Inverness Ave, So Joyful give Gaskin a one-two punch

by James Platz

Ernie Gaskin had a no-nonsense response when discussing the recent strong performances from a pair of trotting colts in his barn. Sophomore Inverness Ave has turned in back-to-back victories and is looking to make it three straight tonight (Sept. 11), while freshman So Joyful is already a three-time winner in Indiana Sires Stakes competition at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.

“I’ve had some good ones, but I don’t know if I’ve had a 3-year-old and a 2-year-old like that lined right up,” commented the 71-year-old conditioner. “It just doesn’t happen like that much in a lifetime for a guy that doesn’t spend over $20,000 and has a 15-horse stable.”

That’s saying something considering Gaskin’s credentials. The longtime Indiana transplant is a former Hoosier Park leading trainer that worked for the powerful Haughton stable during its heyday. Gaskin has over 850 career training wins to his credit, so when he makes that kind of statement, it is worth taking note.

As the conditioner has mentioned, his formula for investment each fall is predicated on buying yearlings with partners and sticking to a specific price range. The ceiling for a baby is $20,000, and Inverness Ave, a gelded son of Helpisontheway—Arvika, checked all the necessary boxes.

“I bought him in Lexington and he’s a ‘Help,’ obviously, and I like Helps and always have,” the trainer/co-owner said. “Interestingly enough, he was out of a Trixton mare, which I really like that cross. He was a nice individual and he fell into my price range, and that’s the combination it takes.”

Inverness Ave was one of two Helpisontheway yearlings consigned to Lexington in 2024. The dual-eligible colt was the second foal from a mare whose family included Dan Patch Award winner Armbro Blush. Gaskin partnered with Ted Engel and Doug Shore on the yearling.

As a freshman, the trotter collected two wins in 11 starts, winning an Indiana Sires Stakes eligible event at Hoosier Park. Also eligible to compete in the Bluegrass State, Inverness Ave scored a 1:56.2 KYSS triumph at Cumberland Run before racing third in the $100,000 final to close out the year with $64,545 on his card.

“He wasn’t that good early like I had wished he would have been,” Gaskin said. “He was kind of fighting to get points to make it, but luckily with dual eligibility, I was able to go down to Kentucky some and race down there. He trotted in [1]:54 on a five-eighths so I knew that he was as much as I had hoped. So, he wasn’t as good as one would like as a 2-year-old, but you’ve got to take those 2-year-old years as they come and let the horse tell you what’s going on.”

Getting the best out of Inverness Ave turned out to be an exercise in persistence. The gelding started his sophomore campaign with back-to-back trips to the winner’s circle in the Chad E. Carlton Trotting Series. It would take another three months to notch the next victory. In the meantime, Gaskin worked to address issues impacting the gelding’s performance. After taking a culture, he was able to identify the issues and address them.

“A lot of times horses are out there not performing quite like you, I or the railbirds might expect, but underlying is there’s an issue,” he said. “I was pacing around in circles waiting for the culture so I could respond. It takes seven, eight days to grow everything in a petri dish to do a true culture. Otherwise, you’re just guessing. There were some allergies involved, a bacterial, and a little bit of blood.”

Within 10 days of receiving the analysis on the culture, Gaskin had Inverness Ave in a place where the sophomore was finishing stronger at the end of each mile. The trotter returned to the winner’s circle July 9 in another INSS eligible event. Since then, Inverness Ave has not finished off the board racing in both Indiana and Kentucky. On Aug. 20, he handed previously-undefeated Dan D Man Can his first loss in INSS action. Sent off at odds of 22-1, Inverness Ave finished three-quarters-of-a-length in front in a time of 1:52.3.

“He just keeps getting better and better and better,” Gaskin said. “A lot of times there are frustrations when you don’t get things figured out or there are multiple things keeping a horse from their potential. But, if you can get to that point where you figure it out and they respond, then there’s no better reward in the world.”

Inverness Ave shipped to The Red Mile for his second $30,000 Kentucky Commonwealth start Aug. 31. In that contest, driver Tim Tetrick sent the 3-year-old to the front early before being shuffled to second behind favored Untouchable As. In the stretch, the gelding kicked home in :27.1 to win by a neck in 1:51. The tally pushed his seasonal earnings to $118,040, and career bankroll to $182,585 while making him eligible to the $100,000 Commonwealth final. The victory was also a milestone win for Gaskin.

“I’ve had some [1]:52 trotters and Two O B Wonkenobi obviously trotted in [1]:51 but he didn’t win in [1]:51,” said the trainer. “So, this is my fastest boy and I’m pretty proud of him.”

Inverness Ave will attempt to win three consecutive this evening, drawing into the second of two INSS legs for sophomore colt trotters. Kevin Lambright pilots the gelding from the rail in race 11.

While Inverness Ave continues to improve, freshman So Joyful established early on that he was one of the top trotting colts in his division. The Rebuff—Skateaway colt, a $30,000 yearling purchase, has finished first or second in five of seven seasonal starts, already banking $95,203 while taking a mark of 1:54.3 at Hoosier Park under the guidance of driver John De Long. The last time out, an INSS leg on Sept. 2, So Joyful raced second to Fifty And Famous as the favorite.

“I think he’s a special colt,” said Gaskin, who trains the 2-year-old for the ownership group of All-Wright Racing LLC, Brian Code, and James Nellinger. “He’s super balanced and super nice. We’ve had a lot of fun with him. John’s all on board. In the last start he left with him and then John said, ‘I didn’t want to use him again.’ When he got off and said that, I’m in love with him. He’s trying to take care of my horse for me.”

The patriarch of All-Wright Racing LLC is Bill Wright, who owned Hambletonian runner-up Classic Photo and finalist Dream Master. Gaskin considers it an honor to train So Joyful for Wright and his family. The experience, which includes a group chat with each owner set up by his daughter, Amanda, has reinvigorated the veteran horseman.

“I am telling you, they just kind of poured some blood back into my soul because it’s been so much fun with them,” Gaskin said. “Amanda sends videos of him training and stuff. It’s just been a joy to work with those guys so I’m hoping the colt’s as good as I hope he is for them.”

So Joyful is firmly in second place in divisional points with only one preliminary leg remaining before the $250,000 Super Final. Gaskin admitted that the colt is eligible to the Breeders Crown, but would have to step up considerably to be pointed to Ohio next month.

“I would say he would have to put in a heck of a performance in the [Sires Stakes] final in order for us to decide to go there, but hey, it’s a dream and we haven’t crushed it yet,” said the trainer. “We want to just take care of him and finish out the year good and then we’ll have a really, really special 3-year-old, I think. We brought him along cautiously, but he can trot really fast, so nobody’s seen the best of him yet.”

The seasonal journeys for Inverness Ave and So Joyful are drastically different by comparison. But together, Gaskin enters the fall with a one-two punch that could prove formidable when Super Finals arrive.

“There’s nothing better than a young trotter that’s got a big heart,” he said. “It restores the fun in the business, it really does. So, I’m excited.”