Barn Tour: Trombetta updates on 15, juveniles to stakes winners

It seems that for Michael Trombetta, the state of his stable is steady and improving.

The last three years have been his best three years, earnings-wise, and at $2.9 million so far, he’s more than halfway to his high point.

“It has been steady,” Trombetta told Horse Racing Nation on Monday. “I've been on a decent run for the most part. The wire hasn't been kind to me lately. It either gets there too soon or too late. But for the most part, the horses are all running pretty well.”

He has about 95 horses in training, a number that hasn’t changed much from year to year.

“We're a little bit seasonal because we have so many turf runners,” the Maryland-based trainer said. “We do take some to South Florida in the winter, but the regional, everyday turf runners, a lot of them get a little break over the winter.”

And don’t be surprised if you see Michael Trombetta Jr. in his father’s operation before long.

“My son's in his second year of college,” Tromebetta said. “He's in the equine business program at Louisville. So it's kind of limited to what he can do at this point. But he's learning a lot of good stuff right now. And eventually, I would hope that when school's in the rearview mirror, he can definitely help me even more.”

Trombetta provided updates on top horses and promising juveniles in his stable for HRN’s Barn Tour series.

Arzak. The 6-year-old son of Not This Time is one of two graded-stakes winners for Trombetta this year with a victory in the Shakertown (G2) in April. Then he was second to Cogburn in the Jaipur (G1) and a close third in a black-type stakes at Monmouth Park. “He's quite a nice horse to have in the barn. It was a little disappointing, his race at Monmouth. I think there was a little bit of a traffic issue, and just the speed kind of got away from him that day. He was making a big run, he just didn't get there in time. But we're pointing him towards a race at Saratoga the beginning of September, the Harvey Pack.”

Future Is Now. The 4-year-old Great Notion filly won the Intercontinental (G3) at Saratoga in June and was third by two necks in the Caress (G3) last week. “She's been wonderful. She's done some really good stuff this summer, was able to get a graded win, which is a big deal. And we're looking to run her back (in the Smart and Fancy). If she trains well, we're going to run her there.”

Forever Souper. The 5-year-old gelded son of American Pharoah is 3-for-5 this year, all in stakes, with a win last out in the Prince George’s County at Laurel Park. He’s entered in the Lure Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga. “He's been a lot of fun. This would be a little bit more of a test. We've been able to run in some Florida-bred races and some of our regional stakes. Now to have to go to Saratoga is a step up, but he fits with this group.”

Crystal Quest. The 3-year-old Uncle Mo colt is 3-for-6 this year and was second by a half-length last out in a black-type stakes at Colonial Downs. He’s entered in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2) on Friday. “He's got a big challenge in front of him this weekend as well at Saratoga. But he's also run very hard for us. And he's been running with some pretty nice 3-year-olds this year and showing up rather well. so if he trains well over the next couple of days, he's going to head up there. He's still at my Fair Hill barn.”

Call Another Play. The 3-year-old Audible filly is 3-for-6 this year but was third then fourth in her last two starts, both of which were her first graded-stakes attempts. She’s entered in the Searching Stakes on the Laurel Park turf course Sunday. “She only ran once on the turf as a maiden, and she was a good second going short. There's no real dirt races around that make a lot of sense for her without running in incredibly deep water. So we're going to try her again on the turf. So she is a half to Future Is Now as well. The family can turf, but it's just a matter of trying her on it and seeing how she does.

Dazzling Move. The 3-year-old daughter of Not This Time broke her maiden in March on her sixth try and is 1-for-3 since, with a seventh-place finish last out in the Wilton Stakes at Saratoga. “Dazzling Move is capable of running some really good races for us. Unfortunately, she kind of ran away with Joel (Rosaril) in the stake at Saratoga. And she had been training really good. She had an outside post position, and she's a pretty forward kind of horse. I think he kind of encouraged her away from the gates to break well, and she took off with him and it didn't go well from there because once she's running full out, it's not easy to get her back. So that was a little discouraging, but I think we can work through that. And our plans are to run her in a stake at Colonial next time going seven-eighths.” That’s the Penny Chenery on Aug. 10.

Determined Lilly. The 4-year-old Mendelssohn filly is 2-for-3 this year, with all her starts in New York. She has yet to try a stakes race. “But she's knocking on the door of hopefully becoming (a stakes horse). She'll either run in a New York-bred handicap or a first-level allowance race at Saratoga.”

Hollywood Walk. This 5-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom is a half-sister to Mindframe. She has yet to win this year and was second by a head last out in a black-type stakes at Laurel. “Hollywood Walk is a nice filly. … She's either going to come back in an allowance race or a stake at Colonial on the 10th, the Andy Guest stakes.”

2-year-olds

Say You Love Me. This Volatile filly won her Saturday debut at Colonial Downs. “I was very pleased with her. She had trained really well. She was bought out of the OBS sale, and I expected her to run fairly well. But I would say that she did at least that if not better.”

Sail Theseven Seas. The Street Sense filly debuted June 22 and finished second to the odds-on favorite. She’s entered in Saturday’s Keswick Stakes at Colonial. “We're going to take a stab at her with that stake that she's in. She ran against a very nice youngster of Graham Motion's at Laurel, and she finished a good second. And we're going to take a shot in this Virginia restricted stake and see if we can't get some kind of black type.”.

Let Thesunshine In. The McKinzie filly also finished second in her debut, which came June 11 at Colonial. She also is entered in the Keswick. “She ran a good second first time out. She'll either run there or skip that and come back in a maiden race. We're a little bit undecided as of this point.”

Speed Figures. The gelded son of Souper Speedy will make his debut Thursday in a Saratoga maiden special weight. “I'll know more about him on Thursday, but he's trained pretty forwardly and we thought he was deserving of a chance up at Saratoga.”

Abundant Love. The Kitten’s Joy filly will have her first start Wednesday in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Colonial. “I don't know how she'll do sprinting. I think she's probably more of a two-turn type of horse, but we need to get her started.”

Jus Too Fly. The Justify colt will debut Saturday in a Laurel Park maiden special weight at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf. “That one's interesting. He's worked OK on the dirt. I worked him on the turf, and the feedback I got from his exercise rider was he seemed to handle that a little better. So we put him in on the grass, and we're going to see how he does.”

Virtuosity. The son of Complexity will make his first start Saturday in the same race as Jus Too Fly. “He's been training good. He's done pretty decent work on the dirt. He's done OK work on the synthetic as well. We're going to start him on the grass at Laurel in the same race as Just a Fly and see how he does with it.”