For the first time ever, Whoomp will stray from her home track, and co-breeder/owner Pat DeLong feels the filly has earned the opportunity.
The daughter of Rockin Image-Nightcap will compete on Saturday, Oct. 17 in the first of two $25,000 USD eliminations for the Grade 1 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Pace at Eldorado Scioto Downs. The start will be her first away from Harrah’s Hoosier Park, where she has won 13 of 24 career races, captured Indiana Sire Stakes championships at ages two and three and earned $1,037,250.
After all that success in one place, DeLong, with his cousin John, who drives the horse, and trainer Roger Welch, felt it was time to tell Whoomp “there it is” while pointing to a new track (and, yes, she was named after the 1993 hit song).
“I ultimately left the decision up to Roger and John,” said Pat DeLong, who bred the filly with his father, Bo, and also shares ownership with John’s father, Jesse. “She’s going to miss two good $40,000 or $50,000 (USD) races at Hoosier that she could probably be first or second in.
“I know it’s a tough group of fillies. We were kind of torn in the middle. At the last moment we said, ‘She’s racing so good, we’ve got to take a shot.’ It’s not like we’re trying to pull off a miracle by any means. I think we’re in the middle of the pack.”
As for racing in new surroundings, the owner has no concerns.
“She’ll be just fine,” he said. “We just wanted to see her make her way through this season and see how she finishes the year. Luckily, she won the (sire stakes) final and we said, ‘Let’s take a shot, she’s looked so good.’”
Whoomp has amassed 10 victories and seven seconds in her last 17 races, with her victories including the Grade 2 Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes last year. This year, she won the fourth round of the sire stakes in a career-best 1:48.3; only three sophomore filly pacers – Loua Dipa, Miss Jum Jabber and Sangria Summer – have won with faster times this season.
The only horse to beat Whoomp during that 17-race stretch was Somemore Blue, who finished seventh in the sire stakes final and was not entered in the Breeders Crown.
“I’m happy she’s not there, but at the same time it’s been so much fun racing against her,” DeLong said. “I think it’s been so good for the sport, and especially the state of Indiana. But it will be nice to race against some new faces.
“I’m kind of excited to see what she does against better competition because she finishes so good. I just want to see what happens when they get down there in fast fractions. She can be sitting anywhere, and I don’t think she’ll embarrass herself by any means.”
DeLong was happy to see Whoomp draw post three in her Breeders Crown elimination, in which she is the 3-1 morning-line favourite. The eight-horse field includes returning Crown champion and multiple Grade 1 winner Loua Dipa (PP8, Ronnie Wrenn Jr., Ron Burke; 7-1) as well as graded-stakes winner Be Perfect Bg (PP7, Louis-Philippe Roy, Tony Beaton; 8-1).
“They’ve proven they can fit in that group,” DeLong said. “We’re kind of the beginner; we haven’t raced against them yet. They’re obviously the ones to beat.
“It will be an interesting race. I’ll leave it up to John what he wants to do with her, whether he wants to leave and get a good spot or just see what happens out of the gate. I think he’s got lots of options with where we drew.
“With a filly like her, you can pretty much do what you want. If you’re somewhat close and if she’s got pace, she’s going to finish good. Or you can leave, get a good spot and see where you want to sit.”
Pat and Bo have bred some quality horses in recent years, such as Fortunada, Tellmeitmatters and Canttouchthese, who have combined to earn more than $1.9 million. But Pat considers Whoomp the best of the lot and credits his trainer and driver for that.
“Roger (Welch) and his wife Amy have done a tremendous job,” DeLong said. “Roger picked his spots with her to educate her, and she obviously proved herself. They managed her very well; they kept her in top form all year. She’s been healthy, knock on wood, and sound. All the credit goes to them.
“Obviously John’s done a super job driving her for her whole life. He and Roger are always on the same page. John’s always going to drive in the best interest of the horse. He knows where they fit and just drives them very smart.”
The team now gets ready for the biggest race of Whoomp’s career. It’s exciting, but DeLong knows if all else fails, there’s no place like home.
“She hasn’t really raced a bad race,” he said. “The worst case is we go back to Indiana and there’s a bunch of little races for her there. She’s still a great horse.”
The morning-line favourite in the second elimination for three-year-old filly pacers is Sangria Summer, at 5-2. She will start from post four for driver James MacDonald and trainer Luc Blais. The 7-2 second choice is supplemental entry Miss Jum Jabber, starting from post five with Andrew McCarthy driving for Brett Pelling.
The top four finishers from each elim plus the fifth-place finisher with the highest seasonal earnings will advance to next week’s $664,500 USD final.
Scioto Downs, which is hosting all 12 Breeders Crown events for the first time after being the site of single Breeders Crown finals in 1986 and 1988, is holding eliminations for two-year-olds on Friday, with the four $700,000 USD freshman finals all on Oct. 23. Eliminations for the three-year-olds and Open events are Saturday, Oct. 17, with those finals on Oct. 24.
Racing on each of the four nights of Breeders Crown action will begin at 6 p.m. For free program pages for Friday's card, click here.
(Hambletonian Society)