Ken Weingartner

Hightstown, NJ — Tahnee Camilleri is still getting to know Aussie import Naturally Gifted, but the trainer and pacer are making strides together.

Naturally Gifted has hit the board in four of five races, winning two, since arriving in the U.S. during the fall. Last week, the 5-year-old gelding finished third behind Covered Bridge and This Is The Plan in his opening-round division of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series for older male pacers at MGM Yonkers Raceway.

In his prior two starts, Naturally Gifted posted wins in conditioned races at Mohegan Pennsylvania’s Pocono Downs and Yonkers. His victory at Yonkers on March 5 was his first time around the half-mile oval, and despite the 1:52 triumph, Camilleri saw room for improvement.

For his career, Naturally Gifted has won nine of 33 races, hit the board a total of 24 times, and earned $135,511 in U.S. dollars. Photo courtesy of Tahnee Camilleri.

“He struggled navigating the turns in his first start at Yonkers, so I had to make a few shoeing adjustments,” Camilleri said. “He definitely was better the second time around. I still haven’t completely ironed him out yet, but he definitely navigated the turns better.”

Camilleri said she made more adjustments ahead of this Monday’s (March 25) second round of the Borgata.

“I’m hoping that by the fifth leg (of the series) I’ve got everything sorted,” she said with a laugh, referring to the number of preliminary rounds in the event. “We’re doing the best we can each week.”

Camilleri credited drivers Todd McCarthy and Jordan Stratton, who have driven Naturally Gifted at Yonkers, and the horse’s former trainer in Australia, Jack Trainor, for providing helpful input regarding the son of Sweet Lou-Perfectlyimperfect.

“He’s got a lot of energy and he’s a little high strung, so there’s been that added layer with training him and how to manage that,” Camilleri said. “We have to manage his race paddock manners a little more, but he is getting better.

“One thing to the horse’s credit is that he goes on the track and is so professional. He can sort of put that (behavior) aside in the race. He’s very tractable on the track. I just feel for the little bugger because he’s so tough on himself. I’m hoping with a little bit of maturity down the road that will all settle down and he’ll just be the complete package.”

For his career, Naturally Gifted has won nine of 33 races, hit the board a total of 24 times, and earned $135,511 in U.S. dollars. He was purchased by Richard Poillucci and David Kryway this past May and arrived in the States in October. He made his North American debut in February.

“He was eligible for a number of big races in Australia, so he raced there a little bit,” Camilleri said. “We don’t want to bring them over in the middle of summer, so once the weather cooled off, he came over. He had a pretty decent break in Australia before flying over, so I brought him back slowly. He took a little while to adjust to stable life and the North American way of doing things, but it’s paid off.

“My favorite thing about him is I feel he can follow any sort of speed. He’s just a high-speed horse. Do I think he can go out there and rough it and come first-over every week? No. But do I think if they go in (1):50 that he’s still going to come home in :27? Most likely. He just follows any sort of speed quite easily.”

Naturally Gifted had no luck with the draw for Monday’s second round of the Borgata. He will compete in the second of four $50,000 divisions and start from post seven in a seven-horse field with McCarthy in the sulky. The group features three of the four winners in last week’s opening round: Desperate Man, Covered Bridge, and Linedrive Hanover. Desperate Man is the 8-5 morning-line favorite.

Hellabalou, the 2023 Borgata champion, is the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the first division. He was fourth in his series opener, which was his second start of the season. Semi Tough, also coming off a fourth-place finish last week, is the 2-1 favorite in the third division. Both horses will have Yannick Gingras in the sulky for trainer Mickey Burke Jr.

I Did It Myway, with Tim Tetrick driving for trainer Chuck Crissman Jr., is the 7-5 morning-line choice in the fourth and final division.

The Borgata series features five preliminary rounds where horses receive 50 points for winning, 25 for second, 12 for third, eight for fourth, and five for fifth. In addition, all starters in each round receive 25 points. The top-eight horses at the completion of the prelims are eligible for the $200,000-added final on April 22.

This year’s final will also have a “win and you’re in” feature for the $125,000 Birthday Invitational Pace in May to celebrate 125 years of Yonkers Raceway, the Battle of Lake Erie at MGM Northfield on June 8, and the Aria Invitational at Yonkers scheduled for Sept. 7.

Racing begins at 7 p.m. (EDT) at Yonkers. For free programs, visit the Standardbred Owners Association of New York website here.