Ron Burke and Julie Miller sent out the majority of Monday’s two-year-old trotters and pacers at Gaitway Farms’ first qualifiers of the month, and both trainers were happy with what they saw from their young horses as they prepare for the season ahead.
Burke, who had 23 horses go behind the gate, had five winners on the day while Miller, who sent out 14 two-year-olds, had four victories from that group.
Andy Miller drove all of the winners for ‘Team Miller,’ including the day’s fastest two-year-old pacer, colt Hayden Hanover, with a 1:54.4 clocking, and fastest two-year-old trotter, filly Strawberry Hanover, with a time of 1:57.4.
“Everyone minded their manners and had ‘go,’” Julie Miller said. “You don’t want any mishaps and for the horses to have good experiences. This is the first chance to see if they’ve learned everything we’ve tried to teach them through the course of the winter and we liked what we saw from them. Andy was really pleased with how everybody qualified.”
Hayden Hanover (Ken Weingartner / HRC / USTA)
Hayden Hanover is a son of 2008 Horse of the Year Somebeachsomewhere out of the millionaire mare Hana Hanover. He was purchased for $85,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is owned by Pinske Stables and Jim Simpson.
Strawberry Hanover is a daughter of 2007 U.S. Horse of the Year Donato Hanover out of the mare Star Hanover. Her family includes stakes-winners Superstar Hanover and Celebrity Katie as well as Nova Award-winning Spellbound Hanover, who is the dam of Trotting Triple Crown winner Marion Marauder. Strawberry Hanover was purchased for $95,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is owned by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld.
Also winning for Team Miller were colt pacer Born To Be Bad and filly trotter Seviyorum.
Born To Be Bad (Big Bad John-Cruzin Angel) won in 1:56 for owners Marie Trombetta and George Green, who co-bred the colt with Rhonda Heady. Seviyorum (Donato Hanover-Armbro Domino) won in 1:59.1 for breeder/owner Stroy Inc.
Burke won with pacing colt Aleppo Hanover and pacing fillies Strong Opinion, Youaremycandygirl, and Lets Fall In Love. He also had a victory with trotting colt U Need Stones.
“Everybody was good,” Burke said. “I think it’s the first time I’ve ever had none of them make a break; I didn’t have one out of 23 make a break.
“A couple of them were better than others, but some of the ones that raced from the back were better than they even looked. Really, I can’t separate them. I’m happy with them all. The guys did a good job. They let them trot or pace within themselves. I do think it’s a good bunch overall, but I don’t know who is better than who yet.”
Aleppo Hanover (Somebeachsomewhere-Anderosa Hanover), who won in 1:56.4, is a half-brother to stakes-winner Autotune Hanover and his family includes stakes-winners Aracache Hanover and Lyons Snyder. Aleppo Hanover was purchased for $30,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is owned by Burke Racing, Silva Purnel & Libby, Larry Karr, and the partnership of Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi.
Strong Opinion (Well Said-Rough Sketch) won in 1:58.1 for Burke Racing, Jack Piatt II, Silva Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi. She was purchased for $50,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is a half-sister to stakes-winner Ideal Nuggets.
Youaremycandygirl (American Ideal-Sweet Lady Jane) won in 1:58.4. Purchased for $150,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale and owned by Bill Donovan, the filly’s second dam is Sweet Future – the mother of U.S. Pacer of the Year Sweet Lou and multiple-stakes-winner Bettor Sweet.
Lets Fall In Love (Rock N Roll Heaven-Time N Again) also is owned by Donovan and won in 1:59.1. She was purchased for $150,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale and is a full sister to New York Sire Stakes champion Band Of Angels and a half-sister to millionaire Romantic Moment.
U Need Stones (Wishing Stone-Sequin Hanover) won in 1:59 and is owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Karr, and Phil Collura, who all bred the colt.
Yannick Gingras drove four of Burke’s winners while Joe Bongiorno was in the sulky for the other.
The day’s remaining winners were colt trotters Classichap and You Know You Do.
Classichap, trained and driven by Trond Smedshammer, won in 1:59.2 for owner Purple Haze Stables. The son of Chapter Seven-Classical Flirt was purchased for $95,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale and is a half-brother to multiple Dan Patch Award recipient Market Share.
You Know You Do (Muscle Hill-You Want Me) won in 2:01.4 for trainer-driver Jimmy Takter. The colt’s dam was a New York Sire Stakes champion and the family includes Peace A Pie, the mother of Dan Patch Award winner Pizza Dolce. You Know You Do was purchased for $350,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale. He is owned by Howard Taylor, Order By Stable, Bud Hatfield, and the group of Katz, Libfeld and Sam Goldband.
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.