by James Platz

Last October, then-freshman pacer David Allan Whoa competed on the lucrative Hoosier Champions Night card. He narrowly missed out on battling for the top prize in a $250,000 Super Final, instead competing in, and nearly winning, a $25,000 consolation. Trainer Joe Putnam is optimistic his sophomore can carry this year’s early-season momentum into Monday’s (May 29) opening round of Indiana Sires Stakes (ISS) action at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. A good showing on Memorial Day would provide valuable points right out of the gate in a long sires stakes campaign.

“That’s what we’re hoping,” Putnam said. “We’ve had a nice prep leading up to the sires stakes. I think we’ve got a colt that will be competitive. That’s all you can ask for.”

David Allan Whoa has drawn into the 10th race on Hoosier Park’s special Memorial Day card, the $50,000 first division of ISS competition for sophomore colt pacers. It will mark the gelding’s fourth seasonal start. He enters the race with two wins to his credit, the latest a 1:50.4 effort in the $22,000 Hal Dale final held May 20.

“Our plan worked out well so far,” Putnam said. “We didn’t really want to be ready until around the first of May. We knew our colt didn’t race too much last year, so we were hoping to get three of four starts heading into sires stakes. Luckily, we only won one race last year, so we fit one of the early closers and that worked out great for us. The colt raced very well and won the final impressively.”

Despite only one trip to the winner’s circle last season, the owner took note of his pupil’s ability. David Allan Whoa managed to hit the board in six of 11 attempts. Perhaps with a little more luck and a better finish in one of his sires stakes starts, the pacer could have qualified for the Super Final last fall. Putnam was not disappointed in the gelding’s season. Quite the opposite, in fact. The Randy Wilt-bred son of Tellitlikeitis—Cinnamon Girl banked $41,840 and registered a beaten time of 1:50.3 over the Anderson oval.

“Training down as a 2-year-old we knew the colt had some talent,” Putnam said. “It just took him a while to mentally and physically develop, so he was a little slow getting started. As the year wore on, he improved pretty much every start. We just missed the sires stakes final by a point. We ended up in the consolation, which was fine. He got beat by a nose in the consolation. He had a pretty good year, and we were happy with the way he finished the year. We shut him down fairly early and let him grow up. So far, he’s come back pretty nice as a 3-year-old.”

After two qualifying efforts with son Joey at the lines, the sophomore made his debut for Putnam’s J P Racing, LLC on April 28 in a non-winners of two event with a purse of $14,000. David Allan Whoa held on by a neck in a time of 1:51.2. The gelding was back in action May 5, finishing second in the opening leg of the Hal Dale Series. Fifteen days later he scored his 1:50.4 triumph, taking command from post 6 and kicking home in :26.4 as the favorite, clear of the field by just over two lengths.

“We knew he had talent,” Putnam said. “Obviously, to race at the top level you need a lot of talent. We were hoping he would be a colt that could compete in sires stakes. So far, it looks like he’s going to be competitive, so we’re happy.”

Monday’s event will serve as an early test. David Allan Whoa has drawn post 5. To his immediate inside is the Erv Miller-trained Coach Stefanos, runner-up in last year’s Super Final and 2022 Indiana Sired freshman champion. He is one of four Super Final starters in the field of eight. The $49,500 second division (race 12) features a group of seven, headlined by 2022 Super Final winner Buzzsaw Russ.

“The 3-year-old boys are always a rugged bunch,” Putnam said. “The numbers in the divisions I thought were a little light just getting started, but the quality is awful deep.”

A $32,000 yearling purchase at the Hoosier Classic sale, David Allan Whoa has earned $62,590 to date. According to his trainer, he has all the tools to be a good horse and compete with the best in the Hoosier State this season.

“He’s kind of a pistol,” he said. “He’s got a good personality. He’s a very well-made horse. He looks like the Tellitilikeitis line. He’s strong, very stout, good-gaited, doesn’t wear any boots, and he’s got a good attitude. He loves racing. I think he’ll be a nice horse not only for this year, hopefully, but I think he could have a future as a nice racehorse.”

Putnam would love to see his charge develop into Indiana’s next top sophomore pacing star, but he is also playing the long game. He would also like to have a top horse for the next several seasons. He has had success guiding Indiana-sired talent to the top of their classes and then kept them there for several years. He conditioned millionaire trotter and multiple Indiana Sires Stakes champion ABC Mercedes, and he is navigating pacing mare Rockin Nola through a campaign that could see her eclipse seven figures by season’s end.

“I look at the whole picture,” Putnam said. “Obviously your 3-year-old year is probably the most lucrative of money events. But we try to develop horses for the long run. There’s certainly nothing wrong with having a really nice overnight horse. At this point, he looks like the type of horse that could develop into an open-caliber pacer. We’re definitely looking to the future as well.”

Hoosier Park’s Memorial Day program kicks off at 6:15 p.m. The card includes eight Indiana Sires Stakes contests for sophomores with two divisions apiece.