Given her pedigree, pacing mare Lotsa Matzah has the potential to be a successful broodmare. But before she gives motherhood a try, trainer Ed Hart is hopeful the lightly raced four-year-old can still be a successful racehorse.
Lotsa Matzah, a full sister to stakes winners Heston Blue Chip and Sunfire Blue Chip, has won two of 13 career starts as she heads into Friday’s opening round of the Worldly Beauty Series at the Meadowlands. One of those victories came at the Big M last week following a six-month layoff.
“She got a little sore in the middle of last summer and we decided to quit with her,” Hart said. “She just needed some time off. We turned her out and she’s seemed to come back pretty good.
“We had pretty high expectations for her. I thought she was an awful nice filly. Between being a little bit sore and a little immature [at ages two and three] it just didn’t work out. But it seems to be coming together now. We’re hoping that she keeps going forward.”
Lotsa Matzah competes in the second of two $15,000 divisions in the first round of the Worldly Beauty Series. She starts from post seven with driver Ron Pierce and is part of a 3-1 common-ownership entry with Impatience.
Ron Burke’s Donttellruss, who has won three of 26 lifetime starts and has hit the board 14 times, is the 2-1 morning line favourite in the race.
The second leg of the Worldly Beauty Series is Jan. 16 and the $65,000 (est.) final Jan. 24 at the Meadowlands.
Lotsa Matzah was purchased for $57,000 under the name Tacumwah Blue Chip in the 2012 Standardbred Horse Sale. A daughter of American Ideal out of the mare Shot Togo Bluechip, her family includes Dan Patch Award winners Heston Blue Chip and Kikikatie as well as millionaire Camluck.
As a two-year-old, Lotsa Matzah was winless in six starts but finished second on three occasions, all in the New York Excelsior Series. Last season she raced six times, winning a maiden race at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in 1:52.4, before being sidelined.
Lotsa Matzah has earned $26,191 for owners Blue Chip Bloodstock, Daniel Zucker, Christine Sallee, and Stephen Demeter.
“She’s really well bred; she’s going to be a good broodmare at some point,” Hart said. “But I’ve always liked this filly. She’s always had a good attitude and showed good speed, she just couldn’t put it all together. She was a little hard on herself and kind of had to find herself.
“This year, she’s come back and seemed to have matured a lot. She’s come along pretty good. She’s got a couple series coming up now, the Worldly Beauty and Burning Point, and we’ll have to see where we go from there.”
Witch Dali, who went four-for-four in December after missing a year of action, is the 6-5 favourite in the first division of the Worldly Beauty.
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.