When Lonesome Road was gelded after two maiden races on turf at Colonial Downs last summer, trainer Michael Trombetta knew that he would have to run on dirt when he returned in the winter. He said he wasn’t concerned, though that’s much easier to say now. “It was a long wait to get him in on the dirt, so I took the time to go ahead and geld him, which I thought was something that would help him overall,” Trombetta said. “I told the ownership that by the time we got him gelded and ready to come back, there wouldn’t be any more turf. We were able to run on the dirt, and that’s what we did.” A different animal since his return late last year, Lonesome Road is now on a winning streak at Laurel Park, dominating in back-to-back starts by a combined 14 3/4 lengths. In his first race against winners last Friday, he stretched out to a mile and cruised home to a 6 1/4-length allowance victory, earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure. “I don’t know if I’ve ever had a horse, in a race like that, going as easily as he made it look,” Trombetta said. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Though it looked like Trombetta favored the grass for Lonesome Road early in his career, the trainer always considered dirt but simply had immense trouble entering him in races that would fill. He tried to enter the Virginia-bred on the surface multiple times at Colonial without success, and when the gelding was gearing up for his return at Laurel this winter, Trombetta said it took “three or four tries” to get him in a race. After a long wait, Lonesome Road finally made his dirt debut in a $49,000 maiden special weight on Dec. 26, kicking clear to win by 8 1/2 lengths. He earned a 93 Beyer off the bench at six furlongs and built on that effort going longer next time out. Trombetta said he is considering skipping a few steps to try a stakes at Laurel or Aqueduct soon. He also mentioned the short meet at Colonial in March, which could give the Virginia-bred a chance to run against state-restricted rivals in the $150,000 Boston Handicap. Cancellations cause conundrums For a second straight week, tracks across the Mid-Atlantic have been scratching race dates in anticipation of harsh cold and wind chill. Recent cancellations and brutal conditions at Laurel, Parx, Charles Town, and other tracks have left several trainers in a bind, struggling to prepare horses without consistent access to facilities. “You’re really guessing where you are with your horse,” Parx-based trainer Butch Reid said. Reid, who will ship stakes runners Maximus Meridius and Mailata to Aqueduct on Saturday, said that it has become harder to prepare his younger runners who need more attention. He managed to get a string of horses on the track Wednesday morning and reported no incidents. Gary Capuano and Jamie Ness planned to ship 3-year-olds to New York this weekend, but both trainers abandoned those plans, in part because of the poor conditions. Ness didn’t have time to prepare Parx-based filly Law School for the $135,000 Ruthless and will try to find a race in February. Capuano planned to ship Hollywood Import or Wild Warrior to the $200,000 Withers, but both horses were instead entered at home in the $100,000 Spectacular Bid on Saturday at Laurel. Temperatures are expected to be well below freezing, one week after the Maryland track canceled racing due to extreme wind chill. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.