Giwner: Spring preview for 3-year-old trotters

With spring having sprung on March 20, despite another snowstorm visiting the Northeast the following day and no warm temperatures in sight for the area into early April, this seems like the perfect opportunity to look ahead at the potential top 3-year-old trotters for 2018.

We are still some 19 weeks away from the warm August sun on Hambletonian Day, but the 93rd edition of that trotting classic and its companion race, the Hambletonian Oaks, will once again highlight the calendar for 2018.

Who are my Winterbook choices as the top 3-year-old trotters this year?

I’ve narrowed it down to a six-pack each of colts and fillies. Normally I would rank them, but I didn’t see enough separation in 2018 to feel comfortable with such a definitive look. Of course the filly Manchego deserves to be #1, but while she dominated with a perfect record, she was one of five with the fastest pari-mutuel win at 1:52 4/5. Looking back at the previous three years, that time ranks as the slowest for the leader in the category – Walner (2016 – 1:51 3/5); Southwind Frank (2015 – 1:52 2/5); Mission Brief (2014 – 1:50 3/5).

For what it is worth, and it may not be worth much since success or speed as a 2-year-old is not the sole indicator of 3-year-old dominance, the 1:52 4/5 clocking wouldn’t rank in the history books as one of the Top 10 fastest miles by a rookie trotter. In fact, the time was the slowest since 2012 when a pair of fillies – To Dream On and Fashion Athena – trotted the year’s best mile of 1:53 2/5.

In the interest of full disclosure, Strawberry Hanover won a qualifier in 1:52 2/5 in 2017 if you want to count that as the fastest mile of the year. We won’t get the chance to see if she can better that time since she has moved on from racing to try motherhood.

Without further ado, in alphabetical order starting with the ladies, here are my pre-season divisional leaders:

BASQUIAT

Record: 10-6-3-0

Earnings: $241,671

Best Time: 1:52 4/5

Trainer: Jimmy Takter

Owner: Order By Stable

Breeder: Order By Stable

Sire/Dam: Cantab Hall / Thatsnotmyname

She’s a member of the 1:52 4/5 club, so that alone should merit her consideration. Her biggest win came in the $240,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes Final at the Red Mile. Obviously she has more to prove against stakes foes but she showed a solid foundation as a freshman.

HEY BLONDIE

Record: 13-5-1-3

Earnings: $295,595

Best Time: 1:53 1/5

Trainer: Chuck Sylvester

Owner: Steve Jones, Mary Kinsey Arnold, Paul Bordogna & David McDuffee

Breeder: Hanover Shoe Farms

Sire/Dam: Cantab Hall / Winbak Blondie

She traded blows with Basquiat in 2017 and picked up her biggest win versus that foe in the Kindergarten Final at The Meadowlands. While she never got in gear in the Breeders Crown, she made some noise in the rich Goldsmith Maid before making a break late in the mile. We definitely saw enough to say she has talent.

MANCHEGO

Record: 12-12-0-0

Earnings: $873,948

Best Time: 1:52 4/5

Trainer: Jimmy Takter

Owner: Black Horse Racing, John Fielding & Herb Liverman

Breeder: Brittany Farms

Sire/Dam: Muscle Hill / Secret

She never lost and basically took home the trophy in every major stakes race in her division. She goes into 2018 as the hands-down 1-5 favorite to crush her foes again, but I’d prefer to see a couple of races in her sophomore season before etching her name into the history books as the best this year.

PHAETOSIVE

Record: 7-4-2-1

Earnings: $259,853

Best Time: 1:53 1/5

Trainer: Trond Smedshammer

Owner: Purple Haze LLC

Breeder: Hanover Shoe Farms

Sire/Dam: Explosive Matter / Phaeton

Smedshammer was patient with her all year and only raced her seven times. She came within three-quarters of a length of Manchego in the Peaceful Way final. Anyone who watched her in 2017 couldn’t help but be impressed. The sky is truly the limit here.

PLUNGE BLUE CHIP

Record: 10-9-0-0

Earnings: $404,690

Best Time: 1:53 1/5

Trainer: Ake Svanstedt

Owner: Ake Svanstedt Inc., Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc.

Breeder: Blue Chip Bloodtock Inc.

Sire/Dam: Muscle Mass / Dunk The Donato

Only one clunker on the year for her in the NY Sire Stakes final at Yonkers Raceway. Other than that, she was perfect in nine starts including stakes wins in the Goldsmith Maid and Matron. Along the way she also set track records at Tioga Downs, Yonkers and Buffalo Raceway.

SEVIYORUM

Record: 12-3-5-1

Earnings: $292,986

Best Time: 1:55 4/5

Trainer: Julie Miller

Owner: Story Inc., Andy Miller Stable Inc.

Breeder: Story Inc.

Sire/Dam: Donato Hanover / Armbro Domino

Her calling card is that she never puts in an awful race. She was fifth or better in all 12 starts and fourth or better in 11 tries. It remains to be seen whether a winter of growth will result in her catching the others in terms of time, but I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Other notables: O So Easy was the top 2-year-old trotting filly in Indiana. We have all seen the recent success of Hannelore Hanover and others from that state. Lily Stride finished in-the-money in 11 of 13 starts and always looked like a filly that could be any kind.

And now the boys . . .

ALARM DETECTOR

Record: 7-6-1-0

Earnings: $225,482

Best Time: 1:52 4/5

Trainer: Benoit Baillargeon

Owner: Thomas & Elizabeth Rankin, Claude Hamel & Santo Vena

Breeder: Order By Stable

Sire/Dam: Chapter Seven / Final Countdown

You can’t argue with one stakes final appearance (William Wellwood) and one win. He was also tied for the fastest mile of the year while only losing one race. A cannon bone bruise that cut his 2017 campaign short is said to be in the rear view mirror and the Goodtimes at Mohawk is scheduled as his first stakes race this year.

FASHIONWOODCHOPPER

Record: 11-5-0-1

Earnings: $256,889

Best Time: 1:53

Trainer: Jim Campbell

Owner: Fashion Farms LLC

Breeder: Fair Winds Stable

Sire/Dam: Donato Hanover / Woodshopper

After a slow start, this guy looked like he could be the best in the division by the end of September. Something went awry after his career best 1:53 win at the Red Mile and he never found his best in his final few races. If Campbell can get him right again, watch out!

FOURTH DIMENSION

Record: 11-8-1-0

Earnings: $397,410

Best Time: 1:52 4/5

Trainer: Marcus Melander

Owner: Courant Inc.

Breeder: Ray Schnittker, Steve Arnold & Blue Chip Bloodstock

Sire/Dam: Chapter Seven / Corazon Blue Chip

He secured Dan Patch divisional honors by winning the Valley Victory to close out 2017. Driver Brian Sears followed him around the NY Sire Stakes circuit and steered him to a track record-equaling 1:57 at Yonkers Raceway and 1:58 at Monticello Raceway. If this division has a leader, it’s him.

MET’S HALL

Record: 11-5-3-1

Earnings: $267,135

Best Time: 1:52 4/5

Trainer: Julie Miller

Owner: Story Inc., Andy Miller Stable Inc.

Breeder: Winbak Farm

Sire/Dam: Cantab Hall / Met’s Inn

He wasn’t able to break through in one of the big dances but you can’t argue with a second in the Breeders Crown and the 1:52 4/5 mark. While he comes up short in earnings compared to some of the others, he looks every bit as good on the scale of potential.

SAMO DIFFERENT DAY

Record: 13-2-5-4

Earnings: $337,222

Best Time: 1:54 2/5

Trainer: Jimmy Takter

Owner: Christina Takter, Samo Partners

Breeder: Lindy Farms of Conn

Sire/Dam: Cantab Hall / Lindy’sleadinglady

He burst on the scene by winning the Haughton elimination with trainer Takter driving at 21-1 and followed it up with a solid second in the final behind stablemate You Know You Do. While he lacked a signature win, he did set a track record of 1:54 4/5 at Hoosier Park and picked up big checks in many of the top races.

YOU KNOW YOU DO

Record: 12-5-3-0

Earnings: $374,406

Best Time: 1:54 2/5

Trainer: Jimmy Takter

Owner: Howard Taylor, Order By Stable, Bud Hatfield, Marvin Katz & Al Libfield

Breeder: Valley High Stable

Sire/Dam: Muscle Hill / You Want Me

Came out strong from the start in 2017 but slowed as the calendar switched to October. That’s understandable for a colt that was baby-racing by June 5. He’ll have to get faster to win as a 3-year-old, but the foundation is there for him to be a top colt.

Other notables: Breeders Crown winner Fiftydallarbill didn’t make my list because he isn’t eligible to the Hambletonian or the Yonkers Trot. He’ll have to be great in races like the Canadian Trotting Classic and Breeders Crown to make up for the races he’ll miss. Wolfgang doesn’t have the Trotting Classic or Yonkers Trot on his dance card.

Much can happen between March and May when these top trotters will start appearing on the track. Let’s hope the majority of them stay healthy and some newbies emerge to provide us with a thrilling year of trotting action.