Independence Hall runs highest Beyer Speed Figure by a 2-year-old this year in Nashua

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – If not for a burst water pipe that forced Laurel Park to cancel its Oct. 24 card, we still might not know just how good a colt Independence Hall is.

Independence Hall dominated Sunday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct by 12 1/4 lengths, earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure that ranks as the best figure achieved by a 2-year-old of any gender in 2019. Yet, the Nashua was Plan B after a first-level allowance on Oct. 24 at Laurel was lost when that card – and subsequently three more – was canceled due to a broken water pipe along the track apron.

Aron Wellman, whose Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners bought into Independence Hall following his maiden victory on Sept. 21 at Parx Racing, said he was trying to take the conservative approach by running him in an allowance before tackling stakes company.

“I guess in all success stories like this there’s a little serendipity and intervention involved,” Wellman said. “Hopefully, this is a story we’ll be telling in six or seven months.”

Wellman, Randy Gullat, and Steve Davison – the principals of Twin Creeks Racing – and Bob and Kathleen Verratti were scheduled to talk this week about future plans for Independence Hall in the wake of his devastatingly easy victory in Sunday’s Nashua.

While the Nashua is typically the prep for the Grade 2 Remsen, a 1 1/8-mile race at Aqueduct on Dec. 7, Wellman said the Nashua performance may force him to wait.

“My gut instinct at this time is he probably ran a little bit bigger than we were expecting him too in all respects,” Wellman said. “Knowing that, we might just have to take a deep breath and a step back from the Remsen. I wouldn’t take it off the table, but I wouldn’t say it’s a definitive target either. We might want to avoid running him back too quick off an effort like that.”

In the Nashua, Independence Hall stalked the longshot pacesetter Spycraft through a half-mile in 45.55 seconds. He poked his head in front at the three-eighths pole before opening up in upper stretch. Independence Hall did come out three paths in the stretch, presumably from one smack of Jose Ortiz’s left-handed whip.

“Jose said he over responded to the stick. He hadn’t seen a whole lot of that. He probably was like ‘Where is that coming from?’ ” Trombetta said. “He seemed to be fine afterward.”

The performance by Independence Hall even took Trombetta a little bit by surprise.

“We were expecting a decent run but could never have anticipated that,” Trombetta said.

Independence Hall returned to Fair Hill, a training center in Maryland, on Sunday night and was fine Monday morning, Trombetta said.

Wellman said the ultimate goal with Independence Hall is the Kentucky Derby. He and his partners on the horse as well Trombetta will get together soon to discuss the best way to get there.

Wellman said Independence Hall impressed him enough in his debut at Parx to pursue buying him and were thankful the Verrattis were amenable to sell part interest in him.