She may not be a household name, but Naturdays may very well become one in Indiana at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Friday (Oct. 13) when she seeks her first Indiana title in the $250,000 Super Final for three-year-old filly trotters. The 15-race card feature contests for state’s best and brightest worth nearly $1.8 million.
“She fumbled with her gait as a two-year-old,” said trainer Matt Rheinheimer. “But with each start she just keeps improving and has made that improvement from two to three. She just enjoys her work.”
Naturdays will leave from post position five with regular pilot, Matt Krueger, holding the lines in an extremely competitive field of 10 rivals. The daughter of Helpinontheway-
Owned by Alton Miller, Debra Miller and Brackton Miller, Naturdays is the second foal from her dam who produced Muscle Dan (Dover Dan, $133,681). She was purchased for $30,000 at the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale. Windsongmusclelady, a daughter of Muscle Mass, earned $134,086 during her racing career.
Rheinheimer knows a bit about training trotting fillies in the Hoosier State. He was responsible for keeping former track record holder and multiple Indiana champion Churita on her toes. Churita was one of the few horses to defeat 2017 Horse of the Year and Indiana champion Hannelore Hanover on multiple occasions over the Anderson oval.
Churita passed in April after a bout with colic at age 11. She was a superstar at Hoosier Park and reeled off 16 straight victories between her two and three-year-old campaigns, banking $1,038,975 for her illustrious career. Her rivalry with Hannelore Hanover was a main attraction at the facility and she may be gone but will never be forgotten.
“This filly is the exact opposite from Churita,” said Rheinheimer. “She is so nice to be around and just a pleasure to work with. Churita was a bit more difficult, but in comparing the two, I think this filly has higher speed. It’s hard to tell with how fast they go now. Each year the breed just keeps improving so it’s hard to compare them.”
Despite being confident in his filly, who sports a record of 24-14-3-4 and has banked $214,665, Rheinheimer acknowledges Naturdays will have no walk in the park striding to victory.
"This is a strong field that is very competitive,” he said. “Any one of these fillies can win this race if it sets up appropriately for them. I’m just grateful the owners were patient with her as a two-year-old so she can be in this spot.”
Rheinheimer is also thankful to have this filly in his barn.
“She is a dream come true,” he said. “Just everything about her. She enjoys her job and is so happy to do it. Just a great horse to be around.”
Other favourites in Friday’s Indiana Sire Stakes championships are two-year-old male pacer Noblesville, three-year-old male pacer Why Not Now, three-year-old female pacer Rollin Rosie, three-year-old male trotter Talent Scout, older male pacer Ponda Warrior, older male trotter Adamsville Road, and older female trotter Jusmakinyalook. Adamsville Road and Ponda Warrior are returning champs. Ponda Warrior also captured the $310,000 Dan Patch Stakes, Hoosier Park’s signature event, in August.
(Hoosier Park)