The fastest Alberta-bred two-year-old colt hits the track tomorrow in the final stake race of the season at Stampede Park -- the $100,000 Harvest Gold.
Blue Star Majesty paced 1:56 flat to win the President's Pace Oct. 9. It was one of two victories for the As Promised off-spring. He also captured the Mannart Tornado stake in September, plus he placed second in the Primary stake Oct. 23 and third in the Premier's stake Sept. 25. He's earned more than $71,000 thus far.
"Blue Star Majesty heads into this final race completely healthy," said trainer and part-owner Kelly Hoerdt. "He really hasn't been
100 percent any other time we've raced him this year. He's had a lot of growing pains and problems because he's such a big colt but he seems to be the best he's been right now."
Hoerdt said his big colt managed to avoid the virus recently running through the Stampede Park barns. He also has been lightly trained and Hoerdt hopes that has been the key.
"With all the stress of growing so much, I didn't want to add more to it by racing him a lot and tiring him out," he said. "A horse's immune system tends to drop a bit after being raced and they are more susceptible to catching something. I raced him sparingly and trained him sparingly as a result.
"He may not be as tight or fit as I would like but he's completely healthy, so we'll just let his natural talent show through and see where it takes us."
Hoerdt will turn Blue Star Majesty out after tomorrow's race.
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POOR BOY HALL: The winner of the last two-year-old colt stake race, Poor Boy Hall, is not eligible for tomorrow's Harvest Gold. The Kentucky-bred has been turned out for the season to grow in hopes the bay colt will return as a solid three-year-old champion.
He won two of his four starts and earned just less than $35,000.
"I bought him for $15,000 US in Harrisburg last fall," said trainer and part-owner Don Monkman Jr. "He's a Blissful Hall cross with Matts Scooter and I've found they result in real sold race horses in the past. Maggie Hall and Bliss My Gas are two others I have from the combination and they've been real good race horses."
Monkman bought the horse for first-time owner Bruce Herron of Calgary. Right after Poor Boy Hall won his maiden race Aug. 12, pacing 1:57 that first start, Monkman's phone has rung off the hook from people interested in buying the colt.
"I had an offer from Ontario, one from Pennsylvania and one from B.C. right after that and I've had a number since," noted Monkman. "There's been some serious money put on the table but we kind of like what we see in him ... and we'd like to see how he does in his three-year-old campaign.
"He's one of the fastest colts I've sat behind and he sure never quits. He's just got a big heart and just keeps coming at you."
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WATCH OVER ME: Plenty of attention will be paid to Watch Over Me in the $100,000 Debutante stake final today for two-year-old fillies. The As Promised off-spring will be trying to win her third straight stake race and improve on her career-best winning time of 1:56.2 set Oct. 15 when she won the Junior Miss. The fact the bay filly hasn't raced since shouldn't be a factor according to trainer and part-owner J.F. Gagne.
"The last time she raced, we hadn't put her in a race for three weeks and she won easily," said Gagne. "We just wanted to do the same thing this time. I would have had to move her up a class against non-winners of three where there were a lot of three- and four-year-old horses, so I decided to just save her for this race instead."
Gagne has watched his filly come from behind and beat the field. He's seen her dominate from the front as she did in winning the Junior Miss.
He's not sure what to expect today.
"She's proven to be a very handy horse," said Gagne. "She dropped her head down and just went the last race. She seemed to like being on the front but who knows this race.
"I'll turn her out after this for the season and bring her back next year rested and healthy.
I don't have any other As Promised fillies or colts but she's sure tempting me to get more."
big bucks: For the past two years, trainer Liz Hennessy has produced the top money-winning, three-year old Alberta-bred colt. Two years ago, Dudes Leaving Town earned $212,569 as a three-year-old. This year, Weekend Bernie topped that total by registering $217,481.
Both colts dominated the Alberta-bred stakes each going undefeated against other Alberta-bred horses in the restricted stake races. Dude won all five in which he was entered and Bernie finished his season winning six after capturing last weekend's Black Gold stake.
"Rod (Hennessy) thinks Dude is the faster of the two but Bernie is definitely more rugged," said Liz. "Bernie had his way with the Alberta-bred competition all year but really didn't spark up until he was in the Nat Christie against all those tough open horses. He finished third, the best of any Alberta horse, so he earned his money. Bernie takes on any challenge and gets the job done. He kind of surprised us at the end this year when he even beat the open colts in the Rocky Mountain. He's just been money in the bank his whole career."
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SCENIC NIGHT: Tara Schaw said the last time she had a ticket on a horse race was 25 years ago. It was the first and last time she bet on the races. Thanks to Ron Baxter, Tara won $102 on a $2 exacta wager Baxter put on Scenic Night to finish on top of the field on her behalf last Sunday. Baxter, in fact, placed the same wager for all grooms and their horses in the race, in honour of his wife Cathy. When Scenic Night beat out Mighty Duff, he posted his first win in a long time and gave Schaw her first winning ticket.
"I didn't even know what to do with the ticket after the race," laughed Schaw. "I didn't know where to go to cash it. It just shows you how much I have to do on race day around here."
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EXERCISE RIDER: The first certified exercise rider and jockey school begins its 12-week program at Olds College Nov. 28. Real Simard, one of the top riders on the Alberta thoroughbred circuit, is the head instructor. He is joined by Alex Ferris, another 25-year jockey and Nancy Wrayton, a former jockey. Trainer Theresa Sealy rounds out the four-person instruction crew. The 12-week program will cover everything from galloping thoroughbreds to taking part in race-day activities at the track. This initial course is full but for more information on either the Exercise Rider & Jockey School or the Groom School. Call (403)556-4767 or log on to www.oldscollege.ca/animalscience/extension.
