**Please see attached photo of The Lumber Guy. Credit NYRA,
Saturday, February 4, 2011
Contact: Jon Forbes
Leaving from post position 2, The Lumber Guy wasted no time getting to the front, leading by 1 ½ lengths two furlongs into the race with an opening fraction of 22.79 seconds and widening his advantage to two lengths through a half in 46.12. He was never shown the whip in the lane by jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr. as he pulled clear from Smarty Julips, who chased the winner in second from start to finish.
The Lumber Guy, a gray colt by Grand Slam, received a Beyer Speed Figure of 90 for having completed six furlongs in 1:10.20.
The performance was similar to the 6 ½-length maiden win Bold Deed, a half-brother to The Lumber Guy, posted in a six-furlong dash at Aqueduct last March in his second start. In three starts since earning his diploma, Bold Deed won the one-mile Packett’s Landing overnight stakes for New York-breds in April, finished fifth in the Grade 2 Peter Pan, and second in the NYSS Spectacular Bid. Like Bold Deed, The Lumber Guy is a homebred trained by Michael Hushion for owner Barry Schwartz.
“I’ve always thought [The Lumber Guy] was a nice horse and I always thought he wanted to go long,” said Hushion. “I know that family, and he’ll go long. He’ll settle.”
Siblings to The Lumber Guy also include Magical Solution, winner of a restricted stakes at
Horses previously featured in the New York Watch series include 2010 Champion Two-Year-Old Male Uncle Mo, 2011 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly My Miss Aurelia, 2011 Champion Three-Year-Old Filly Royal Delta, and Grade 1 winners Boys At Tosconova, J. B.’s Thunder, Winter Memories, and Currency Swap.
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