Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Armbro Tussie is One Proud Mama

March 22, 2006

Armbro Tussie must be a proud mom. One of her boys, the five-year-old Hop Sing, has already won the Presidential Final and makes his next start in Saturday night’s $137,120 Four Leaf Clover Series Final at the Meadowlands. Younger half-brother Bono Bests, who is three, is the 2-1 morning line favorite in Friday night’s $106,100 Matt’s Scooter Final, also at the Meadowlands. Breeder Ivan Sugg hung on to Bono Bests and has a colt who may rival the Ohio-based trainer’s success with 2003 Horse of the Year No Pan Intended.

“I broke Bono Bests last year, and I had an idea he was going to be a good one, but training down he had a little bone chip in his knee,” Sugg explained. “So, there was a delay as it was taken out, and he had the summer off. It probably worked out for the best. Blue Chip Partners bought into this colt earlier this year. He beat four-year-olds in the Snowshoe Final at Woodbine [on January 20], and then he won the Count B Final. He won his first start at the Meadowlands [on March 10] with a 26.1 final quarter, so he’s pretty quick when he gets in gear. I wasn’t sure, but lately he’s had the look of a serious horse.”

The bay colt now has six wins, one second and one third in his eight starts this year. At two, he posted four wins and one third from six starts. Overall, he has banked $97,165.
With wins in both of his Matt’s Scooter preliminary rounds, Bono Bests brings a four-race winning streak into the final, one of three this weekend at the Meadowlands. The Matt’s Scooter, carded as the sixth race, shares the Friday night spotlight with the $118,500 Overbid for pacing mares, the second race.

“Last week, he was pretty well relaxed on the lead, and when they came to him at the head of the lane, Dave [driver David Miller] kind of shook him up, and he drew off,” said Sugg. “If he gets any kind of trip from post eight, he’ll be tough [in the Matt’s Scooter Final].
“He’s eligible to the North America Cup and Meadowlands Pace,” noted Sugg, who was Trainer of the Year in 2003. “He’ll get next week off and then go in the Robert J. Suslow [Series at the Meadowlands]. He gets a break after the Berry’s Creek.”

Sugg made the match that produced Bono Bests.

“I bought his dam, Armbro Tussle for $10,000, along with Yes It’s True, as a yearling,” he recalled. “I raced Ameripan Gigilo against Pro Bono Best as a two-year-old. Pro Bono Best got hurt, but I thought he was a top horse and I’d give him a chance as a sire--producing Bono Bests.”

Since Sugg winters in Florida with his young horses [currently three two-year-olds and four three-year-olds], he turned Bono Bests over to Chad Milner when the colt was in Ontario and now has him with Randy Beekman in New Jersey. Beekman was the caretaker of two-time Horse of the Year Mack Lobell.

“Randy [trainer Beekman] worked for Chuck Sylvester for a long time and went on his own this year,” he said. “He’s based at Magical Acres [in Chesterfield, New Jersey]. I told him I’d send him a horse for this series because I’m still here in Florida at Spring Garden Ranch. It’s been quite a thrill for him. I told him he didn’t have to train this colt much. He just about trains himself. He’s not quite as easy as No Pan Intended was. Once in awhile he’ll get a little rammy on you, but he pretty much takes care of himself like all the good ones do. He’s still a bit green in some areas, but I know it’s a long season, and we’ll try to give him time off when we can.

“I’ll probably stay here until the middle of April,” Sugg said from his base in Florida. “Mystic Glide could be a factor. He’s a three-year-old full brother to New York Yank and Hand Glider. He could be a Hambletonian-type.”