Hello Tomorrow was one of the top-selling yearling trotters at this past fall’s Standardbred Horse Sale, and trainer Per Engblom is more than pleased to have the two-year-old in his stable today.
“I love that filly,” Engblom said about the daughter of Muscle Hill out of Armbro Deja Vu, who was purchased for $380,000. “She’s got a great way (of moving); she covers a lot of ground. She’s got a very efficient way of going. Everything is pretty much good about her. She’s got what a good filly needs. I think she’s got very high potential.”
Hello Tomorrow is a half-sister to millionaire Dejarmbro. She is owned by Brixton Medical Inc., Hatfield Stables, Marvin Katz and Lynn Katz. The filly’s results in four starts this season include winning a division of the Kindergarten Classic Series, finishing second by a nose in her elimination of the James Doherty Memorial, and finishing third in the Doherty final from Post 9.
On Thursday (Sept. 5), Hello Tomorrow will compete in the second of two eliminations for the Peaceful Way Stakes for two-year-old trotting fillies at Woodbine Mohawk Park. She is the 9-5 morning line favourite in a field of seven, with David Miller driving for Engblom. The filly will be looking to rebound from her only misstep this year: having gone off stride in a division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on August 19.
“Last start at Pocono, she just didn’t get around the track [well] at all,” Engblom said. “I don’t really have a reason. We did a little work on her, it wasn’t anything major, just small adjustments we had to make to get her right. They’re young horses and go through those kinds of things.”
Hello Tomorrow’s start at Pocono was her first on a five-eighths-mile oval, following her three races around the Meadowlands Racetrack’s one-mile surface. She will be returning to a bigger track Thursday at Mohawk.
“She trained super in between here and I think the bigger track is definitely going to help her,” Engblom said. “She’s a bigger filly and she was great at the Meadowlands. I think she’s going to be OK.”
Hello Tomorrow’s Peaceful Way elimination includes two fillies coming off wins in divisions of the Champlain Stakes last week at Mohawk: Spoiled Princess, who is 2-1 on the morning line for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman, and Panem, who is 5-2 early for Dexter Dunn and Nancy Johansson.
The first elimination is led by Whose Blues from the stable of trainer Luc Blais. The filly won her first four races, including the final of the Pure Ivory Series, before finishing second to Spoiled Princess in the Champlain. Whose Blues and driver Bob McClure are 8-5 on the morning line.
Racing will begin at 7:10 p.m. (EDT) Thursday at Mohawk. The Peaceful Way eliminations have been carded as Race 3 and 6.
On Friday, the track will host two eliminations for the William Wellwood Memorial for two-year-old male trotters. Engblom will send out once-beaten Synergy in the second elim.
Synergy won his first two races, a division of the Kindergarten Classic Series and his elimination for the Peter Haughton Memorial, before finishing fifth in the Haughton final. He was found to be sick and was unraced for 27 days. He returned last week with a nose victory in the Champlain Stakes.
“I was happy to see him win the race,” Engblom said. “I think with that race in him, he will be even a little sharper.”
Synergy is a son of Father Patrick out of Southwind Sauna. He is a half-brother to stakes-winner Southwind Tesla, from the family of O’Brien Award winner Federal Flex. Synergy was purchased under the name ‘Southwind Saranac’ for $275,000 at last fall’s Lexington Selected Sale. He is owned by Brittany Farms, John Fielding, Herb Liverman, and David Anderson.
“He’s a big very laid-back colt,” Engblom said. “We could tell he had a lot of ability, but he didn’t show it. He always did what we asked, but never more than that. But never less than that, either. He was one of those colts that you had to put behind the gate and then you saw what you had.”
Racing will begin at 7:50 p.m. (EDT) Friday at Mohawk. The Wellwood eliminations have been carded as Race 2 and 5.
Friday’s card also includes the Simcoe Stakes for three-year-old female and male trotters. Hambletonian Oaks winner When Dovescry is in the first of two divisions of the Simcoe for the fillies. There is only one Simcoe for the colts and geldings, which includes Hambletonian fifth-place finisher Green Manalishi S.
For Thursday’s complete entries, click here.
For Friday’s complete entries, click here.
(USTA)