Two of Fraser Downs' favourite older equines recently took different forks in the road
.
Spider M, 12, won two weeks ago Sunday, and similarly-aged Haras Colta Cola finished last in his most recent start after a three-year hiatus. His connections have “decided to put him back into retirement,” said Paul Harrison, breeder, trainer and owner of 'Cola.' “He was just kind of hanging around and we would have had to lower him (down the claiming rung).”
While it was unlikely anyone would claim a 12-year-old, Harrison said that Cola is “like a pet.” And he has won 31 times at Fraser, adding up to official earnings of $295,000 and with bonus money raised that to about $400,000.
“He was one of the top horses at the track in open company and he enabled us to buy lots of toys,” Harrison said.
A few years ago, for instance, Harrison bought a race car. He painted No. 31 on it, celebrating Haras Colta Cola's win total. He finished off the paint job with a horse cartoon. He races the car in the Okanagan.
Meanwhile, Janice Wheeler, the breeder and owner of Spider M, isn’t ready to put him out to pasture, and why would she? He’s still competitive and, barring injury, has two more productive years of racing.
“We raced his mother, Sabrina Legacy, and she was runner-up claimer of the year many moons ago,” said Wheeler, who added Spider M is the only colt Legacy ever had. “I wish I had more like him. Spider has carried us ($206,193 in career earnings)."
After having started from an outside post position last Sunday, Spider M finished seventh, which was his 228th lifetime start, all of which have come at Fraser Downs. His career totals include 27 wins, 21 seconds and 26 thirds.
“He never won a final added-money race, but won a leg of a two-year-old stakes and was favoured, but he broke (stride) in the actual stakes.”
That is ancient history. Spider M is a warrior and when he wins, he pays big. In a win a couple of weeks ago, he returned $165 for a $2 bet, the largest payout in the 2011 autumn meet. “He was in the eight hole,” Janice said, as if to explain the long odds. “My husband, Dave, bet him that day.”
They elected to geld him when he was young because “he was kind of nasty,” and he has become a pet that pays back.
“He loves to race and he loves it in the paddock (at home in the off season),” Janice reported. “We’ve been lucky. He has never had any injuries to speak of.
“We treat him extra special. He loves his carrots and so he can have them anytime he wants.”
(Fraser Downs)