by Ron Gurfein

The weather was far less than cooperative as at 5:30 a.m. Saturday when I awoke there was a 30 per cent chance of rain at 8 a.m. A light persistent rain was the order of the morning and the monsoon came as I turned to go my mile. I was able to complete my morning assignments training Oh So Easy along with Union Forces and the speedy Magic Joe Lindy a mile in 2:18 on a track rated, by me, as awful. I also had the pleasure of training the brilliantly fast Cantab Hall colt High West from Define Royalty, bred by Crawford Farms. This big, beautiful, easy-going monster cruised a mile in 2:40 on an awful racetrack besting the unnamed Ready Cash colt from Highscore Kemp and Dazzling Lindy a Crazed Colt from Lindy on the Rocks In 2:40.

Loose Leotard (c Always A Virgin—Highlandopheliaroc), Panthers Pinot (c, Panther Hanover—Baby MC and Queentrix (f Trixton—the Ice Queen) looked great going their miles in 2:42 for the Peter Wrenn group. They also showed off the fabulous Chin Chin Hall in 2:15 and the 2-year-old filly Skyway Tenacious a Swan For All from The Magic of Paris in 2:40.

To quote my good friend David McDuffee, owner of Chin Chin Hall, “Force And Fury from the talented Tony Alagna barn is the best I have seen this year.”

You can believe this writer David knows of what he speaks.

Another fine pair from Lindy Farm was the beautiful filly Truth Hanover by Western Ideal from the good mare The Art Museum training with Lifestory Hanover (f Somebeachsomewhere—Livin Life), comfortable in 2:40.

I also caught a nice pair 2-year-old fillies from Paul Kelley: Allswell Hanover by Cantab Hall from Aunt Mel and I’m Winin Hanover an Explosive Matter from I’m On Cloud Nine.

I caught a stunning pair from Lindy Farm: Prefect Hanover the fabulously bred colt by Father Patrick from the great Passionate Glide and an equally well-bred filly She Does TRX a Trixton from La Rivera Lindy, slick in 2:38.

The quickest 2-year-old sets came from Paul Kelley. Cover Girl (f, Muscle Hill—To Dream On) was sensational in 2:27 besting Mambo (f, Yankee Glide—Dance To Market) and Flying Glider (f, Cantab Hall—Highland Glider). Amos Hart (c Trixton—Zeta Jones), a trotter I write about weekly, performed his usual magic against Tumult a Father Patrick from Graceful Kelley and Pats Inspiration (f Credit Winner—Skara Brae).

I apologize to the Alagna Barn because I missed many of their sets while training some of the nice Lindy Farm horses. I did see a few nice sets from Tony’s barn, however. The aforementioned Force And Fury with Donna the Captaintreacherous colt from My Little Dragon, Chief Mate with Tony, a Captaintreacherous colt from Heaven Forbid, and Ideal Perception (c, American Ideal—Southwind Siren) with Matt looked energetic in 2:35 as did Carma Delight (f Captaintreacherous—Darlins Delight), Creative Power (f Artspeak—Shyaway) and Caviart Heather (f Somebeachsomewhere—Full Picture) in 2:30 trained by Tony, Donna and Matt in that order.

On the trotting side of the Alagna contingent, I saw fillies Confidante a Brittany homebred by Father Patrick—Anywhere With You and Ramona Hill a Muscle Hill from Lock Down Lindy, both go nice miles in 2:30.

Please keep the Ask the Guru questions coming in and I will start giving you a future book of the big races coming up in both the standardbred and thoroughbred schedules. Have a great week.