Meadowlands: Wallin looks to upset with weekend trio

Opportunities don’t come along that often in this sport, especially for young trainers. Lucas Wallin hasn’t been in North America very long but the 26-year-old has managed to get a quality education and seems well on his way. Last year was his second with a full compliment of horses and he nearly doubled his earnings achieved during 2017. The 2019 season is just underway and Wallin sends out three from his stable hoping to get this year off on the right foot at The Meadowlands.

About this time last year, Wallin stepped out to the tune of $95,000 to take home Signal Hill, a 4-year-old by Muscle Hill with a lofty pedigree that saw him sell for $250K as a yearling. Needless to say with stakes races behind, Wallin was hoping to pick up the ball and run with it. “He was just starting to get good when he hurt himself,” said Wallin of Signal Hill, who will make his 5-year-old debut in Friday’s $15,750 conditioned trot carded as race seven.

“He’s a big horse that can be hard on himself,” said Wallin. “We’ve taken our time bringing him back and I think we have him set up right. I don’t think he was fit enough for the first qualifier (December 28) but he was all right. In his second qualifier, Mitchell (Cushing) drove him and he was much improved.”

With a 1:53 2/5 mark taken last August at Harrah’s Philadelphia, Wallin seemed to be on his way to at least partially seeing his investment pay dividends. “The owners were very supportive in giving him the time he needed to come back. I think he’s fit enough but it’s still a first start back,” Wallin said.

Signal Hill faces eight rivals and has been tabbed at 15-1 on the morning line. On the surface that would appear a bit high, but the rest of the field has been more active, including 5-2 favorite Chromeo (post 7), who comes off a win and steps up for trainer Trond Smedshammer with Yannick Gingras in the bike.

Wallin is hopeful he can keep Signal Hill healthy and he strongly believes the horse that showed high-caliber stakes ability as a juvenile in 2016 can emerge this year and race at a high level. “I think he has the talent,” said Wallin, who hopes the lightly-raced gelding can be more of a regular player over the summer.

Tour De Lindy could be an overlay worth a shot in the evening’s ninth race as Wallin appears to have made the necessary adjustments. “I really don’t know exactly why he was making those breaks,” said Wallin of Tour De Lindy, a 5-year-old by Lucky Chucky that he purchased two years ago for just $25,000. “Eric (Carlson) drove him last week and he just sat in with him to keep him safe. He finished solidly.”

With the flat mile under his belt, Carlson may have more confidence in the gelding that won seven times in 2018 and finds himself down in class to the non-winners of $5,000 level. Tour De Lindy drew post five in the nine-horse field with veteran Tag Up And Go labeled the early choice after returning to action off a solid qualifier last weekend at The Meadowlands.

Wallin’s third horse on Friday night is Sevenbuyeleven. The 4-year-old mare by Chapter Seven was purchased at The Red Mile’s mixed sale in October and right now Wallin is on the fence about her future racing career. “She only qualified in two minutes,” said Wallin. “When I bought her it was with the idea of seeing if we could race her and if not trying breeding her. Right now I’m leaning more towards breeding her.”

Wallin suggested that a mating with Donato Hanover was one possibility while there is also an outside chance Tactical Landing might be an option if a breeding was available.

Wallin is training predominantly young horses and he hopes to return this summer with a quality sophomore colt in Sheer Muscle. “He was a $320,000 yearling that I got in my barn in August and he immediately got sick,” Wallin said. “I just raced him once at Harrah’s and he trotted easily in 1:58 for Andy McCarthy. I think he’s got a nice future.”