Harness: Sweet Lou filly Warrawee Ubeaut leads Gaitway freshmen winners

Yannick Gingras was impressed with 2-year-old female pacer Warrawee Ubeaut when he trained her earlier this year in Florida, and the filly continued to get high marks from Gingras following her first qualifier on Monday (June 11) at New Jersey’s Gaitway Farm.

Warrawee Ubeaut, a daughter of Sweet Lou out of Great Memories, paced her mile in 1:56 with a 26 3/5 final quarter-mile to win by eight lengths for trainer Ron Burke. She was a $70,000 purchase at the Lexington Selected Sale and is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Phil Collura, J&T Silva – Purnel & Libby, and the Weaver Bruscemi partnership. She is a half-sister to O’Brien Award-winning millionaire Warrawee Needy.

“When I was in Florida I really liked her; she was one of my favorite fillies that Ronnie had,” Gingras said. “She’s a little fussy with her mouth, has little quirks about her, but today she came a quarter in 26 and change and was very strong. I was really happy with her.”

There were nine qualifiers for 2-year-olds Monday at Gaitway, where the Burke Brigade sent out 21 of the day’s 45 rookies and won six of the races. The remaining three qualifiers for the 2-year-olds were won by Team Orange Crush, the wife-and-husband duo of trainer Julie Miller and driver Andy Miller.

Gingras won four times with 2-year-olds, with female pacers She’s Allright and Pace Baby Pace along with male pacer Semi Tough joining Warrawee Ubeaut.

She’s Allright, a daughter of Sweet Lou-Atsallrite Hanover, won in 1:54 3/5. She was bred by owners Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Michelle Yanek, and Collura. Her family includes Dan Patch Award-winner Allamerican Native and stakes-winner Apprentice Hanover.

This was She’s Allright’s second qualifying effort; she went off stride last week.

“I was a little careful with her, but she didn’t offer to do anything wrong today,” Gingras said. “There are little things to work on with her, I have to talk to Ronnie, but she had plenty of pace as well.”

Pace Baby Pace (Sweet Lou-Breakheart Pass) won in 1:56 3/5 and Semi Tough (Somebeachsomewhere-Jan It Jackson) won in 1:54 3/5 with a 26 2/5 final quarter. Pace Baby Pace is owned by breeders Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi. Semi Tough, who was purchased for $115,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale, is owned by Burke Racing, Frank Baldachino, J&T Silva – Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi. His family includes stakes-winner Sunshine Beach.

“A bunch of the pacers went very well,” Gingras said. “A lot of them went (1):54, (1):55, (1):56, so a lot of them have speed. You want to see how they do it and if they have manners. You need a quick turn of speed, but have to be able to turn it on and off and turn it on again.

“A lot of horses have one quarter in them, but if you want a top horse you need two quarters at different times in the race, not just back-to-back quarters. They’ve got to come back to you when you ask them. That’s kind of what you’re looking for now.”

Burke’s remaining winners were male pacer Bicorne Hanover (Art Major-Boldnbrash Hanover) in 1:55 3/5 with driver Joe Bongiorno and male trotter Goes Down Smooth (Muscle Hill-Peach Martini) in 1:57 with Andy McCarthy.

Bicorne Hanover was a $47,000 purchase at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, James Martin, and William Switala. His family includes Dan Patch and O’Brien awards winner Big Jim. Goes Down Smooth was purchased for $82,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is owned by Burke Racing, Switala, Martin, and Weaver Bruscemi.

Winners for the Millers were 2-year-old female trotters Reilly K in 2:00 1/5 and Paint The Corners in 2:00 along with male trotter Klutzy in 1:57 2/5.

Reilly K (Donato Hanover-Athena Miss) was purchased for $50,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale and is owned by Andy Miller Stable, Nick Surick Stable, and Daniel Plouffe. She is a full-sister to stakes-winner Make Or Miss. Paint The Corners (Andover Hall-Nuvola) is owned by breeder Al Libfeld. Klutzy (Cantab Hall-Upside Hanover) was purchased for $55,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale and is owned by Stroy Inc.

Trainer Trond Smedshammer had two second-place finishers among the 2-year-olds, sending out four starters in three races. Matterlei (Explosive Matter-Hawaiian Lei) finished second to Reilly K and Skyway Kon Man (Conway Hall-Keystone Sadie) finished second to Goes Down Smooth.

“They were OK,” Smedshammer said. “There were no real surprises. That’s all you ask for, that they behave and finish with a little trot.”

Smedshammer has 18 total 2-year-olds this season.

“I don’t see any stars in there, but they’re training down pretty solid,” he said. “But you don’t really know until you start racing.”

-Courtesy of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, please visit www.ustrotting.com