by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Anette Lorentzon has practiced infinite patience with Infiniti As, and now she is hoping for improved results.

Last year at age 3, Infiniti As won two of 10 races and hit the board a total of five times despite going off stride in seven of his starts. He flashed enough speed — including a 1:52.2 victory at Lexington’s Red Mile — to fuel Lorentzon’s hope the gelding can put it all together this season and become a consistent stakes-level performer.

She just doesn’t want to talk about it much.

“I won’t say too much with him,” Lorentzon said with a laugh. “He’s got tons of speed, but you can’t really trust him. I will keep my fingers crossed again and hope he can do it. He’s got the ability and he showed it last year; he can trot when he stays at it. But that’s his big problem because he doesn’t really do that all the time.

“It’s frustrating. Everyone that drives him says he’s got tons of speed. He’s supposed to be a good one. He should have a lot more money on his card than he has. He drives you crazy.”

New Image Media photo

Infiniti As has won four of 18 career races and earned $52,383.

Infiniti As, bred and owned by Ann-Christin Lorentzon’s and John Erik Magnusson’s ACL Stuteri AB, has won four of 18 career races and earned $52,383. On Tuesday (April 12) he makes his 4-year-old debut in the second of three first-round divisions of the Dr. Dan Farwick Memorial Series at Miami Valley Raceway.

He is the 2-1 morning line favorite and will have Chris Page in the sulky. Page won with Infiniti As in a maiden race at The Red Mile during the trotter’s 2-year-old season.

Infiniti As is a son of former Italian star Infinitif out of the mare Yankee Jeanie. His family includes 1992 Goldsmith Maid Stakes winner Yankee Dreamboat as well as 1948 Kentucky Futurity winner Egan Hanover and 1947 Hambletonian runner-up Rodney.

Lorentzon has Infiniti As, a two-time Breeders Crown participant, staked lightly this year. Whether the horse makes those engagements will be up to him.

“He really needs to step up and prove that he’s good enough to do it,” Lorentzon said. “If he can mind his manners, we might be good enough to go there. Hopefully he turns it around and shows what he can do. But if he decides he wants to make a break, he’s going to do it. It doesn’t take much for him to make a break.

“Sometimes it’s better to have a horse that’s not as fast but really tries than have a horse that is wicked fast and doesn’t want to do it. Hopefully he behaves this year.”

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Josie’s Joy has won five of 20 career races and earned $53,410.

Infiniti As is not Lorentzon’s only horse in the Farwick Memorial Series. She also has Josie’s Joy, a 4-year-old mare, in the third division. Josie’s Joy, owned by ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell Johansson, is 7-2 on the morning line. She has won five of 20 career races and earned $53,410.

Josie’s Joy was trained by Chuck Sylvester at age 2. After the season, she sold for $180,000 at the 2014 Standardbred Horse Sale Mixed Sale. She is a three-quarter sister to stakes-winner Smilin Eli and her dam, Gerri’s Joy, won the 2006 Merrie Annabelle Stakes.

“She’s got speed, but she is her own worst enemy,” Lorentzon said. “She gets stressed out and that’s the biggest problem with her. We’re just trying to settle her down; that’s the main thing for her, just quiet her down. We didn’t stake her. I just want to see what we have before I stake her. She didn’t show me the speed like Infiniti did. I just hope we can get her racing OK and she will make some good money.”

Josie’s Joy is one of nine mares in the Farwick Memorial Series. The event features two preliminary rounds, with races going for $12,500 each, and a $25,000-estimated final on April 26. Dan Ater’s Honey B is the 5-2 morning line favorite in Tuesday’s first division and Randy Tharps’ Tricky Nick is the 2-1 choice in the third division.