As trainer Megan Scran was preparing Ardonne for his two-year-old season, she had a very good feeling about the young trotter. Perhaps, she worried, too good.
“I was high on him all winter and spring training down,” Scran said. “I just kept saying that I hoped he wasn’t too good to be true. You know how it is, once they get to around two minutes, you really get to see what they are. I just said, I hope he does not break my heart, because he feels really good.”
Five races into his career, Ardonne has done his best to make sure Scran’s initial impression remains a lasting impression. The son of Tactical Landing-Burberry, purchased for $50,000 at last fall’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, has finished worse than second only once and heads to Saturday’s $485,000 Grade 1 William Wellwood Memorial for freshman trotters at Woodbine Mohawk Park off a 1:54.4 head victory in his elimination last week.
The triumph, his first lifetime victory, followed a second-place finish in the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship on Aug. 2 at The Meadowlands, where he missed by only a head in 1:53.2. That time is tied for third fastest by a two-year-old male trotter this season.
“He’s learning his job now and he’s really coming into himself,” said Scran, who trains the colt for owner Philip Steinberg. “He’s so smart, he acts like an aged horse. He has a huge personality. He’s got toys in his stall and he’s bouncing around. He’s just so nice to do everything with. You go out on the track, and as soon as he gets there he just stops and stands there. He loves to watch the trainers go by. He’d stand there for half an hour if you let him. He’s just very intelligent.”
Ardonne is a half-brother to Ake Svanstedt-trained Mr Mouton, a son of Chapter Seven who was limited to one start last season at age two – but it was a 1:57.3 victory over Super Chapter at Saratoga. This year, Mr Mouton has won three of six starts, including a 1:50.1 score in a Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series event at Lexington’s Red Mile. The time equaled the world record for a three-year-old gelding trotter. The family also includes 2022 O’Brien Award recipient Gaines Hanover and multiple-stakes-winner Locatelli.
“(Mr Mouton) is part of the reason I wanted this colt so badly,” Scran said. “Ake said he really liked the horse, he just got sore in his knees last year, so they shut him down. But in his first lifetime start, he trotted (1):57.3 over the half, which is pretty impressive as a two-year-old just starting off.
“Down the family line, I knew some of the other horses and they were stakes horses. So, the mare was one-for-one, I love Tactical Landing, let’s take a shot. He was a gorgeous individual, too, so I was shocked at how cheap we got him.”
Scran was pleased with Ardonne from the beginning.
“He was always super strong training,” Scran said. “He had a beautiful gait, just the way he covered the ground. He always knew when we were in the last turn heading for home. He’d grab on and know it was time to go. He always was smart like that.”
In his Wellwood elimination, Ardonne settled in fourth with driver Scott Zeron for the opening quarter, then moved to the outside approaching the half, picking up cover from Cambridge Hanover as they advanced on leader Crunchintheodds. Coming out of the last turn, Zeron tipped Ardonne four wide for the stretch drive and, after moving farther out in the lane to find room, battled past Cambridge Hanover in the final strides to get the win.
“I know he was second-over, but he was four wide coming off the turn,” Scran said. “And he was out for over half a mile, too. He worked for it. Mohawk is not the easiest track to be on the outside on the last turn going any speed. I was really happy with him.”
On Saturday, Ardonne and Zeron will leave from post six in the field of 10. Ardonne is 2-1 on the morning line, the second choice behind 7-5 favourite Magic Punk, who captured the other Wellwood elimination in 1:54.4. Magic Punk will start from post two with Dexter Dunn driving for trainer Svanstedt.
“(Ardonne) is fresh and sharp, so I’m really happy with that,” Scran said. “It’s going to be up to Scott on how he decides to drive him. But he trained good (Wednesday) and we’re looking forward to Saturday. Obviously, we hope to be in the winner’s circle, but it’s horse racing and anything can happen.”
Saturday’s stakes-rich card at Mohawk also includes the $385,000 Grade 1 Peaceful Way Stakes for two-year-old female trotters, as well as divisions of the Nassagaweya and Eternal Camnation stakes for two-year-old pacers (both Grade 3) and eliminations for the Grade 1 Canadian Pacing Derby.
Racing begins at 6:35 p.m. (EDT) at Woodbine Mohawk Park. For entries or past performances, click one of the following links:
- Woodbine Mohawk Park, Saturday, Aug. 23: Entries || Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT)
(USTA)