"The Northlands Filly Pace and the Western Canada Pacing Derby are two of the races I've always dreamed about winning....ever since I was seven or eight years old. It's why I came back from California, just to train one horse."
A clear contender for divisional honours that will warrant attention for Alberta's Horse of the Year, Nighttraintovegas looks to conclude her sophomore season with one of the province's most coveted prizes: the Northlands Filly Pace. She's the 7-5 favourite in the first $12,500 elimination, set for Saturday, December 6 at Northlands Park. The top four finishers from Saturday's eliminations qualify for the $70,000 final on December 13.
Owned by longtime horseman Dick Schneider of nearby Sherwood Park along with David Halmosi of Edmonton, Nighttraintovegas is a homebred daughter of Camystic - Midnight In Vegas. She's trained by Dick's son Rick, who told Trot Insider that the filly is somewhat of a miracle since her dam almost died.
"Midnight In Vegas was training down really nice, and strangles went through her entire body two weeks before she qualified," Schneider told Trot Insider. "They didn't think she was going to make it. So we worked on her, saved her and got her back to where she was breedable because [the owners] decided to breed her and [Nighttraintovegas] is the first result."
As a yearling, 'Vegas' was put through her early paces by the senior Schneider before being turned over to Rick.
"About halfway through the training process she came to me as a two-year-old. She did everything right."
That talent shone through on the track as well. As a freshman, Nighttraintovegas never missed the top three in nine starts, finishing with a 5-3-1 summary and a 1:55 speed badge taken at Alberta Downs. Those numbers garnered her the 2013 Champion Two-Year-Old Alberta-Sired Filly Award, despite ending her year battling sickness and not at 100 per cent.
"Even though she finished second and third, she wasn't herself," stated Schneider.
This year, she's been equally solid. From 14 starts, Nighttraintovegas boasts a 7-1-2 slate with more than $116,000 earned. A substantial chunk of that bankroll came in her last start, the $70,000 Battle of Alberta Super Final at Alberta Downs. Schneider notes that she and driver Brandon Campbell have made a concerted effort to teach 'Vegas' how to "be a racehorse" and those lessons have paid off with a now-versatile filly. By that last start at Alberta Downs, Schneider quickly points out that her strength is her desire to track down a target.
"Obviously, by her last start, she's figured it out...she loves passing horses, and she does a good job with the finishing part."
On Saturday, her versatility will be tested from the outside -- Post 7 -- with main rival Barona Mercedes (PP6, Jim Marino, 3-1) directly to her inside.
"Barona Mercedes has been tough all year with us....we can't seem to avoid her," said Schneider with a laugh.
A look at the lines on Nighttraintovegas shows that most of her starts have come at Alberta Downs, racing during the day. Schneider noted that as a two-year-old, Nighttraintovegas wasn't accustomed to racing under the lights at Northlands Park.
"She wasn't used to the paddock, wasn't used to the lights but I've trained her here the last couple of weeks so she's gotten used to everything."
Given that her last race -- that Super Final win -- was on November 1 just how tight will 'Vegas' be on Saturday? Schneider addressed those concerns.
"You're always a little concerned when you don't get a race in between but she's trained pretty tough, I think she'll be OK," said the trainer. "I did it before for the last Sires Stakes elimination and final...she made the final and then won the final. You have to rest them sometime between the stakes races.
"She trained well [on Wednesday] so she should be OK."
If she makes the final of the Northlands Filly Pace, that race will be her final start of the year but she will come back at four with plans to race for the foreseeable future.
One thing you can be sure Nighttraintovegas has is Schneider's full attention going into this important race. His stable only has one horse at Northlands now, as the rest are enjoying racing in a much nicer climate.
"I took all my horses to California this year; I've been trying to split my time between the two," said Schneider. "I just have 'Vegas' here, the rest are at Cal-Expo."
Schneider's stable stateside is currently under the care of his brother Quentin and Ryan Grundy, and will continue to race there until Canada's newest track, Century Downs opens in 2015.
"They're treating us well and we're enjoying the warm weather there," noted Schneider on racing in California. "I like going down there because there's change; everybody needs change once in a while, and they want us down there."
In much the same idea as East Coast horsemen taking youngsters down to Florida to train down, Schneider has also decided to try that on the Pacific side and sent some yearlings down to California for their early lessons.
Clearly Nighttraintovegas didn't require a warmer climate to develop into the champion mare she is, a mare that Schneider notes is one of the best he's had in a 20-plus year career in the business.
"She is right up there. I'd say her and Barona Grizzly...she's been the toughest one, the most consistent one and one that tries right to the end. Not much bothers her; it takes a lot to knock her off her game."
Two things that Schneider is quick to admit is necessary for prolonged success over the harness racing season in Alberta: luck and good health.
"One of the toughest parts about racing in Alberta is keeping a horse healthy from May until the end of stakes season. You hardly ever see the horse that wins the first stakes race win the last one. It's very, very tough."
At the end of May, Nighttraintovegas won the Wild Rose at Alberta Downs (in a dead heat with Charismatic Art). Schneider hopes his train can roll right on through to the dream of a lifetime next Saturday.
To view the entries for Saturday's card of harness racing at Northlands Park, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Northlands Park.