TOSCANO 2-YEAR-OLDS LEAD THE WAY AT GAITWAY

MANALAPAN, NJ -- June 10, 2026 -- Linda Toscano, Joe Bongiorno and Ron Burke each had multiple training wins at Wednesday’s (June 10) first week of 2-year-old qualifiers at Gaitway Farm.

Toscano led the group with four victories, including the day’s fastest winner, pacing colt In One Fell Swoop. Bongiorno and Burke each had three triumphs. Completing the list of winning trainers in the 12 races for freshmen were Julie Miller and Veronica Spicer.

In One Fell Swoop (a son of Papi Rob Hanover-Presto Blue Chip) was guided to the lead by driver Scott Zeron and clocked fractions of :31, 1:00, and 1:27.2 on the way to his 1:55.4 victory in his debut. Purchased for $30,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale, the Twinbrook Limited-bred colt is owned by South Mountain Stables, Bill Elliott, JAF Racing, and Jim Winske.

Toscano’s other winners were pacing colt Wishawave and pacing fillies Schnapps Hanover and Love Somebody.

Wishawave (Bettor’s Wish-Making Waves) brushed to the front from third on the backstretch after an opening quarter of :31.3. He reached the half in 1:01.4 and three-quarters in 1:29 before coming home in :27 for a 1:56 score with Zeron in the sulky. The colt was purchased for $50,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and is owned by Brittany Farms and The Bay’s Stable. He was bred by Brittany Farms.

Zeron also was in the bike with Love Somebody (Captaintreacherous-Jolly Miss Molly), who set all the fractions in a 1:57.3 victory. The filly is owned by her breeders, Country Club Acres and Joe Sbrocco.

Tim Tetrick handled the driving duties with Schnapps Hanover (Captaintreacherous-Stolly Up Bluechip). The filly was another gate-to-wire winner, in 1:57.2, after coming the back half in :55.2-:27.2 following consecutive :31 quarters to the midpoint. She was purchased for $40,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is owned by Steven Held, Fred Wallace, Radio Racing Stable, and Richard Jack. She was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms.

Bongiorno’s three wins came with trotting colt Aston Kemp and pacing fillies Sterl The Pearl and Party Up. Bongiorno drove all three.

Aston Kemp (Walner-Ma Can Do It) led all the way in a 1:58.3 mile. Purchased for $45,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, the colt is owned by El Dorado Stables. He was bred by Kemppi Stables Oy Inc. and Suojalampi Stable.

Party Up (Lather Up-Artchitecture) got a pocket trip behind Burke-trained Saffron Station (Captaintreacherous-Southwind Spring) and used a :27.3 last quarter to post a 1:56.4 win that was the fastest of four events for the freshman pacing fillies. Party Up, bred by Vieux Carre Farms, was purchased for $17,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is owned by Morrison Racing Stables.

Sterl The Pearl (Lazarus N-Cloud Diva) was just one-fifth of a second slower than her stablemate, winning in 1:57 thanks to a :26.4 last quarter that proved just enough to hold off Burke’s Wish For A Captain (Captaintreacherous-Wishy Washy Girl) by a nose. A gate-to-wire winner, Sterl The Pearl was bred by Morrison Farms and is owned by Morrison Racing Stables.

Burke’s three winners were pacing colts Midwind Buxton and Stonebridge Blitz and trotting filly Nevis Peak, all driven by Yannick Gingras.

Midwind Buxton followed Toscano-trained Tonite Show through three-quarters in 1:29, then got home in :27 to win by a half-length in 1:56.1. Midwind Buxton was purchased for $95,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Brad Grant, and Phil Collura. He was bred by Midwind Farms.

Stonebridge Blitz (Tall Dark Stranger-Shouldabeenatd) also triumphed in 1:56.1, and also with a :27 last quarter from out of the pocket after stablemate JK Lmnop set the pace. Stonebridge Blitz was purchased for $40,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Larry Karr, Michael Rosenthal, and Frank Baldachino. He was bred by Stonebridge Farm LTD.

Nevis Peak (Walner-Ramona Hill) won the only qualifier solely for freshman trotting fillies, rallying from fourth in the stretch with a :27.3 last quarter to win in 1:59.3. Purchased for $250,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale, the filly is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Crawford Farms Racing, Brad Grant, and Larry Karr. She was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms and Crawford Farms Racing.

Speaker Craig (Met’s Hall-Gertrude) captured the day’s fastest trotting event for the freshmen, stopping the timer in 1:57.3 with Tyler Miller in the sulky for Julie Miller. Speaker Craig, bred by owner Andy Miller Stable, used a :27.4 last quarter to win by a nose over Bongiorno-trained Sunset Station (Greenshoe-Swift Swanda), who had led from the start.

The day’s remaining qualifier for the 2-year-olds, an event with three trotting colts and one filly, was won in 1:58.4 by Spicer-trained The Walnerexpress (Walner-Ab’sattitudexpress), who was driven by Bongiorno. The colt was second going into the stretch but drew off by 3-3/4 lengths with a :28 last quarter for owner William Masterson, who purchased him for $20,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale. He was bred by Stop The Jade Farm and Fair Winds Farm.

Qualifiers for 2-year-olds will return to Gaitway Farm on June 17 and June 24. Post time will be 9:30 a.m. (EDT) both days.

To watch a replay of Wednesday’s qualifiers, courtesy of The First Mile, presented by onGait, click here.