It was not always the smoothest trip, but that has made trainer Chris Beaver’s journey to the Hambletonian Oaks final with Awesome Trix all the more rewarding.
Purchased as a yearling for $13,000 at the 2019 Lexington Selected Sale, the filly was winless at two but is finding her best stride as her three-year-old season rolls through the summer.
Awesome Trix has won three of 20 races lifetime, with two of the victories coming in her most recent three starts. She has hit the board a total of 13 times, earning $106,611.
“It’s been a progression with her,” Beaver said. “She’s always interfered behind, been a little bumpy. The drivers get a little scared of her the first time they sit behind her, they’re a little hesitant. But she’s better now than ever. I think she’s maturing and getting sounder and getting stronger, strong enough to carry her speed even though she bumps a little bit.
“To me, she looks better than she ever has. She’s in her best shape physically and she’s trotting as well as she has. I’m pretty happy.”
Beaver, who owns Awesome Trix with Robert McNerney and Aaron Merriman, admitted he was uncertain whether his filly would reach this level. She advanced to the Oaks final with a win in her elimination last week at odds of 24-1.
“I probably thought it was a bit of a longshot, although we did stake her to it,” Beaver said. “I staked her to a few other nice races, not over the top. She showed plenty of speed last year. We just kind of had to hold her together, though. I was hoping that she would come this direction. She has gone the right way. I think part of it is because she has so much desire to do it. You don’t really even have to ask her.”
Beaver selected Awesome Trix as a yearling for a variety of reasons, including her looks and pedigree. She is by Trixton out of the Majestic Son mare Awesome Chrissy.
“She’s not big, but she’s got a lot of body to her,” Beaver said. “I like the Trixton fillies. Her family is neat to me with Majestic Son. I like the cross to Trixton with the Majestic Son mare. It was just those little things. I also knew she wouldn’t bring a lot of money because she didn’t stand well. I like a bargain.”
In his career, Beaver has had two finalists in the Hambletonian and one in the Hambletonian Oaks. His best finish in those races came in 2014 when Il Sogno Dream finished fourth in the Hambletonian.
Awesome Trix will start the Hambletonian Oaks from post three and is 9-2 on the morning line behind Bella Bellini (3-1) and Lady Chaos (7-2).
“I think we’re in a good spot,” Beaver said. “I think they probably handicapped it about right. I think we have a shot. She’s been trotting home really fast in her last few starts, as good as any of them in there. She should land in a good spot from where she is on the gate.
“To win a race like this would personally mean a lot to me, a lot more than the money. It means a lot for me to buy one inexpensive like her and bring her out here and compete as we are. I enjoy that, developing a horse like her and showing that she can compete.
“Bob McNerney has been in the business 35 years and never had one race in the Oaks. This is probably the second or third horse we’ve owned together. That’s fun too, to bring people along that haven’t experienced it before.”
The field for the 51st edition of the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks for three-year-old trotting fillies, that takes place Saturday (August 7) at The Meadowlands, with post position, horse (driver, trainer) and morning line odds:
1. Darlene Hanover (Todd McCarthy, Brett Bittle), 10-1
2. Flawless Country (Ake Svanstedt, Ake Svanstedt), 15-1
3. Awesome Trix (Scott Zeron, Christopher Beaver), 9-2
4. Lady Chaos (David Miller, Linda Toscano), 7-2
5. Bella Bellini (Dexter Dunn, Nifty Norman), 3-1
6. Piper Hanover (Andy McCarthy, Tony Alagna), 8-1
7. Hot As Hill (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke), 15-1
8. Contested Hanover (Tim Tetrick, George Ducharme), 15-1
9. You Ato Dream (Jeff Gregory, Jeff Gregory), 8-1
10. Iteration (Brian Sears, Marcus Melander), 6-1
(USTA)