When Order By Roosevelt takes to the track Monday evening at Woodbine Racetrack in the opening round of the inaugural edition of the Swing Into Spring Series, the resilient trotter will look to come up big with a little help from his friend

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Since returning from an injury in June 2011, Order By Roosevelt, a seven-year-old son of Muscles Yankee, has been highly competitive, boasting a record of 3-2-1 in nine outings this season with $64,990 in earnings.

Two months before the injury, however, it was quite the opposite.

“He was very inconsistent and then all of a sudden in one race, he came up lame and what happened was he had broken a coffin bone,” explained Blake Anthony, who co-owns the gelding with trainer Carman Hie and Perry Robins.

The decision was made to bring Order By Roosevelt to Anthony’s Millgrove farm to recover, a chance to heal with no set timeline for a return to the races.

“The vet said to give him nine months to a year, so we played it real safe and gave him 15 months,” said Anthony.

While on the road to recovery, Order By Roosevelt, who missed his entire five-year-old campaign, found a companion to keep him company.

“We have broodmares here and they are out in the field, so we had a little miniature horse,” said Anthony. “We put him in the stall beside ‘Roosevelt’ and he stayed in the barn with him while he recovered."

The trotter and Yoshi became inseparable.

“Roosevelt is a very striking, good-looking animal and then we had this little guy there. We nicknamed them the 'twins' after the movie with Danny DeVito and (Arnold) Schwarzenegger,” laughed Anthony. “That’s what it reminded us of because they were together all the time.”

Although there is an obvious difference in size, the pair, despite some early concerns, have maintained their bond.

“He (Order by Roosevelt) is the type that’s got those big eyes...he’ll look at you and when you walk into the stall, he will lay his head on your shoulder,” he said. “He is just a big pile of mush.”

When the 12-time career winner, who has banked $153,193, returned to the racetrack, he climbed up to the Open ranks. He finished second to the talented Mister Herbie on March 5 and was third to the Jeff Gillis pupil and runner-up Windsong Geant on March 17.

In his last two starts (March 24 and April 7), Hie acknowledged Order By Roosevelt was in tough when he contested the Glorys Comet Trotting Series at the Toronto oval. The gelding, who was up against his Open company rivals, also had to go up against trotting titan San Pail.

Order By Roosevelt finished a disappointing sixth in both a preliminary leg and the final. Hie believes the Swing Into Spring Series is a better fit.

“I think he will do very well in there,” he said.

With driver Paul MacDonell in the bike, Order By Roosevelt, the even-money morning line favourite, will start from Post 8 in the second of three $20,000 divisions.

Hie isn’t concerned with the demanding outside post.

“I don’t think it would be a problem,” the veteran conditioner said. “He gets off the gate very well or you can take him back and race him from behind. He will race either way. In fact, in December, he had the 10-hole and was ninth at the head of the stretch and he won.”

The $30,000 second leg of the Swing Into Spring, for aged trotters who are non-winners of $50,000 (FM $62,500) in 2011, is slated for Thursday, April 26, with the $50,000 final scheduled for Monday, May 7.

Also on the 12-race program, three-year-old trotters, who are non-winners $30,000 in 2011, will contest two $30,000 second round divisions of the Tie Silk Series.

To view the harness racing entries for Monday at Woodbine, click the following link: Monday Entries - Woodbine Racetrack.

(WEG)