She’s not as impressive of a physical specimen as her stablemate and fellow world champion Put On A Show, but nonetheless, I Luv The Nitelife’s connections developed the same sort of lofty expectations they hold for the fastest pacing mare of all-time, shortly after bringing her home from last year’s Lexington Selected Sale.
“She was pretty much the way you want a horse to be right along,” explained the filly’s conditioner Chris Ryder. “Honestly, she never had a bad day training down but I really had no idea she was going to go in 1:50. Her baby races were mediocre and she was always pacing home quite well, but within three starts she turned into the professional we hoped for. She’s a filly that’s become a real racehorse.
“When you have an animal like her,” he continued. “You can’t help but have expectations. I think it’s just the way we are. You might think you have a really nice horse and then when you go to the races, there are some out there better than you. To have a nice filly, you’ve got to be in the top two or three and not the top ten.”
Richard and Joanne Young, who also own Put On A Show, signed the $60,000 cheque for the daughter of Rocknroll Hanover-Lisjune. The filly, originally named Hard Rock Deo, is the second foal out of her dam and is a half-sister to Im The Pied Piper (Western Ideal p,3,1:49.4f, $129,183), who won this year’s The Diplomat Series final at Woodbine, and to the yearling Fortis Deo by Well Said.
Her granddam, Lisheen, was quite a good racehorse herself and won the 1994 edition of the Mistletoe Shalee, before heading to the breeding shed. Lisheen produced 2006 Dan Patch Award winner Lis Mara, fast freshman Lis Deo and Lisagain.
Several days before I Luv The Nitelife, who is named for Alicia Bridges' 1978 disco song, broke her maiden in a $129,748 Eternal Camnation division at Mohawk on August 18, Young had enough confidence in her ability to state she probably would be getting her picture taken soon.
“I have a two-year-old filly that no one really knows about yet because she’s only raced three times and hasn’t won,” he said. “But Chris and I think she’s coming along really well and we are looking forward to seeing her upcoming races.”
I Luv The Nitelife debuted on July 12 in the Whenuwishuponastar Series at Mohawk. She finished fourth in her first start, second on July 23 in the second leg and third in the final contest.
The Eternal Camnation was her next performance and following that race she established the new world record of 1:50.1, which broke the mark of 1:50.2 previously held by American Jewel and Big Mcdeal, in her elimination for the Shes A Great Lady on August 25.
She captured the $610,000 Shes A Great Lady Final on Sept. 1 and finished second by a head to budding rival L Dees Lioness in the $226,763 Champlain on Sept. 8.
The filly will have her first pari-mutuel trip over an American oval on Friday (Sept. 27) when she competes in a $108,700 division of the Bluegrass Stakes. She will leave from post position four with Brian Sears in the bike and is the morning line favourite at odds of 2-1.
“It was definitely by design (on keeping her in Canada),” Ryder said. “We thought it would be easier on her than the New Jersey Sire Stakes, as the races were spaced 10 days apart instead of a week and there wasn’t much of a difference in the money. We also didn’t want to have to ship back and forth for the Shes A Great Lady. We thought that kind of schedule would be good for a baby.”
After Friday’s contest, the filly will race in the International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile the following week and then it’s on to the Breeders Crown.
“We were a little disappointed in her first start,” Ryder said. “She came home nicely, but visually it wasn’t all that exciting, but she seems to be pretty good right now.
“I’m not sure if Nikki Beach is in this week, but she might be the following week. No matter what though, I just concentrate on my horses. Whatever we come up against, we come up against. I’m really not someone that thinks about who is going to be tough to beat. All I have to do is just look after her and the rest is based on the conditions, the driver and whatever else may be.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.