Happy Medium gets his chance in Toboggan

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The connections of Happy Medium have taken the old-school approach when it comes to bringing him to his first stakes race.

Rather than rush into a stakes off an impressive maiden win last September, trainer Michelle Nevin and owner Samantha Siegel had Happy Medium go through his first two allowance conditions. Saturday, weather permitting, Happy Medium will make his stakes debut in the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct.

There is a nor’easter forecast Friday night into Saturday, which could very well force the cancellation of the card and delay the Toboggan for a week. But the laid-back Nevin isn’t fretting over it.

:: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures

“There was no need to rush into running in a stakes, so here we are,” Nevin said Thursday. “We’re looking forward to running him. If Mother Nature says no, then that’s that. Nothing I can do about it.”

Happy Medium, a 4-year-old gelding by Runhappy, has won his last three starts by a combined 21 1/4 lengths. He has been forward in all three wins, but Nevin doesn’t view him as one-dimensional.

“I feel like he’s very easy to ride,” Nevin said. “He’ll sit back there if you want to or he’s got gears to be right up there. Manny just needs to give him a good, smart ride.”

Nevin was referring to Manny Franco, who rides Happy Medium from post 2.

Happy Medium would be trying seven furlongs and racing without Lasix for the first time. To both topics, Nevin said, “I don’t think that’s going to be an issue.”

The Toboggan drew a field of seven, but at least one key player is not expected to start. Chateau, winner of the Gravesend last out and the Grade 3 Tom Fool last year, will most likely scratch if Happy Medium stays in the race, trainer Rob Atras said. Atras was looking for a spot to run Chateau prior to a repeat bid in the Tom Fool on March 5. He could very well just train his horse up to that race.

Penguin Power, a winner of several West Virginia-bred stakes, is cross-entered in Saturday’s Fire Plug Stakes at Laurel.

Hopeful Treasure, based at Parx with Michael Catalano, shipped here to win the Grade 3 Fall Highweight in November, beating next-out winners Green Light Go and Chateau. Catalano said Hopeful Treasure didn’t train as well as he would have liked shortly after the Fall Highweight, so he skipped the Blitzen Stakes at Parx in late December and waited for the horse to tell him he was ready to go again.

“We’re going to go into this race feeling very good about it,” Catalano said. “He’s ready to run.”

Trevor McCarthy rides Hopeful Treasure from post 3.

Drafted, War Tocsin, and Repo Rocks complete the field.