Trainer Joe Holloway had just finished watching the best horse in his stable – Ammo – win a qualifier on Tuesday (May 2) at Harrah’s Philadelphia and had time to think about the future while looking at the past. “They have to have pedigree,” Holloway said, noting that while there are times where less expensive horses achieve greatness, as was the case in 2022 with Bulldog Hanover, primarily the best horses are ones deep-rooted with great maternal families. That Holloway’s perspective comes into play as the 3-year-old season begins in earnest for many of the top-rated, and some that will soon be rated, perhaps hits closest to Holloway’s career and the best horses he has ever trained. In Ammo, a son of Sweet Lou, there’s a glimmer of the next generation from a stallion that appears to be on the verge of a breakout year, but equally and perhaps a shade sentimental to Holloway, a maternal link back to Jenna’s Beach Boy. In looking towards the future, Holloway couldn’t help but recall the first few starts Jenna’s Beach Boy had during his brilliant, yet disappointing 3-year-old season. “Jenna won his first start as a 3-year-old at The Meadowlands,” said Holloway. “Then [Meadowlands racing secretary] Joe [DeFrank] wouldn’t put him in against 3-year-olds in his next start and insisted he race older horses in the Open.” That decision back in 1995 led to Jenna’s Beach Boy’s first defeat of the season, albeit a brilliant performance where he paced a mile in 1:50 and change and was beaten by a seasoned 4-year-old. At this point it’s hard or near impossible to put Ammo and Jenna’s Beach Boy on the same trajectory, primarily because of the difference in their 2-year-old careers. Jenna’s Beach Boy was the dominant freshman throughout his first year at the races and Ammo was, from some appearances, a late bloomer, though much of that had to do with some soreness developed from early baby races. “He didn’t have the experience,” Holloway said of Ammo. “I’m not saying that cost him since he was able to overcome it and win the Breeders Crown. The Governor’s Cup is a race I thought it might have hurt some since he had to pace a demanding second quarter and couldn’t relax.” Though a huge upsetter in the Breeders Crown last year at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Ammo would finish third in his final 2-year-old race after being stressed some in the middle half. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter “[Governor’s Cup] was still a good race from him. Though he finished third he was right there on the wire,” Holloway said. On Tuesday, in what could serve as a prelude to some battles that might ensue during the stakes season, Ammo went wire-to-wire when capturing his second qualifier of the year in a sparkling 1:51 mile. Confederate, the horse who finished behind him in the Breeders Crown, was once again coming in second. Holloway didn’t take much from the competition and more or less focused on his horse and the purpose of the qualifier. “He had never been on a five-eighths mile track,” Holloway said of Ammo. “He handled it well.” Perhaps a bit of an understatement as Ammo blitzed a third quarter in 26 1/5, exhibiting the wicked speed in his arsenal that’s sure to take him far this year. Holloway appears in no rush to put Ammo against the best, at least in the near term, and has taken a more traditional approach by simply looking to a first race that will make Ammo comfortable. “I’m going to race him in a non-winners of 3 here [Harrah’s Philadelphia],” said Holloway, “Then probably go in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes [May 28] and from there possibly the Somebeachsomewhere.” That last stop would be a final prep for the North America Cup that Ammo is eligible to over a track that he first got noticed late last season. Holloway’s cautious optimism is understandable in the way nearly everything is for a veteran trainer that’s seen some incredible highs along his journey in the sport but has also had to deal with disappointment, especially in some of the sport’s major races. “I’d like to win the Meadowlands Pace,” said Holloway, looking back on years of bad trips and bad luck with horses that were predicted to dominate but never reached the starting gate. One of those was in fact Jenna’s Beach Boy, who was injured and missed both the North America Cup and Meadowlands Pace in 1995 but dominated his sophomore rivals the rest of the year. It would perhaps be fitting if Ammo proved to be Holloway’s first horse to capture a Meadowlands Pace given the pedigree connection to his former star. Ammo’s dam Beach Gal was a $482K-winning stakes filly by the great Somebeachsomewhere that achieved impressive success nearly from the start of her broodmare career. Her second foal Always A Miki was as impressive a colt early in 2020 as we’d seen and he would go on to earn over a half-million dollars. He was by Always B Miki, a colt that finished second in the 2014 Meadowlands Pace after suffering from a brutal trip for Holloway. “I was talking to David [Miller] before that race and he told me ‘we’re not going to be three-wide this race.” The conversation had to do with Always B Miki being forced wide in his Meadowlands Pace elimination. As if to be prophetic, Always B Miki was pretty much three-wide the entire Meadowlands Pace that year and miraculously finished second, pacing home in 25 3/5 but simply having too much ground to make up. Beach Gal was the first foal from Michelle My Gal (Dragon Again), a 100 percent producer who later would have the brilliantly fast Nicholas Beach to her credit. Michelle My Gal was a full sister to the $1.8 million winner Atochia, with her dam Five O’Clock Cindy, a half-sister to Jenna’s Beach Boy. The bloodlines are clearly in place when speaking of Ammo and they will not change. What needs to change is a different end to the story of a sophomore season. Holloway has had more than his share of gifted horses through a Hall of Fame career but deserves to check off a few big races on the sophomore stakes calendar that have been missing for too long. In addition to The Meadowlands Pace, Ammo is also eligible to most of the big ones including The Little Brown Jug, a Triple Crown event that has eluded Holloway for all too long.