So, it’s Karl or T C I in two-year-old trotting colt ranks

While there was quite a bit of competition going on in three of the four two-year-old harness racing categories this year, it seems pretty “cut and dry” that the two-year-old trotting colt “war” is between Karl (Tactical Landing) and T C I (Cantab Hall).

Both were awesome this entire semester and, to make matters even more complicated, they faced each other twice this season and split the pie in half with each winning one.

Of course, there were other solid performers in this class, and they are included in this Mane Attraction expose’ as possible contenders to the top two next season.

Once again, the grand individuals are listed by earnings with no recommendation on for whom one should vote.

It’s a good bet it will be a “photo finish.”

T C I  kicked off his career with a couple of qualifying wins at Gateway Farms in June with his first one in 1:59 and the second one in 2:00.2, highlighted by a final panel in :27.2. Racing off the pace in his first start—the Kindergarten at The Meadowlands, he kicked home in :26.4 to be fast closing second to Bargain (Chapter Seven), a gate-to-wire that race in 1:56.4, showing early promise, as well.

From there, he seemed invincible reeling off 10 straight wins all over the map—Philly, The Meadowlands, The Meadows, Pocono, Woodbine, Hoosier Park and Lexington.

There were two events late in his season that put the stamp of greatness next to his moniker—the Mohawk Million and the International Stallion Stake. From late-July to late September, he had been reeling off wins consistently in the 1:54-1:55 range with that win in the Mohawk Million ($740,000 U.S.) on September 23, almost unbelievable as he lost composure back of the wings, lost 15 lengths or so on the field but managed to trot his winning mile (and 30 yards) in 1:54.3, featuring a final quarter in :27.

On to Lexington in the International Stallion Stake facing the undefeated Karl for the first time, T C I took charge off the wings, yielded for the garden spot, and used a :26.4 final panel to squeak by in an epic duel by a nose in 1:51.4.

That set the stage for the $700,000 Breeders Crown and yet another meeting to solidify his credentials against his arch-rival. Karl, at Hoosier Park. This time around, with virtually the same strategy, T C I was in the garden spot again but, this time, it was Karl who used a :26.4 finale to score a fairly decisive win in 1:51.4.

Nevertheless, T C I wound up on top of the money list for his class at $1,238,870 on the strength of a 12-10-2-0 scorecard. That would be his final start in an amazing season.

Karl started his season seven weeks later than T C I by winning a “baby” race (no purse) at The Meadowlands in 1:54.4. One week later, he began his season in “earnest” with a win in the Kindergarten in 1:54.1—:26.3.

On to The Red Mile where Karl lit up the timer in 1:52.1 in Sire Stakes action, taking two legs and the $400,000 final in 1:53.3 before a triumph in the Bluegrass in an astounding 1:51.2, which would turn out to the fastest two-year-old mile for trotting colts and geldings this year.

The International Stallion Stake was next where a confident quarter move to the top by Karl set the stage for the classic stretch duel of the year between two arch-rivals—Karl and T C I—with T C I a lip up on the wire. With a scant nose separating the two at the wire with sentiment was shifting back and forth as to which colt was the best. In the $700,000 Breeders Crown, Karl, again, made a similar confident quarter move to the top but, on this night, his :26.4 sprint home left no doubt.

But Karl was not done just yet. One week later, he won the $267,500 KIndergarten at The Meadowlands and, three weeks later, capped his season in the $423,000 Valley Victory in 1:52.1—:27.3—vaulting him, too, over the million dollar mark in bounty—his scorecard reading 10-9-1-0 with $1,041.877.

The gelding Tennessee Tom (Long Tom) had a very successful campaign winning five times in just nine starts, good for $456,350 while taking a mark of 1:55.1. He did most of his damage in Ohio in their lucrative Sire Stakes program, capping his success there with a decisive win in the $300,000 Final at Scioto Downs.

But that wasn’t his biggest payday as he traveled north of the border and almost won the Mohawk Million, making a sweeping brush from well back to stick a nose in front before collared by T C I.

Security Protected (Father Patrick) churned his was up the earnings list to finish fourth in his class with $354,754, highlighted by a 1:52.4 win at The Red Mile in the $67,800 International Stallion Stake. The colt’s biggest payday was $75,600 in the Breeders Crown after finishing third at the HoP and he won $63,000 on the strength of a second-place finish to T C I in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Final at Pocono Downs.

Keep Asking (Chapter Seven) started his career very humbly, indeed, competing in the northeast, first, in New York and, then, Massachusetts. Traveling the NY Sire Stakes Circuit at Yonkers, Tioga, Batavia, Saratoga and Vernon Downs, he finally got his first win at VD in a $108,000 in mid-August in 1:54 (at 23 to 1) and followed that up with a handy win at Monticello in a $104,000 SS event (at 2 to 5) but drew the eight post in the $225,000 Final at Yonkers—on a sloppy track, no less—to thwart his chances. From there he went up to Plainridge and swept through his four events in MASS action, including the $150,000 Final (at odds of 1 to 20), finishing his season with bounty of $283,813.

Sig Sauer (Muscle Hill) kicked off his juvenile career in a big way, winning his first start in a $30,000 NJSS event in 1:54.4—:54.2-:28 at The Meadowlands. In his next start, he scored in the $240,000 Sire Stakes Final in 1:53.3.

After a bit of time off, he competed in a “tightener” (no purse) in preparation for the New Jersey Classic events and won the $25,000 prep before a quarter move to the top propelled him to victory in the $275,000 Final in 1:53.3. On to Lexington for the Bluegrass where the expectations seem high, he went off at odds of 24 cents to a dollar and looked on his way to victory when a costly miscue ended his chances…and his season—his final scorecard being 5-4-0-0 with $279,500 to go along with that mark of 1:53.3.

Spaaaanzano (Coraggioso) began his 2023 season on fire by winning his first five starts, including the $150,000 Next Generation at Scioto Downs in 1:56.2 in his very first start off of two qualifiers. On to Northfield with another win, then three more at Scioto before being scratched “sick” in late August. Two weeks later, in the $300,000 OHSS Final at Scioto, he finished second to Tennessee Tom and then went over to Hoosier for the $420,000 Peter Haughton where he overcame a second-tier post to finish fifth to T C I.

Willowtime (Lookslikeachpndale) looks like it took a bit of time to get things solved with this colt but, once things got figured out, he hit the ground trotting! Competing exclusively north of the border at he won his pari-mutuel debut at Georgian Downs in Ontario Sire Stakes action, winning just like a 1 to10 shot should from post nine—BUT HE WAS 32 TO 1!

On to Woodbine for Sire Stakes where he won from post eight in his best time of the year—1:54.2. He then took the $131,984 Champlain in a very game effort in 1:54.4. He made a miscue deep in his next mile and finished third in SS action but redeemed in the $219,000 final, winning gate-to-wire in 1:54.4, completing his abbreviated season with four wins in his five starts at $261,370.

Geuesome Twosome (You Know You Do) started his season humbly, indeed, finishing eighth after starting from post seven in a nw1 event beaten more than 15 lengths. But all was not lost as the colt trotted a final quarter in :27.2 giving hope that things would improve when drawing a better post.

That’s exactly what happened as Gruesome Twosome won six of his next seven starts, including five legs of the Indiana Sire Stakes at the HoP—his fastest being 1:53.4—:27.2. He closed out his campaign on Super Night at Hoosier Park finishing fourth (at 3 to 10 odds) in that $250,000 final. Still, his scorecard read 9-6-1-0 and $225,375.

Mars Hill (Muscle Hill) showed signs of off-and-on brilliance during the season, beginning his campaign with a pair of $30,000 Sire Stakes wins at the Meadowlands—the fastest in 1:55.2— before an eight-post drawn in the final dulled his chances. From there, he went up to Woodbine-Mohawk for the Wellwood Series, winning his $22,000 warm-up handily before being a game second in the $458,800 Wellwood Final to T C I.

After a miscue in the $420,000 Peter Haughton at Hoosier Park, he went on to The Red Mile where he won the Bluegrass in 1:54.2—-his best effort. He was third in the International Stallion Stake to Pick Pocket after cutting much of the mile and closed out his campaign by finishing sixth in the Breeders Crown Elimination.

T C I and Karl led the two-year-old parade in wins this season but, as far as speed in concerned, the leading two-year-old colt of all time is still Southwind Tyrion with a 1:51.1 mile in 2020.

The all-time record for two-year-old trotting speed is 1:50.3…by the filly, Mission Brief.

We’ll move on to the three-year-olds in the next Mane Attraction.

“May The Horse Be With You!”

by John Berry, for Harnesslink