Although Wheeling N Dealin is winless in nine starts this year – a far different scenario from 2012, when he was a perfect nine-for-nine on his way to divisional honours in the U.S. and Canada – trainer Dustin Jones confirmed Monday afternoon that he has changed his mind and now plans on entering the three-year-old trotting colt in Sunday's Kentucky Futurity at the Red Mile.
Jones recently placed Wheeling N Dealin on Lasix, and over the past couple weeks he has been saying he would race the son of Cantab Hall in the Bluegrass the first week of Grand Circuit action at the Red Mile and then skip the double-heat Futurity in lieu of a start in a $10,000 late-closer event on Saturday. With the addition of Lasix, Jones said he didn't want to race Wheeling N Dealin twice on the same day, especially since the Breeders Crown eliminations at Pocono Downs come up just six days later.
Jones told harnessracing.com he was encouraged by Wheeling N Dealin's fourth-place effort in his $86,900 Bluegrass division on Sunday at the Red Mile. Driven by Sylvain Filion, Wheeling N Dealin closed from five and a quarter lengths back in fourth at the three-quarters with a final quarter of :27.1 to finish just one and a quarter lengths behind Your So Vain, who swooped the entire field to win in 1:53.3.
"After the way he raced last time, we decided to put him in the Futurity,” said Jones. "That 27.1 was a strong last quarter, and I have been really happy these three starts once we put him on Lasix. He just needs a good trip, and he will be fine.”
While Wheeling N Dealin is still searching for his first win of 2013, he has posted a pair of seconds and thirds. He finished second in a three-year-old open on July 27 at the Meadowlands as a prep for the Hambletonian, and then he finished second in his elimination as the betting favourite. He drew Post 10 for the second-heat $1-million final and was never in contention. Earlier this month, Wheeling N Dealin finished third in his Canadian Trotting Classic elim and then was fourth in the $665,420 final.
Overall, he has seasonal earnings of $111,162, bringing his career total to $807,274 for owner Ecurie Synergie.
(Harnessracing.com)