is a half-brother to two-time Indiana Sire Stakes champion Right Touch.
Filly trotter Champagne Taste was the toast of her division, winning in 2:02.4 for driver Gregory and trainer Richard Johnson. Champagne Taste (Striking Sahbra-CR Mimosa) is a half-sister to multiple Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund champion Windshield.
Colt pacer Dragon N Kickin, driven by Brett Miller for trainer Staffan Lind, won in 1:57. Dragon N Kickin (Dragon Again-Eicarls Valentine) is a half-brother to millionaire My Boy David.
(Photos above: Mike Lachance and Cartoon Daddy (on the outside) get by Yannick Gingras and K Rock to win in 1:55; Play The Field (on the outside) paced by Battle Cruiser in the stretch to win in a time of 1:57.)
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com. Ken Weingartner photos