| Keeping Pace - with Sugar Doyle | | Print | |
| Written by Sugar Doyle |
| Monday, 29 June 2009 20:15 |
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GRANDE PRAIRIE - Veteran trainer/driver Ron Graham still has it in the sulky. Graham, known to many as one of the most likable guys in the business, racked up six driving wins this past weekend to put him near the top of the driver's leader board at Evergreen Park. "Everything is going well," says Graham. "You know what they say... chicken today and feathers tomorrow and I'm hoping for more chicken tomorrow."The track record holder for mares, Weareverigo, was out for another tour of the oval on Sunday. She was collared late in the mile on this day by the Keith Clark-driven Admired Beauty. "Weareverigo is a bit of a speed horse and she likes to have things her own way. Last week she was fine and this week she met tougher company. Sometimes it's not how fast you go, but who you beat," Ron added. Ron and his daughter, Katie, are looking after some really nice horses of late. One being the three-year-old Allamerican Native colt, Sixdaysontheroad, for owner Walter Moroz. The handsome speedster has been toying with them in GP, winning Friday evening by nine lengths, under wraps, in 1:58.4. Another Graham trainee to watch for this summer will be Goodbadanddeugly N, a seven-year-old New Zealand bred mare, who was making her first North American start a winning one on Saturday. Sent away as the post-time favorite, she appeared to be in a heap of trouble when trailing the field past the half. Graham, no stranger to the down-under types, was thinking 'no worries mates'. When he pulled on the right line on the final turn, this mare just exploded with a huge four-wide move from worst to first to win by three in 1:58.1 for a new lifetime best. I'd have to say this was one of the most astonishing moves I've seen by any horse over Evergreen Park in the time that I've been here. Goodbadanddeugly N is now owned by the 'One Last Horse Stable' of Edmonton. CLARK STARTING TO ROLL: Keith Clark appeared to be getting off to a slow start in GP, but all that has changed now after this past weekend. Clark was aboard for eight driving wins over the three days with four of those wins coming on Sunday. Wrangler Hitech, owned, trained and driven by Clark, brought his 'A' game on Saturday afternoon winning sharply in 1:57.2 over stablemate Oblivious Boy. The three-year-old son of As Promised, out of the Village Jiffy mare Raines Lucey, is shared in ownership by Robert Jones and Peter Giannakopoulos. Looks like this pair of Clark trainees are now good to go for stakes action coming up soon at Evergreen. FINISH LINES: A Special Lady, owned by Gordon Remmen, Gordon Rumpel and Dr. Maurice N Stewart, made her first Alberta start a winning one on the weekend. The As Promised miss was showing some nice speed in Ontario and is now here for stakes action under trainer Jeff McLeod... Red River Boat, with Gerry Hudon aboard, was very good in winning a NW 4 class in 1:58.2, turning back Westwood Franco and Swiftys First Star. Hudon shares ownership of the sophomore colt with Craig Stamp and Gerry Gilroy... Caracas, owned by Jim and Helen Zurawel, captured the 'Cover Me Gently' feature on Sunday. Northlands track seamstress Paulette Brayshaw was at trackside for the blanket presentation... Attitudenous, owned by Hudon, Stamp and Lynn Kowalevsky, won the 'Black Cloud Polly' feature on Saturday. My good friend, Pauline Doucette, was on hand to present a 'black' ASHA blanket to the winning connections... Wagering was up once again over the weekend in GP, with a season high coming in on Saturday... The Fleetwood Mac concert was awesome! Polly and myself were able to meet Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks at Rexall Place last Wednesday - it was like a dream... -copyright thehorses.com |
| Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 June 2009 17:25 |
