By James Platz

When Six Again and Trace Tetrick pulled away from the field to win by open lengths Friday (April 7) at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, the sophomore pacer flashed the speed trainer Joel Smith knew he possessed, stopping the clock in an opening division of the Jerry Landess Series in 1:52.1. Smith and the connections are hoping this immature and headstrong gelding can couple that speed with the experience of competing in this series and others to develop into a sire stakes-caliber horse after missing his 2-year-old campaign.

“He’s just a big, green, dumb colt right now,” Smith said of his charge. “He’s learning. He’s definitely got a little ability, but he’s got a ways to go yet.”

Six Again is from the first crop of Check Six and was purchased by Smith for $35,000 at the Hoosier Classic Sale in October 2021. Bred by Conquest Acres LP, the gelding is the first foal from the American Ideal mare A Plus, a winner of just over $175,000 with a sophomore mark of 1:51. She is also a half-sister to Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final winner, Egomania. Six Again’s third dam is Dan Patch, O’Brien and Nova Award winner So Fresh.

“The mare he was out of was a very nice race mare,” Smith said. “She had a mark of [1]:51 and made a good amount of money. The breeding was there.”

Owned by the partnership of Stanley Tarvidas, Ronald Schuler, Lynwood Romano and Paula Smith, Six Again failed to make the races last year. Smith had trained the pacer down to two minutes and was preparing to qualify when the freshman was plagued with soreness. The trainer believes Six Again’s size contributed to the issues.

“I’m thinking that was probably part of his problem last year,” he said. “He was just kind of immature. He just got off. The vets told me that if I liked him to turn him out. So, we turned him out.”

The horseman started back with Six Again in late fall with designs on racing in Ohio before the close of 2022, but struggled to get in. The gelding didn’t make his first start until the new year, lining up behind the gate on Jan. 9 at Miami Valley. He raced fourth in his pari-mutuel debut, driven by Brandon Bates. Six Again collected his first win the next time out. Piloted by Brett Miller, the 3-year-old finished half a length in front, registering a time of 1:57. Making six starts at Miami Valley before moving to Hoosier Park, Six Again collected a pair of third-place finishes and earned a check each time out. He has, however, proven difficult to manage on the track.

“He’s definitely got speed,” Smith said. “He’s just a little hard-headed. They’re having trouble sitting in a hole with him. Brett drove him a couple times and said he was just very strong. He had trouble keeping him in a hole and he ran up over horses. He doesn’t want to let you drive him. He wants to go himself. A lot of that will come with experience, too.”

Shifting to Hoosier Park’s seven-eighths configuration, Smith believes the bigger track will play to Six Again’s strengths.

“He was kind of cross firing a little bit over at Miami Valley, getting on himself a little bit,” he said. “I think the bigger track is definitely his forte.”

Tetrick steered the sophomore in his last Miami Valley start, a fifth-place effort where the gelding kicked home in :27.4 and paced the mile in 1:53.1. He has been on board in two Hoosier Park outings, the first a runner-up performance in a non-winners of two contest. Smith said that Six Again is learning, but the progress is slow.

“I wouldn’t say quickly, no,” Smith said. “He’s learning. He’s got gate speed. We’ve found out he’s got that real good. He’s got to learn to relax. That’s the thing right now. Sit in a hole and relax. That’s what he hasn’t got.”

In last week’s opening round of the Landess Series, Six Again was sent off as the favorite and didn’t require a hole in his $9,000 split. Sent to the lead from post five, the sophomore was able to relax and proceeded to wire the field, winning by 9 1/4 lengths while blazing home in :26.3.

“I like him so far,” Smith said. “He’s kind of impressing me a little bit. The last quarter is what I like. He came home very strong and was well in hand doing it. We’re trying different things with rigging. Trying to get him to settle a little bit. So far, I haven’t hit quite the right combination yet, but he seems to be getting better.”

Schuler, who is relatively new to the business, joined the 3-year-old in the winner’s circle last week. Six Again is the second horse he has owned. Tonight, the gelding attempts to add his third seasonal win in the second leg of the Landess Series. He will be steered by Tetrick from post four in the night’s second race. Also drawing into the event is undefeated Starlit Beachboy, also unraced at 2, starting from the outside post in the field of seven.

The Landess Series concludes April 21, and Six Again can immediately move into the Hal Dale Series (May 5, 12 and 20), setting the stage for the opening round of Indiana Sires Stakes slated for May 29. These opportunities are crucial in preparing the pacer for the ultra-competitive stakes program.

“To be a sire stakes horse, he’s going to have to go a whole lot more,” Smith said. “We’ve got a ways to go. I’m glad he’s doing what he’s doing. And he’s doing it fairly easily. Trace was pretty much just sitting there last week when he won with him. And he said the same thing, there’s some more left there.

“He doesn’t get tired. I’ve never had him come back in blowing yet. He’s got good wind. I don’t think the mile will ever get too long for him. He just keeps going.”

Between now and the end of May, Six Again will need to continue to improve with each start if he stands a chance to be competitive in Indiana’s top program. That will require the continued diligence and patience from Smith that has brought his charge this far.

“You just have to ride it out and hope for the best,” he said. “You hope they learn. You’ve got to keep trying things. That’s the biggest part of it. Right now, he just needs experience.”