Tornado Touchdown’s connections are hoping the two-year-old pacing colt delivers a credible performance in Grassroots action at Clinton Raceway on Sunday afternoon, but the advent of the stakes season will not impact the their overall approach to his education
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“He’s been a good colt, and the owner has been a lot of fun,” says trainer Ross Hardy of Melbourne, ON. “We made it our mission not to be too serious with this colt. Everyone has a good time just watching him race.”
Tornado Touchdown is owned by Ashley Hay, who can occasionally be found sporting a pair of work gloves at Hardy’s farm. The Ailsa Craig, ON resident bred and raised the youngster, and sent him over to Hardy last fall with very low expectations for the colt’s prospects as a racehorse.
The son of Goliath Bayama and Mystical Ransom turned out to be a quick study, and when Hardy told Hay he thought she had a racehorse on her hands she was delighted.
“He exceeded expectations kind of early,” says Hardy. “He’s a big colt and he developed well. He always showed a lot of stuff.”
Tornado Touchdown had his first opportunity to strut that stuff in a June 19 qualifier at Mohawk Racetrack. In rein to Keith Oliver, the youngster finished fifth, pacing his own mile in 2:02.3. Hardy opted to start the colt in a June 27 overnight at Clinton Raceway, and Tornado Touchdown and driver Scott Zeron delivered a solid performance from the outside Post 7 to finish second by half a length in a 2:04.3 mile.
The colt made his second start at Grand River Raceway on July 9 and impressed his connections with another runner-up performance. In rein to Bruce Richardson, Tornado Touchdown sprinted home in :28.3 to get within three-quarters of a length of the winner at the 1:58.2 finish.
“He closed huge last week. He came home in :28 and a bit,” notes the trainer. “We were quite taken with how he finished.
“Bruce Richardson did a great job with him,” Hardy adds. “He said every time you asked him, he was right there.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s Grassroots contest, Hardy says the toughest decision was naming a driver for the colt. Both Zeron and Richardson handled the youngster perfectly and he expected both men would be in Clinton on Sunday. In the end, he opted for Zeron, noting that the young reinsman would have had the drive at Grand River on July 9 had he been available that night.
Zeron will steer Tornado Touchdown from Post 2 in the fifth $24,000 division, facing off against a field of six other Grassroots hopefuls. Hardy expects the youngster to tour the Clinton oval much faster than he did on June 27, given the company and his improved post.
“The speed in Clinton wasn’t exuberant, but he was the victim of slow fractions,” says the horseman. “He still closed well.
“With a decent post position we’re cautiously optimistic,” he adds. “I think he’ll give a respectable showing.”
Whether Tornado Touchdown reaches the wire first or last, Hay, Hardy, his family and his staff will not be deterred from simply enjoying the fact that the colt is part of the Grassroots season opener, a possibility that never crossed their minds last fall.
“Everybody has been involved with him, the whole family,” explains Hardy. “Two or three girls who work for me have all known this colt since he was born.
“Ashley’s got him saddle broke,” he adds. “On Sunday if she’s here doing the chores, she’ll put a saddle on him and take him for a ride. It’s good to see a horse so well loved. I think he’ll have a nice life after his racing career is done.”
Tornado Touchdown kicks off his Ontario Sires Stakes career in the eighth race on Sunday. The two-year-old pacing colts are featured in Races 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9, with the first race parading in front of the Clinton Raceway fans at 1:30 p.m.
To view Sunday's entries, click here.
(OSS)