Woodbine Mohawk Park: Twin B Archie sharp in OSS Gold Series debut

Twin B Archie made an impressive debut in the Gold Series at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Thursday, July 29, clocking a 1:55 3/5 victory in the first of three C$70,533 divisions for the 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

From post one, driver James MacDonald settled the favorite in fourth as Drinks At Home clocked a 28 1/5 opening quarter. Following Red Overbach past Renegade Gypsy and Drinks At Home, MacDonald allowed that colt a brief moment on the lead before Twin B Archie took command heading for the 57 1/5 half. Untroubled on the lead through the 1:26 3/5 three-quarters, Twin B Archie opened up a 7 1/2 length margin on his peers down the stretch to secure his first lifetime win after runner-up efforts in the Grassroots and Millard Farms Series. Drinks At Home finished second, and Red Overbach was third.

"I was a little worried when he moved him to the front because he's never been any good training on the front, so I was kind of impressed with him today," said trainer Scott McEneny. "He looks like he could be hopefully a contender here for the year if we can keep him sound and keep him sane."

McEneny shares ownership of Twin B Archie with Domenic Chiaravalle, Floyd Marshall, and Martwest Racing Stable. The partners offered up $52,000 for the Archangel gelding at last fall's Standardbred Horse Sale, and he has been a bit of a project since Day 1.

"He's a big dummy. They had problems when they brought him in before they sold him; that's why he was gelded before he even went through the sale. He just gets scared and does stupid things," said McEneny. "Walking to the paddock one day in the snow he heard somebody kicking the walker, and he darted sideways and dragged me for like 20 feet on the ground.

"He's come a long way. I always thought he had the ability; he just never kind of showed it. He was always lazy, but I figured as soon as he got behind the gate he'd wake up," the trainer added. "He's just done everything that I thought he would do."

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The second division saw Esplosione earn his second straight Gold Series win with an off-the-pace effort for driver Trevor Henry. Also starting from post one, the Kadabra gelding watched from fourth as favorite Luca Hanover reeled off a 27 4/5 quarter, 58 1/5 half, and 1:28 1/5 three-quarters. When Henry opened the throttle in the stretch, Esplosione powered away to a 3 1/4 length victory in 1:57 4/5. Mr Fritter finished second, and Luca Hanover settled for third.

"He does it really easy, like Trevor the last two weeks he hasn't had to pull the plugs or anything. He's just very professional. When he comes off cover, he just wants to go forward," said trainer Meg Crone. "And he's really smart, which helps a lot with a 2-year-old trotter."

Crone trains Esplosione for owner-breeder Melvin Hartman and trainer Richard "Nifty" Norman's Enzed Racing Stable Inc. A 1:58 2/5 winner in the July 8 Gold Series season opener, the gelding prepped for Thursday's leg in a well-attended schooler at Woodbine Mohawk Park last week.

"There was no race for him, so we had to end up schooling him last week, and it was funny, almost every horse in his race was in his schooler because they were in the same boat," said Crone, who may resort to the same strategy before the third Gold Series event on Aug. 19 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. "This was his fourth start, and we'll try to get one more, but we don't want to have too many because we'll probably try the Grand Circuit races with him."

The last C$70,534 division saw favorites Duly Resolved and driver Paul MacDonell pick up their second Gold win with a front-end effort from post seven that saw them log fractions of 28 2/5, 58 1/5, and 1:27 4/5 on the way to a 4 1/2 length victory in 1:56. HP Maestro finished second, and Century Isaiah completed the top three.

"I still get nervous, but I was impressed tonight. I mean truthfully it's hard to get a read on him because he's fairly laid back and so you're saying, 'Geez, has he got any more or not?'" said trainer John Bax. "I mean last time was 1:57 and you're thinking, 'Was he all out in 1:57?' And then he goes out there in 1:56 tonight, and he looks like he's just loafing. We're tickled."

Bax Stable, Don Allensen, Gaelic Stable, and David Hudson share ownership on the gelding, who is three-for-three with earnings of C$93,067 in his young career.

--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--