by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Two years ago, trainer Frank Antonacci brought a colt named Crazed through the conditioned ranks and into the Hambletonian final, where he finished second to Deweycheatumnhowe. Crazed went on to win the Colonial and Matron stakes and finish second in the Kentucky Futurity on his way to $1 million in purses.

Antonacci will try for similar results this season when he sends Pretty Boy Lindy and Coco Lindy into Saturday’s eliminations for the August 7 $1.5 million Hambletonian at Meadowlands Racetrack. Pretty Boy Lindy is in the first of the night’s three elims and Coco Lindy is in the second. Both will be driven by Tim Tetrick, who also drove Crazed.

“I probably take a different approach in getting horses ready for the Hambo than most people,” Antonacci said. “I don’t mind dodging horses that are seasoned and ready to roll right off the bat. I look at it as common sense. You’re taking a young horse that’s really fragile in mind and body and trying to get him ready to race against the world’s best. If you stress them too much before the Hambletonian, it could backfire on you.

“Needless to say, I probably leave a lot of money on the table because of that. The main reason we’re in this business is to win the Hambletonian. I’ll sacrifice those other races if I feel I’m giving myself a better chance to win the Hambo.”

Pretty Boy Lindy has won three of five races this year, including twice in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Stallion Series, and is coming off a 1:54 victory on July 15 in a field of 3- and 4-year-olds. He came from last place at the halfway point, closing with a :27.4 final quarter-mile to win by three lengths over Perfect Picture.

Ken Weingartner photo

Trainer Frank Antonacci has a pair of starters in Saturday’s eliminations.

A son of Cantab Hall out of the mare My Dolly’s Dream, the colt’s family includes recent successful trotters Lady Starlet, My Starlet, Forever Starlet, Sir Perserverance and Crown Starlet.

“He’s a really good-bred horse,” Antonacci said. “He always showed precocious speed. He had some different issues last year (going winless in seven races) just getting his head on straight, but this year we were able to let him mature and beat up on some lesser competition and get some confidence. He’s in really good form.

“A horse like him can jump up and surprise people. He’s versatile and he’s got speed in all parts of the mile. He’s won from last, from first up and from on top; he can do it whatever way you need him to do it. He’s had a gradual progression through the ranks. That’s how we got Crazed (to the Hambletonian). He was in good form going into it. It was kind of a similar thing.”

Coco Lindy won six of seven races last year, including the Kindergarten Classic over Flex The Muscle at Vernon Downs. This year he is winless in three races, but was second to 4-year-old Manningly in his first race of the campaign and third in his Stanley Dancer Memorial division on July 17 at the Meadowlands. In his first start, the son of Cantab Hall-Nutty Butty finished ahead of Muscle Massive and was timed in 1:53.4.

Nigel Soult photo

Coco Lindy won six times as a freshman and took his mark of 1:56.1 at The Red Mile.

“He had a super year last year,” Antonacci said. “He trained really good (Monday). I think you’ll see him get tighter and better the next couple weeks.”

Antonacci, 26, graduated from Boston College with a marketing degree, but decided to train horses for a living. It’s not a surprise given his family’s history in the sport. His dad Frank, uncle Gerry and grandfather Sonny, individually or as the family’s Lindy Stables, captured five Hambletonians with Lindy’s Pride (1969), Speedy Crown (1971), Probe (1989), Harmonious (1990) and Victory Dream (1994).

“We don’t put these horses in there to be also-rans,” Antonacci said. “I think both these horses absolutely earned their right to be in there. I think it’s wide open this year. I’m not scared, really, of anyone else that’s in there. I think it’s going to be a great two weeks regardless of what happens. I think it’s going to be wide open.

“Both of these horses are really nice horses. I don’t know if they’re going to be top, top horses or win the Hambo, but if they stay sound and healthy they’re going to be contenders for a lot of races the rest of the year.”