Orseno happy with Happy My Way

MIAMI - Happy My Way has come a long way since defeating Speechify under allowance conditions at Gulfstream last December, winning 3 of 7 subsequent starts, including the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Handicap at Pimlico. He was also second in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt at Saratoga.

Happy My Way is on his way back to south Florida following Saturday’s second-place finish behind upset winner Zee Bros in the De Francis Memorial at Laurel Park, a performance his trainer Joe Orseno was excited about even in defeat.

Happy My Way, who is usually on the lead, rallied from fourth place under Joe Bravo in that race.

“We were as happy as you could be after finishing second,” Orseno said, “although I believe we ran the best horse. I told Joe in the paddock that Plan A was to try to open a length and hope they leave us alone in front. But when those other horses wanted the lead, Joe went to Plan B, which was to take him off the pace and keep away from a speed duel. We knew this horse could rate, but he’d always done it before from the outside. The 1 post kind of killed us. He had to wait longer than he wanted to finally get out, and when he did, he weaved his way through there and came flying at the end.”

Orseno said Happy My Way will make his next start in the Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 17, a race in which he finished second behind the odds-on Ribo Bobo earlier this year.

Orseno has plenty of stakes action on the horizon. He’ll run juvenile filly Save Rock and Roll in the 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle at Aqueduct on Nov. 29 and both Oasis at Midnight and Claiming Victory in the Claiming Crown on opening day, Dec. 6, of the Gulfstream Park championship meeting.

Save Rock and Roll is coming off a third-place finish going a mile in the Grade 3 Tempted at Aqueduct.

“She hit the side of the gate at the start then came running to finish third, and I know she’ll love a mile and one-eighth,” said Orseno, who is also keeping a string of horses stabled in New York over the winter.