DRF HARNESS HOME DIGITAL HARNESS EYE HARNESS PPS DRF BETS ENTRIES ARCHIVE THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021 Can ‘Curbside’ be the next Southwind Ozzi? Just two years removed from winning the Adios and Little Brown Jug with Southwind Ozzi, trainer Bill MacKenzie is back with hopeful Curbside Pickup Inside this issue Jay Bergman: Gamblin Mo starting to live up to expectations, Page 4 DERICK GIWNER From the Cutler to Sire Stakes, The connections behind 2019 Jug winner Southwind Ozzi hope to taste that success again. Campbell with a busy weekend, Page 6 the entire turn wide and edging clear from a Darin Zoccali: Horseplayers deserve game Century Hannibal before crossing the more respect, Page 8 EDITOR’S EYE wire a 1 1/4 length winner in 1:53 2/5. “I knew at that point he would win by as Ocean Rock now with Takter for By Derick Giwner much as Timmy wanted,” said trainer Bill Graduate at The Meadowlands, Page 9 MacKenzie on his thoughts when Curbside @DRFHarness Pickup made his move. “Go watch his quali- On The Backstretch: Profile of driver/ fier. I think he was even better in that race,” trainer Nick Clegg, Page 10 When watching races there is something continued MacKenzie, rightfully bragging called the “vision test.” The concept is simple: about a second-place finish behind recent Best Bets--Big M PK6 Carryover, Page 12 Was the horse visually impressive? In the stakes winner Whichwaytothebeach, where Headlines: Randall hospitalized after case of Curbside Pickup, who made his career his gelding made up 10 lengths in the second accident; Yonkers Trot/Messenger see debut at Harrah’s Philadelphia on May 5, the half of the mile with a 53 2/5 final half at Phil- answer was a resounding yes. adelphia. purse increases to $500K, Page 13 Curbside Pickup got away fifth in the early Curbside Pickup, a $160,000 yearling Comments? Questions? going through moderate fractions of 28 4/5 purchase at Harrisburg in 2019, was unraced and 57 3/5 for a non-winners-of-1 race before at age 2 because he was too big and growthy. Email the Editor [email protected] driver Tim Tetrick edged the son of Some- The price tag was high for owners Vincent beachsomewhere off the pylons. They were Ali Jr and Alma Iafelice, but riding the wave TO ENSURE PROPER delivery third-over in a bad spot just before the three- of winning the Little Brown Jug a couple OF THE NEWSLETTER VIA quarter pole when Tetrick showed Curbside of months earlier, they loosened the purse Pickup daylight. The Hall of Fame driver strings in an attempt to relive the good times. EMAIL, ADD [email protected]. sent him three-wide and the gelding acceler- com to your contact LIST ated with a wicked turn of speed while taking CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Congratulations to these Ohio Sires Stakes Winners! Celebrate With Me Winning Ticket Conditions & schedule available at Trained by Ron Burke www.racingohio.net Trained by Chris Beaver Owned by Burke Racing, BFJ Stable, Owned by Chris Beaver, Steve Zeehandelar, Weaver Bruscemi & Knox Services Tim Homan & Jim Burnett © 2021 Daily Racing Form, LLC - 10 Grand Central, 3rd Floor, NY, NY 10017 PAYMENTS DUE MAY 15 One list and one check keeps your horses eligible to these top events. *per USTA rule 12.02 all payments must be postmarked by midnight Monday, May 17 2-year-old Events Breeders Crown® The Elevation Fox Stake Hoosier Stake Kentuckiana St. Mgmt. Pace Kentuckiana St. Mgmt. Trot Keystone Classic Landmark Stake Liberty Bell Madison County Matron Series Pennsylvania All Stars Ralph Wilfong W. N. Reynolds Memorial John Simpson Memorial Tompkins-Geers Be sure to check our website for complete conditions, race dates and payment forms! 3-year-old Events Supplements (Early Closers) The Courageous Lady Filly Pace (Early Closer) Chris Tully Trot.com $120,000 Est. in 2021 Supplemental Nomination: May 15 - $3,500 To race Saturday, October 16 at Northfield Park Entrance Fee: $1,500 Make checks payable and send all entries to: THE HAMBLETONIAN SOCIETY The Hambletonian Society | Breeders Crown • 109 South Main Street, Suite 18 • Cranbury, NJ 08512-3174 Phone: 609-371-2211 • Fax: 609-371-8890 • Web: hambletonian.com GRACE ZIMMERS Curbside Pickup made an impressive wide move on the final turn and was an easy 1:53 2/5 winner in his career debut at Philadelphia. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 the ninth-race $51,045 Sire Stakes or six-figure winners Southwind Gendry, Chase H Hanover, Exlpoit and others in the eighth and tenth “That was probably the biggest one we’ve gone after. We had a good race splits. year with ‘Ozzi’ and we were looking for another Somebeachsome- As Curbside Pickup attempts to follow in the footsteps of Southwind where,” said MacKenzie, who added that the partnership bought four Ozzi, the now 5-year-old is trying to rebound off a lackluster 4-year- yearlings in total. old campaign that saw him earn less than 10 percent of his sophomore While Curbside Pickup has begun his journey, there is a long road bankroll. from winning a maiden race and taking on the best 3-year-olds in “Unfortunately they didn’t write any 4-year-old Opens on any North America. Even MacKenzie is unsure at this time where his of the tracks where I race,” said MacKenzie about the subpar year budding talent fits on the spectrum. compared to 2019 when Southwind Ozzi earned $837,685. “He’d win a “I get a lot of my information from my driver and Timmy seems to non-winners of $14,000 and then the non-winners of $20,000 wouldn’t love him. I don’t sit behind 30 or 40 yearlings a year, so I don’t have fill. I’d have to bring him to places that he didn’t like and it was just a many to compare him to. He has a big engine, but we have to make sure catastrophe for him. he is behaving. He wasn’t the easiest horse to get to this point. That is “At the beginning [of Southwind Ozzi’s 2020 campaign] I thought I why he is a gelding,” said MacKenzie. “He doesn’t know how to race dropped the ball a little bit. With COVID going on and not knowing yet. When he got to the front, Timmy said he was looking left and right when racing would start, I don’t think I had him ready fitness-wise. wondering where everyone went. When we train them at home we keep The whole year was just a mess.” them together and he wasn’t used to being out there all alone.” Despite dealing with the growing pains sometimes associated with MacKenzie, well aware of the tough competition on the Pennsylvania switching from racing against peers to facing hard-knocking older Sire Stakes circuit, is taking a more conservative approach with his foes, Southwind Ozzi was well-staked in 2021 by his connections and young prospect, electing for the Stallion Series this Sunday at Pocono will focus on specific races if those tracks will have him. rather than risking having to face the top two ranked 3-year-olds in “We are going to try to keep him more to the five-eighths races the country – Perfect Sting and Southwind Gendry – in the Sire Stakes. because that is where he’s done the most damage,” said MacKenzie. “If “It was a bit of a coin toss. I think he can go and chase those horses you take him to Yonkers he loses three races on every turn and at The but I don’t think it makes sense to ask him for that right now,” said Meadowlands he just doesn’t finish up as strong on the long stretch. MacKenzie about the decision to avoid the Sire Stakes. “We wanted “Hopefully he’ll get invited to the Commodore Barry [Philadel- to get him a bit more of an education before races like the Adios, Max phia], the Senditin [Scioto], the Potomac [Rosecroft], and the Always Hempt, Progress and Breeders Crown down the road. B Miki [Pocono]. He’s also in the Breeders Crown, we can’t miss that.” “If he wins the Stallion Stakes impressively and the horse is good, Southwind Ozzi qualified sharply with Tim Tetrick in the bike at we’ll head right to the Sire Stakes off that.” Harrah’s Philadelphia. The pair posted a wire-to-wire 1:50 3/5 victory Luck wasn’t on MacKenzie’s side when it came to the draw for over a track rated “good” on May 4. The plan is to qualify a second Sunday’s Stallion stakes. Curbside Pickup not only drew the outer- time before pointing for overnight races ahead of his stakes schedule. most post 9 in the sixth of seven $20,000 Stallion Stakes divisions (race “We are going to start him in the conditioned races and see where 11) but he also caught a strong field that includes 2020 Governor’s Cup he takes us,” said MacKenzie. “I’m hoping he has a really good year. winner Always A Miki (post 7) and the aforementioned Whichwayto- My fingers are crossed for him.” thebeach (post 4). If Southwind Ozzi returns to the form that saw him pace in 1:48 Although fortune wasn’t on MacKenzie’s side, the competition for while winning multiple stakes as a 3-year-old and Curbside Pickup Curbside Pickup would’ve been much tougher facing the undefeated proves he belongs among the elite in his division, the 48-year-old Perfect Sting and co-Breeders Crown winner Summa Cum Laude in MacKenzie could be in for a career year.