Miracle Mare Wins In Debut

Three years after sustaining a lacerated tendon as a yearling, Bettim Vicky finally made it to the races on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 16) at Red Shores at Charlottetown Driving Park. The culmination of months of rehabilitation could not have gone any better, as she proved a dominant gate-to-wire winner on debut.

The four-year-old mare controlled fractions of :30.3, 1:01.2, and 1:31.3 before amassing 4-1/4 lengths of clearance over pocket rival Wilfrid Joseph en route to a 2:01.3 victory in the $1,150 maiden event. Marc Campbell drove the daughter of Aahm Canadian Now for trainer Jeff Lilley, who bred the mare and shares ownership with Dawn Moore, Danny Purcell and Blair MacLauchlan.

While the program page might lead the casual observer to believe Bettim Vicky was simply a late bloomer, her path to the winner's enclosure proved much more eventful than that.

The mare was involved in an accident as a yearling and lacerated a tendon. Once it healed, Lilley trained her more but she was showing signs of lameness, so the decision was made to give her a year off.

"Those are the ups and downs of the business. But I did what I was told and gave her the time off that she needed."

With no racing career imminent, Lilley bred the mare to Hes Watching. She had a colt earlier this year. After weaning the mare and foal in mid-October, Lilley decided to test that leg once again and try his chances with Bettim Vicky as a racehorse.

To his amazement, Bettim Vicky showed no signs of soreness and dropped time with relative ease. After having other horsemen take her for training trips along with his two-year-old pacing colt Bettim Joe, Lilley noticed her time kept dropping with each and every test.

Around the start of the month, Bettim Vicky was virtually race ready.

"After the races on Saturday (Dec. 2), Stephen Quinn went with the mare and I went with the two-year-old, and we went a mile in 2:09," said Lilley. "And the next Saturday she qualified and went in 2:03, finished second to a good one. So I put her in to go Saturday."

It's an amazing journey for a horse so connected to Lilley, who also campaigned Bettim Vicki's dam, Bettim Laura as well as her second dam, Bettim Amanda -- the first horse Lilley ever broke to be a racehorse.

The talent clearly runs in the family, as a two-year-old sister to Bettim Vicky is making a name for herself with some impressive wins. Bettim Jackie is a winner of her last three starts, averaging a near 12-length win margin in those three outings.

"God love her, the leg is staying together and I trained the mare down in two months. Most normal people would tell you you're crazy training one back that fast. She doesn't wear hopples, all she wears are brace bandages and I only do that to help her leg out. No poles or nothing.

"She handles her work pretty well. And a lot of it, too," continued Lilley. "The one day I went two trips with her and put her in the bike, I never took a whip with me and she was quite willing to go in [2]:15."

To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results – Charlottetown Driving Park.