Time was on Anette Lorentzon’s side when it came to trotters Some Chapter and Graceful Winner. Both horses were unraced last year at age two, but have blossomed into solid performers this season as the result of the trainer’s patience.
Some Chapter and Graceful Winner are entered in Friday’s (Dec. 18) sixth race at The Meadowlands, a $20,000 conditioned event for trotters. Some Chapter, a gelding who has won nine of 13 races and finished second on three occasions, is the 5-2 morning line favourite. Graceful Winner, a filly with five wins and 10 on-the-board finishes in 17 starts, is 10-1.
Each horse has made two starts at The Meadowlands since arriving from Kentucky’s Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel. Some Chapter was second by a length to Reign Of Honor in his first Big M try on Nov. 27 and heads to Friday’s race off a career best 1:52.4 triumph on Dec. 4. Graceful Winner captured her Meadowlands bow in a lifetime best 1:54.1 on Nov. 27 and was eighth last week because of tying-up issues.
“They didn’t really surprise me,” Lorentzon said about her duo’s success at the Big M. “I told my owners I thought they would go and win races. These are good horses. I know it’s tough to race at The Meadowlands, so if I don’t think they’re good enough, it’s not worth sending them out there.”
Some Chapter, by Chapter Seven out of Some Kinda Special, is owned by breeders ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell Johansson. He began his career in the Kentucky Fair Stakes program, where he won four of five starts including the championship. He also won a mini-series for Kentucky Sire Stakes and Fair Stakes eligibles in addition to winning conditioned races at Eldorado Scioto Downs and Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
“I liked him from the beginning,” Lorentzon said. “He had a great attitude, but I had issues with him, and we could never find what was wrong. We turned him out early, in April (2019), and I brought him back last winter and he started out good but then he got sore again, and I had to back off. We did everything to find out what was wrong with him, but never did. We turned him out, gave him more time, and he finally got over his issues. I tried to do the right thing by him, and it’s paid off. He’s done everything right.”
Depending how Some Chapter progresses, Lorentzon might consider lightly staking him next season.
“It’s a huge step to go from the overnight races to race against those (stakes) horses,” Lorentzon said. “I just want to see in February where he stands at that moment. We might do it, but we’re just going to see how he comes along. He could be great today, and something could go wrong tomorrow. That’s how the horse business goes. I try not to make too many plans.”
Graceful Winner, by Manofmanymissions out of Foxy Victory, was bred by Kentuckiana Farms and is owned by Kentuckiana Racing Stable. She is a three-quarter sister to 2012 Hambletonian Oaks winner Personal Style, and a half-sister to Grand Circuit winner Flash Lightning. Her family also includes Dan Patch Award winner Almost An Angel.
The filly joined Lorentzon’s stable in December 2019. She was winless in her first five starts, but has since posted victories at five different racetracks and hit the board in a total of eight races.
“I really like her,” Lorentzon said. “I put a lot of miles and time into her. All along, she felt like she had speed, but I wanted to give her plenty of time. She’s been green but she’s been coming on more and more. She’s been racing very well.”
First race post time is 7:15 p.m. (EST) Friday at The Meadowlands. For complete entries, click here.
(USTA)