Friday Night Preview: AQHA/John Deere Challenge Race

With most of the horse racing world salivating over the potential match-up of the undefeated mare Zenyatta versus Preakness winning filly Rachel Alexandra, Fargo’s North Dakota Horse Park has its own “girl drama” heating up as the fillies take the stage in the winner take all match in Friday’s AQHA-John Deere Challenge Stakes sponsored by RDO Equipment Co.

  Although a wide open race with all AQHA Challenge nominated horses of both sexes eligible, it is the “Flying Fillies of Fargo” that will likely take both center stage and most of the wagers when the 6th race goes off at 7:30pm! 

Rumors circulated all week about the potential match up of some of the best fillies to blaze the trail on the Fargo track.  When No Temper Here, heroine of last year’s Red River Derby and Fast Horse Stakes at Fargo arrived in the barn of Ernie Fennel early in the week, the rumors intensified further. The great grey filly out of Vic Hanson’s barn was also said to be in play for the race so as entries were taken Tuesday, very few of the “boys” were willing to face them.  Only five entries were drawn for the $10,000 race with 3 of those being fillies: multiple stakes winning 4-year-old No Temper Here and the first 2 finishers of the North Dakota-bred Derby, Shake Em Diva and Miss Hawkin.  Incredible Zoom, the winner of the August 8 Peace Garden Stakes (via the disqualification of another filly, Righteous Tessa) also drew in as well as newcomer, Stone Cold Roller from the barn of Steve Kane from Canterbury. 

No Temper Here, known for her post parade antics (much like Zenyatta), has won virtually every stakes she has ever entered at the North Dakota Horse Park.  Winner of the MinnDak Futurity at age 2 and the Red River Derby and Fast Horse Stakes at age 3, she added the $20,000 Land of Oz Stake in Anthony, Kansas before heading back “home” to Fargo for this race. 

Shake Em Diva, one of the flashiest horses at the Fargo track, enters the Challenge Stakes off of 2 visually impressive victories this season in Fargo.  Winner of her Derby trial by 3 lengths on opening weekend, she came back 2 weeks later to pass them all again in the Derby itself.  Jim Fleming’s Miss Hawkin, apparently unintimidated by a second to the grey in Derby, is back to take her on again, this time with Shaunda Larsen up.

The field goes to the post at 7:30 with the “Tractor Trophy” on the line...fillies first or will one of the brave boys get there?

Friday Night Preview: Old Timer's Special!

In a world of young and flashy athletes, the old campaigners of the Thoroughbred racing world tend to stick around and show the youngsters “how it is done”...be it human (61 year old Jim Beeson winning 5 of 9 just weeks ago) or horses.  On Friday night, seven of the Horse Park’s “old men” will line up and tackle each other to see just who is the “King of the Old Timers”! 

The “Old Timers Special” is a rather new Horse Park conception, designed to honor and spotlight those older horses that stick around year after year, obviously winning often enough to justify keeping them in training and often winning so much that they collect bankrolls in excess of $100,000!  The race, restricted to horses that are eight years of age or older (compared to the normal three years of age or older) showcases those “old dudes” that dance every dance and race every race! 

Seven of these “old men” will line up Friday night for the seventh race (lucky numbers anyone?).  The morning line favorite, Wise Tod, is a veteran nine year old gelding that has been around the Fargo track for the last few years and already has a win here for 2009.  Owned and trained by David Gourneau, Wise Tod has “Derby” connections in that his sire, Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone, is also the grandsire of the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird.  Wise Tod has won 14 of 67 lifetime starts and figures to show some hot early speed in the 5.5 furlong contest. 

Another Horse Park veteran contestant, Harbour Axe, has been a regular starter at the Fargo track for 4 straight years.  Harbour Axe, a Texas bred that is trained by Ken Olson and owned by his wife, Susan, has won 16 of 53 lifetime starts including 2 races in each of the last 2 years.  Fanned out four wide and ending up fifth in only start in 2009 at Fargo, Harbour Axe figures to be a competitor as they come down the lane with the deep closing kick he showed last year in 2 wins here. 

Uncle Brother, who was claimed from trainer Jerry Duncan during the 2008 racing season at the Horse Park, boasts one of the widest margins of victory (7 1/2 lengths) from last year.  On the board in his only Fargo start this season with new trainer Gerald Erfle, Uncle Brother is still waiting for his first win of 2009 and may be sitting on a big race going into Friday night. 

Rounding out the field is Jennifer Malaterre’s Brightly Bound, a horse that has won at least one race at Fargo for 3 straight years.  A winner at Chippewa Downs in June, he should show early speed.  Also in are Schulyer Condon’s Ten Forty Easy, Fargo’s new 7 furlong track record holder Sahoma Secret and Canterbury shipper Backwoodsmoking from the barn of Roger Kerber.

The field takes the track at 8:00pm Friday night and winner takes home his very own rocking chair (no kidding!)