Jason Brewer: “He’s a gutsy individual”

On Monday evening March 20), the final leg of the $30,000 Bill Dailey Memorial Medley was the highlight of the harness racing card at Miami Valley Raceway.

When Tulhurstsantanna A (Santanna Blue Chip) stepped across the finish line first, guided by Trace Tetrick for trainer Jason Brewer, it marked the 34th career win for the 10-year-old Australian-bred gelding.

Brewer was not surprised by Tulhurstsantanna’s performance.

“He’s a gutsy individual,” Brewer said. “He raced good all last summer at Hoosier Park, and he was given a couple of months off, then sent to me to race at Miami Valley. He’s just a nice, simple horse who doesn’t do anything wrong, and gives it his all on the track.”

Tuhurstsantanna raced in Australia from 2016 through the early half of 2020, earning $98,104, before venturing stateside that year. Since then, he’s added another $225,640 to his card for total earnings of $323,744.

He was the first and only youngster out of the Presidential Ball mare Ballroom Belle, foaled on Oct. 22, 2013, at Alabar Bloodstock Corp., in Victoria. Owned by Mark J. Jakubi of West Seneca, NY, Tulhurstsantanna A took a career mark of 1:49.3s last fall, at age nine, at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

In the $30,000 Dailey Final, Tulhurstsantanna A sat patiently in fourth as American Dreamer and driver Dan Noble led the field through the first three splits, then unleashed a powerful late kick to win the 1 and ¼ mile contest in 2:23, with the last half mile clocked in :59.1. Grantmeawish was second for Chris Page, while Nuclear Dragon, last year’s winner of this series, notched third place honors for driver Brett Miller.

Combined, this field of older pacers had earnings of more than $3.1 million. Tulhurstsantanna A had captured the second leg, a $20,000 one mile test in 1:52.3, after finishing third to American Dreamer in the first leg, a $15,000, five-eighth’s mile romp in 1:08.1.

“I think these kinds of series are good ideas and I’d like to see more of them,” Brewer stated. “Plus, with this one, you’ve got Bill Dailey in the situation, who was a great horseman and well-respected by his peers. These series are good because they’re something different for the trainers and the owners and they set up a little excitement with the fans.”

Brewer admits that having horses coming in from Australia and New Zealand offers another alternative for horsemen.

“I like getting horses from Down Under,” he said. “It’s expensive to get them here, but there are a lot of good ones that come over, and it adds something to the mix of horses here.”

Brewer says that Tulhurstsantanna A will get a week off, with lots of time in the pasture to enjoy the Spring weather, and basically, be a horse.

“He likes being outside, and I think it’s important not just for the good ones like him, but for all horses to be outside a good bit of the time,” Brewer admitted. “I like my horses outside. He’ll get this week off and then I’m not sure where the owner will want him to go. It’s likely that he’ll go back to Hoosier for the summer.”

by Kimberly Rinker, for Harnesslink