“He’s the only horse they have and they’re really, really excited. North America Cup consolation night we’re going up to the winner’s circle, and I went to shake Bruce’s hand and he’s crying. He said. ‘I can’t help it.’ He’s a real good guy and it’s nice to see people like that have success with their horses.”
In his quote above, trainer Dr. Ian Moore perfectly described the overwhelming emotion that horse owners can feel when they have a serious racehorse on their hands. Be it a lower-level conditioned horse or a high-end stakes competitor, it’s always a rush when a Standardbred takes its ownership contingent on a ride that they will never forget.
In this particular case, as a press release by the Ontario Sires Stakes explains, it was Physicallyinclined that took co-owner Bruce McGean and the rest of his connections on an emotional joyride on June 20, Pepsi North America Cup Night at Mohawk Racetrack.
It’s safe to say that McGean and co-owner Sterling Feener are hoping to be taken on a similar ride this Saturday at the Campbellville oval, as their Mach Three colt is set to tackle eight foes in his $105,000 OSS Gold Series division, which has been carded as Race 8. The program will get underway at 7:25 p.m. Physicallyinclined and the rest of his rivals will face the gate for their race at roughly 9:45 p.m.
Dr. Moore, a resident of Guelph, Ont. will watch Physicallyinclined line up in Post 1 with fellow Guelph resident Paul MacDonell at the helm. The colt will be looking for his first Gold Series win of the season after a pair of runner-up finishes in the first two legs.
“Hopefully his luck turns around this week,” said Dr. Moore. “He’s a very, very game, tough individual.
“And actually this will be one of the first times that he’s [drawn] close to the rail in all his starts. He’s been outside or in the middle in most all of them.”
McGean and Feener – both of whom are residents of Nova Scotia – have attended all of Physicallyinclined’s stakes starts. They will be at Mohawk for Saturday’s Gold Series test, hoping to share their enthusiasm for Physicallyinclined with a successful contestant from the OSS’ ‘Be A Winner’ contest.
Mohawk will host two OSS Gold Series divisions on Saturday, and the second $105,000 division, which is Race 8, will see a Be A Winner semi-finalist assigned to each horse.
Each semi-finalist and one guest will be invited to tour the race paddock and watch the Gold Series colts battle from the winner’s circle. The semi-finalist who was assigned to the winning horse will be able to join in the post-race celebrations. The victorious semi-finalist will also receive a digital copy of the winner’s circle photo, dinner for four during the Grassroots Championships at Mohawk on September 26, and a $100 wagering voucher for the September 26 program.
Fans who do not reach the semifinals of the Be A Winner contest can still catch an Ontario Sires Stakes ball cap during the trackside hat toss, and the first 200 fans arriving for Saturday’s festivities can have an OSS t-shirt autographed by their favourite drivers
Aside from Physicallyinclined, Dr. Moore also has another starter in Saturday’s Gold Series action at Mohawk, as Shoe Shine will be contesting the first Gold division, which has been carded as Race 6. It will be the Shadow Play colt’s OSS debut. Arthur, Ont. resident Trevor Henry will steer him from Post 3.
“He’s been a surprise, actually,” Dr. Moore said about Shoe Shine. “He had a bad heel crack in one foot and we got that fixed up and it seemed to have made a big difference. Now I know it’s a little tougher in the Gold, but they wanted to try him and I was okay with that, so away we go on Saturday.”
Wayne Whebby of Dartmouth, NS and R G McGroup Ltd. of Bathurst, NS share ownership of Shoe Shine. Whebby trained the colt before leaving him with Dr. Moore following his first Mohawk start on June 29. Since arriving in Ontario, the pacer has posted three wins and one fourth in four outings, starting in non-winners of $7,000 and moving up to non-winners of $25,000.
“Both of those two colts have been pleasant surprises for all of us associated with them,” noted Dr. Moore. “So hopefully we have a little more luck.”
To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at Mohawk, click the following link: Saturday Entries – Mohawk Racetrack.
(With files from the OSS)
What a great horse, he is
What a great horse, he is amazing.