After winning four times in a five-race span during Monday’s qualifiers for two-year-olds at Gaitway Farm, driver Yannick Gingras was jokingly reminded the races don’t pay.
“Hopefully,” Gingras responded, “they’ll pay down the road.”
Gingras finished with five victories in the 13 races for two-year-old pacers and trotters while Tim Tetrick drove four winners. Trainers Scott DiDomenico, Ron Burke and Jimmy Takter all had three wins while Tony Alagna had two.
Among Gingras’ winners was Honor Thy Daughter, the first foal out of 2008 U.S divisional champion filly trotter Honorable Daughter. By Donato Hanover, Honor Thy Daughter was a $100,000 yearling purchase at the Standardbred Horse Sale.
Honor Thy Daughter won in 2:00.4.
“She went really good,” Gingras said. “I told Jimmy after the race that she reminds me of (multiple-stakes-winner) Maven, the way she goes and the way she acts. She’s got big shoes to fill, but as far as her gait and her attitude on the racetrack she’s just very sweet. She went really easy. She only went in two minutes, but she’s got plenty of go.”
Takter was pleased with Honor Thy Daughter’s effort, which was her first qualifier of her career.
“I thought she raced good,” Takter said. “She was sick a couple weeks, so she’s a little short, but she showed the class. She’s a genuine bred filly and I think she’s got a great future in front of her.”
Takter’s other winners were filly trotter South Carolina (Yankee Glide-Southwind Caramel) in 2:01.1 and colt pacer Thereisapaceforus (American Ideal-L Chaim), who is a three-quarter brother to stakes-winner Jkmusicofthenite, in 1:58.4.
Gingras drove South Carolina and Thereisapaceforus, as well as two of Burke’s winners, colt pacers Stirling Cyclone (Art Major-Evening Jet) in 1:58.2 and Departure (Artiscape-Bubbas Joicey B) in 1:59.3.
“Knock on wood, this year I’ve sat behind a lot of nice two-year-olds, more than ever in my life,” Gingras said. “It’s exciting, that’s for sure.
“You want to know they have speed, but you want to see their mannerisms too. You want them to be handy, let you do what you want to do, and make sure they don’t step around. You want to have a good gait on them. The combination of the three is what makes great horses.”
DiDomenico’s winners were filly pacers Scandalicious (American Ideal-The Company Store) in 1:55.3, Bettor Business (Bettors Delight-Tricky Business) in 1:56.4 and My American Tallia (American Ideal-Bolero Tallia) in 1:57.4.
Alagna won with filly pacers It Was Fascination (American Ideal-On The Catwalk) in 1:58 and Vitameatavegamin (Art Major-Armbro Bijou) in 1:56.3.
Other winners were colt trotter Sumatra (Muscles Yankee-Lola Seelster) in 1:57.4 for trainer Julie Miller and gelded trotter Uva Hanover (Cantab Hall-Up Front Laura) in 1:59.1 for trainer Linda Toscano.
Of course, winning isn’t everything when it comes to getting two-year-olds ready for action.
“In the beginning it’s all about education and I could care less how fast they go,” said Toscano, who brought five two-year-olds to Gaitway from her base at nearby Showplace. “I know I’ve put the right bottom under them at this point and all I want them to do is kind of socialize with the others. I want them to be able to sit, I want them to be good on the gate, I want them to be waiting for the driver to ask them and follow and finish. After that, we’ll worry about racing.
“You have to do so much these days because they go so fast from the get-go. As long as they know how to finish and as long as they know how to be good in a race and sit on somebody’s back then they’ll figure out how to be fast. If I do leave with one now it’s usually a really lazy one that I need to wake up. The other ones will figure it out as they get going.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.