Undefeated in nine starts to begin his 2023 campaign, Outlaw C My Shadow has not only infused the Western Canadian harness racing scene with a dose of excitement but has also revitalised his trainer’s interest in the sport.
During their latest B.C. sojourn, Outlaw C My Shadow won every Open carded throughout the 2023 winter/spring meet at Fraser Downs, going nine-for-nine to start his six-year-old campaign for Alberta-based trainer/driver and breeder Connie Kolthammer, who co-owns the B.C. foaled pacer with Outlaw West Stable partner Jim Mohorich.
A full brother in blood to 2021 Horse of the Year Desperate Man, the Shadow Play-Grand Slam Woman gelding’s win streak goes back even further and extends over 11 races, starting on Nov. 20, 2022, with back-to-back victories at the end of the Fraser Downs fall meet.
All but three of his 21 career wins have come in B.C., including his 1:50.4 lifetime mark last March that was just two-fifths of a second off the Fraser Downs track record.
“I'm not quite sure what the key to success is out there,” Kolthammer told Trot Insider while reflecting on his perfect meet back at her Outlaw Stable in Falun, Alta. “He loves it out there.
“He’s never liked Alberta in the past," she said of the career winner of more than $180,000 from 91 starts. "When he came back as a three-year-old, then four-year-old, then five-year-old, anybody could beat him, like he’s just a totally different horse. He pulls, he's not very pleasant, usually rips your arms out and he just races terrible. But he’s looking like he’s the B.C. horse that we want now.”
Kolthammer noted that the pair share an affinity for the B.C. racing season.
“I go out there and I stay with friends and then I just go back and forth to the track and train and race," said explained. "Believe it or not, it’s kind of my R&R, my good time. I really like it out there and, like I say, I stay with friends, which really helps.
“I don't know, I just say it's my happy place so maybe he feeds off me and we just do good.”
Outlaw C My Shadow has always performed well racing in B.C., but his latest run of success has come on the heels of a growth spurt.
“He's grown a lot, believe it or not,” added Kolthammer. “He's now six [years old] but he kind of grew up coming into the fall last year and he's even a bigger, stronger horse than he was. So, we'll kind of attest it to that too.”
Outlaw C My Shadow has also appeared to click well with a new driver, with Brandon Campbell taking the reins for most of his recent wins.
“Brandon Campbell has always wanted to drive him, like he's just been ragging all the time, and I finally said the one time, you know what, go for it, you can have him,” said Kolthammer with a laugh. “I don't want to drive much anymore anyway. And he loves him, so he drives him accordingly and he's doing well with him.”
Outlaw C My Shadow has turned in some impressive miles, but one that stands out for his trainer is an early season race when facing some of the top competition and fighting off a strong Kelly Hoerdt entry.
“He actually sent one of his entrymates after him, so they really dangled and [Outlaw C My Shadow] stepped up to the plate. I was really happy with him that day.”
Outlaw C My Shadow made it look easy, leading at every pole during his entire winning crusade, even when handicapped outside during his last five races. His domination led to less competition though, which was a challenge in its own right as few challengers meant fewer opportunities to race.
“I have to say, once Kelly Hoerdt pulled his [horses] out – because those were two and there was another one that left as well – it was a softer invite for sure. So, it could really braven him up and he didn't really have any huge challenges that way,” said Kolthammer. “So, I'll say after those horses actually left, he probably did have it a lot easier and a lot softer. The biggest challenge was probably trying to get him a chance to race.
“He's a B.C. bred – they have that program, my partners are B.C. owners – and so we were really trying to show him off out there when he was racing so good. We had a lot of positive feedback from even the grandstand that liked to watch him race, but it definitely was a softer field for him out there after those horses left.”
Outlaw C My Shadow has generated a following and a future match-up with Western Canada’s first sub-1:50 pacer Shark Week, who is currently riding a six-race win streak of his own in Alberta, is sure to attract a lot of interest among fans.
While Outlaw C My Shadow has infused some excitement into the world of racing, he has also reinvigorated Kolthammer’s interest after suffering a personal loss.
“I lost my husband [Jim Rogers] in 2016 and I don't know what made me do it, but I decided to breed this mare to Shadow Play,” said Kolthammer. “I had two mares I actually wanted to breed to Shadow Play, but unfortunately, I only got the one in foal.”
However, that foal was Outlaw C My Shadow, or ‘Prince,’ as he is more fondly known in the Outlaw Stable.
“I was trying to get enthusiastic about getting back into the racing due to the lack of my partner not being here anymore. I was just kind of going through the motions,” said Kolthammer. “So, I talked to friends of mine, Bev and Jim Mohorich, and long story short, decided to invite them into this horse. We thought we'd foal it out there to be a B.C. foaled horse so we'd have stakes out there and I could go out there and race and hang out with them and have a little more interest because I kind of lost interest for a little while I was doing it.
“So, that's probably why he ended up being here. He's a very personable horse – probably my 'heart horse' – and I've had some decent horses that I've been very fond of and that have been good to me. My husband always said I could maybe someday keep a good one, so maybe this is ‘Prince.’”
While Kolthammer has bred and campaigned several top horses in her career, ‘Prince’ is one that has come along at the right time.
“He's the first horse in the stall in the barn there in the big stall. And, you know, when he races bad in the summertime when he was coming back here, he just made me feel good when I went in in the morning and he kind of gave me a reason to start getting back into this again with a little more interest in the whole thing. That's kind of what he was there for. And he's done a good job doing it. Hopefully, now we're back on track.”
After returning to Alberta when the Fraser Downs meet ended, Outlaw C My Shadow got an extended break before training down as a result of the wildfire smoke that has plagued the region early this summer and a virus that went through the barn.
He won back-to-back qualifiers at Century Downs in early July – the latest was a 1:53.3 mile last Saturday, July 8 with Outlaw C My Shadow in a race of his own, winning by 21-3/4 lengths.
“I'm happy with the way things are going," said Kolthammer. "He was all by himself because he had nobody in there that could go with him, so he was kind of coming around the top turn and kind of getting cranky about the fact that we're asking him to go. He still finished well, but he really says there's no competition. So, I guess the proof will be in the pudding when he can get in against these top horses that they have here in Alberta.”
Outlaw C My Shadow will put his win streak on the line in Friday evening’s $14,000 Preferred Pace at Century Downs. With class standout Shark Week not entered this week, Outlaw C My Shadow is the even-money favourite on the morning line from post four of five with Campbell back aboard, but Kolthammer isn’t expecting the race to be a walk in the park.
“Even without Shark Week, it's a tough field,” she said. “They can all go and they can all come home, so we'll see how it goes. But I'm very happy with the way things are going forward. He's definitely feeling like he should, so we'll see what happens.
“I'm really easy to please. If he can compete with them and he can be competitive, I'm thrilled. I don't have to win every time although for sure [I would like to], but I would like to definitely be competitive and step up to the plate with him. So, fingers crossed.”