Bloated qualifying sessions are continuing to take place across North America in advance of the continent's full return to pari-mutuel harness racing. The large majority of horses are easing their way back into racing form, and understandably so. That's why the performance of a particular speedster stood out so much on Tuesday morning (June 2).
Gaitway Farm in New Jersey continues to play host to large qualifying sessions. The farm's one-mile oval hosted 14 qualifiers on Tuesday, and the one result that jumped off the page came from the Ontario-bred Backstreet Shadow, who has been razor sharp all year for trainer Ron Burke.
The five-year-old son of Shadow Play had received a break at the end of 2019 after an impressive campaign. The 'Burke Brigade' brought the gelding back to the races in late January and unleashed him on Dover Downs' preferred ranks. The result was a four-race win streak, and the last victory in the string was a gate-to-wire performance from Post 8 that was clocked in 1:48.1. The only thing that could stop him was COVID-19, and it did.
Now that racing is gearing back up, Backstreet Shadow can return to what he was doing: scorching ovals and leaving his foes in his tracks.
Backstreet Shadow started from Post 3 in Gaitway's eleventh qualifier on Tuesday. Over a track rated 'fast,' Backstreet Shadow went right to the top and cut the quarter (:28) and half (:57.1). Tim Tetrick let his charge pace a bit more during the back half of the mile, and it appears as though that is all Backstreet Shadow wanted to do.
Backstreet Shadow threw a :26.3 third quarter at his rivals and zipped down to the three-quarters pole in 1:23.4. After that, the career winner of 21 races charged home with a :26.4 final quarter. Backstreet Shadow's win time was 1:50.3 and his margin of victory was 20 and one quarter lengths.
Backstreet Shadow is owned by the Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Lawrence Karr, and Jandt Silva Purnel & Libb.
Backstreet Shadow, pictured in victory at Dover Downs.
Earlier in the card, a Burke-trained 'Glamour Boy' with his eyes focused on Woodbine Mohawk Park's Pepsi North America Cup tuned up with a tidy qualifying win for driver Joe Bongiorno.
Callingallbeaches, an unraced son of Somebeachsomewhere, took to the track for Race 2 and started from the outside Post 4 in what was a compact field.
Bongiorno slid Callingallbeaches into third and sat patiently through the opening quarter (:30) and half (:59.1). The duo was first-up in the third quarter and were challenging the leader by the 1:27.2 third call.
Callingallbeaches was up for a fight in the final panel and closed in :28.3 to post a half-length victory in 1:56.1.
Callingallbeaches, who was purchased for $135,000 at a yearling auction in 2018, is owned by Michael Guerriero, P B G Stables Inc., the Holland Racing Stable, and Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc.
Callingallbeaches has been assessed as a 100-1 shot in Trot Magazine's 2020 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book. To view the spring book odds, click here.
The Burke stable sent out five winners during Gaitway's Tuesday session, while Tim Tetrick steered five winners.