“It’s the kind of thing you really couldn’t even dream about in Western Canada.”
Until five years ago trainer Travis Umphrey campaigned exclusively in Western Canada at tracks like Stampede Park and Northlands. Much like California is to harness racing in the U.S., Western Canada’s standardbred business is generally separated from the more dominant racing on Canada’s eastern side. Since migrating east Umphrey is not only content with the move, but also has his first Breeders Crown starter.
Umphrey, 42, began training a two-year-old filly by Mach Three last year that he liked for owner-breeder Mac Nichol.
“I had lost one of my better racehorses,” he said from his barn in Guelph, near Mohawk Racetrack, “and needed to replace it." Umphrey bought part-interest in Monkey On My Wheel and this "monkey" has turned into a "Wheel of Fortune" for Umphrey and Mac Nichol.
For Umphrey, the star of his 15-horse stable helped him establish an identity on the Ontario circuit. Racing exclusively in the province, the slick-gaited filly has now surpassed the $700,000 mark in career earnings heading into tonight’s three-year-old filly pace Breeders Crown trials.
Though Monkey On My Wheel hit a speed bump of sorts losing as the 1-10 favorite in the $170,000 Ontario Gold final at Woodbine last week, Umphrey may have seen the unhappy surprise coming.
“She’d been off three weeks. We tried to find a race for her but couldn’t get one,” he said while not wishing to push the blame on others. Monkey On My Wheel has been rock-solid her entire 22 race career. She’s been first or second on 18 occasions and has been the dominant filly on the Ontario Sires circuit.
The filly did attempt to take on better company twice this year and on both occasions the results were not perfect.
“She really wasn’t as good back in the Fan Hanover,” said Umphrey. In that race she lagged back off somewhat slow fractions and never got into contention as the previously unbeaten superstar See You At Peelers marched to victory. Then last month she had another chance at Grand Circuit success in the Simcoe at Mohawk. The $204,626 event had the potential to be another wire-to-wire performance. The swift filly had put together a string of victories in that style dominating the Ontario program with wins in the Canadian Breeders, Ontario Gold and SBOA stakes events leading into the Simcoe.
Driver Jody Jamieson put her on the lead in a :26 opening quarter but surrendered to Swinging Beauty. Jamieson made what he thought was a regaining move past the quarter pole but Swinging Beauty was grabby and parked her to a brutal half of :53.2. To make matters worse Idyllic had also moved before the half and Jamieson had no choice but to let her go. But as soon as Idyllic crossed to the lead she began to slow the pace. Jamieson used his filly for the third time taking on the leader through a torturous 1:21.3 third quarter clocking. Miraculously Monkey On My Wheel found something extra and kept fighting to the wire. Just moments before the finish Tea Party Princess, a filly who had been reserved off much of the fractions and was unable to stay with Monkey On My Wheel though the early stretch, found a second wind and got nearly a length up on Monkey On My Wheel at the wire in 1:50.2.
For Umphrey, who credits former driver Rick Zeron with teaching the filly properly through her two-year-old campaign, the switch to Jamieson was a necessary evil in this business.
From a pedigree standpoint Monkey On My Wheel is the result of the first cross with the stallion Mach Three on the Presidential Ball-sired mare Legislation. The mare had previously had modest success with two Western-Canada-based stallions Freedoms Pass and As Promised, but the mating to Mach Three has far exceeded the previous six foals collectively.
Umphrey’s stature in Ontario grew last year with the emergence of A Ps Moneymaker. The aged pacing mare blitzed the Mohawk oval in 1:49.1 on an October evening last year as part of a campaign that saw her earnings go over the quarter-million dollar mark.
Unfortunately the mare, who had repeated bouts with an irregular heartbeat, was forced into premature racing retirement early this year. Her owners, all from Alberta, had obviously seen what a mating with Mach Three could do and bred A Ps Moneymaker to that stallion early this year.
Whether Monkey On My Wheel can make the jump to the Grand Circuit remains to be seen. The three-year-old filly pacing ranks were thrown into slight disarray following division leader See You At Peelers' recent health issues. Though that standout filly returned with an impressive 1:54.1 clocking in a qualifier last week, and drew post two in the second sophomore filly pace elimination, it’s unlikely that any division contenders will be intimidated by her presence in the event.
The opportunity to be in a Breeders Crown race has Umphrey excited.
“It’s the kind of thing you really couldn’t even dream about in Western Canada,” said the conditioner who has been plying his trade for the last 25 years.
Going into the Crown, Monkey On My Wheel has remained relatively fit and fresh. Umphrey credits that in most part to a schedule that doesn’t see her traveling very much.
“The program in Ontario is second to none. It’s great that we have all of these races, and great that the Breeders Crown will be at Woodbine,” said the trainer anxious for the opportunity to have his filly test the best.
Monkey On My Wheel drew post six in the first of two $25,000 sophomore filly eliminations at Woodbine tonight. She rated morning line odds of 7-1 with bearcats Idyllic, Strike An Attitude and Drop The Ball all drawing inside of her. The first five finishers from each of the two elims make the $500,00 final on Sat., Oct. 29, with a special early post of 6:30 p.m.
To view complete entries for Saturday night's card of harness racing, click the following links:
(Breeders Crown)