Two-Year-Olds Strut At Gaitway

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Published: June 18, 2018 05:03 pm EDT

Trainer Scott DiDomenico got his first look at a new addition to his stable during Monday’s (June 18) qualifiers for two-year-olds at Gaitway Farm, while trainer Ron Burke got his final look at a number of horses that will soon begin their racing careers. Both were pleased.

DiDomenico’s newcomer was two-year-old female pacer So Awesome, who won her qualifier in 1:56.4 with Tim Tetrick in the sulky. So Awesome was purchased by Bill Hartt on June 13 following a qualifying win at Saratoga in 1:57.4 for former owner-trainer Tony Ciuffetelli. So Awesome is a daughter of So Surreal out of Teddy Ballgirl.

“She looks like she’s pretty good,” DiDomenico said. “To this point it looks like she’s got a shot to be special. We haven’t done much with her, but everything she’s done has been professional. So far so good. Hopefully I don’t mess her up. It was a good first step.”

Burke had eight winners among the 11 races for the two-year-olds. Three from the ‘Burke Brigade’ picked up their second wins of the three-week qualifying sessions at Gaitway – male pacers De Los Cielos Deo and Semi Tough, as well as female pacer Warrawee Ubeaut.

De Los Cielos Deo, a son of Captaintreacherous out of Lisjune, won in 1:52.3. Purchased for $140,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale, he is a half-brother to Dan Patch Award-winner I Luv The Nitelife and is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Larry Karr, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby, and the Weaver Bruscemi partnership.

Semi Tough, by Somebeachsomewhere out of Jan It Jackson, won by 12 lengths in 1:53.4. The colt, who was purchased for $115,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale, is owned by Burke Racing, Frank Baldachino, J&T Silva–Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi. His family includes stakes-winner Sunshine Beach.

Warrawee Ubeaut, a daughter of Sweet Lou out of Great Memories, paced her mile in 1:54.3. She was a $70,000 purchase at the Lexington Selected Sale and is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Phil Collura, J&T Silva–Purnel & Libby, and the Weaver Bruscemi partnership. She is a half-sister to O’Brien Award-winning millionaire Warrawee Needy.

Burke’s remaining winners among the two-year-olds were male pacer Warrawee Unique, female pacer Typhoon, male trotter Cheap Tricks, and female trotters Atonement and Fade Into You.

Warrawee Unique, by Sweet Lou out of Queen Fourteen, won in 1:54. Purchased for $160,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale, she is owned by Burke Racing, Crawford Farms, J&T Silva–Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi. His family includes 2010 Metro Pace winner Mystician and Ontario stars Camystic and Lucks Mistress.

Typhoon, by A Rocknroll Dance out of Hallie Gallie, won in 1:57.2. She was purchased for $100,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale and is owned by Bill Donovan. Typhoon’s second dam is Dan Patch Award-winner Galleria, who is the dam of stakes-winners Gallie Bythe Beach and Western Gallie.

Cheap Tricks, by Trixton out of Maud Blue Chip, won in 1:58.1 for owners Burke Racing, Collura, J&T Silva–Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi. She was purchased for $65,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale.

Fade Into You, by Cantab Hall out of Fortunes Of Fables, won in 1:56.4. She is owned by Burke Racing, Collura, J&T Silva–Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi and was purchased for $65,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale. Her family includes stakes-winners Flawless Bluestone and Feed Your Head.

Atonement, by Father Patrick out of Swan Hot Mama, won in 2:00. Bred by Diamond Creek Farm, she is owned by Diamond Creek Racing. She is a half-sister to stakes-winner Repentance. Her family also includes stakes-winner Swan For All and Swan In A Million.

“For our better ones, this was it,” Burke said about the qualifiers. “They might start in an overnight, but a lot of them will go to stakes right off this.

De Los Cielos Deo is probably as good a colt as we’ve had in a long time. I also thought Semi Tough was very impressive today and Fade Into You, (Warrawee) ‘Ubeaut’ and (Warrawee) ‘Unique’ were very good, too. For Unique, that was good. His first start (a sixth-place finish) was disappointing; that was totally out of character. We’ve always thought he was just a step below ‘De Los,’ and even here they were starting to think it was a tossup. We’re thrilled.”

The day’s remaining two winners among the two-year-olds came from the stable of trainer Julie Miller, who won with female trotter Evs Girl and male trotter No Drama Please.

Evs Girl, by Crazed out of Lindys Lullaby, won in 1:58.4. She is owned by Andy Miller Stable, Harvey Eisman and Little E LLC and was purchased for $29,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale. She also won a qualifier on June 4.

No Drama Please, by Trixton out of Female Drama, won in 1:57.4. He is owned by Stroy Inc. and was purchased for $54,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale.

Trainer Tom Fanning, who like Burke, DiDomenico and Miller is based at Gaitway, sent out his entire group of four two-year-olds for their debuts on Monday, with female pacer Trillions Hanover (Somebeachsomewhere-Tutu Hanover) losing by a nose to Typhoon and female pacer Unspoken Promise (Somebeachsomewhere-Pucker Up) losing by a neck to So Awesome after having led for nearly the entire mile with Andy Miller in the sulky.

“They all went [well],” Fanning said. “We don’t train them in (1:) 56 before these races, they all went about (2:) 01. They all paced [well]. Andy really liked Unspoken Promise. She opened up by like seven (lengths) and got lost on the lead. She was kind of waiting for someone to come up on her.

“We’ll probably go to (Harrah’s Philadelphia) next week (to qualify) and then they’ll go in a race depending on how they come out of it. There’s not a lot of stress here, a little bit of a home-court advantage. It’s just another day for them.”

Food and refreshments were provided during the three weeks of qualifying at Gaitway Farm by sponsors Colts Neck Equine, Cunningham & Cunningham Equine Insurance, Deo Volente Farms, Dey Equine Veterinarians, Fair Winds Farm, Freehold Raceway, Goshen Yearling Sale, Heritage Hill Farm, Meadowlands Racetrack, Northwood Bloodstock, Preferred Equine, SBOA-NJ, Southwind Farms, Tattersalls, TrotPac, Walnridge Farm, and Wedgewood Pharmacy.

(USTA)

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