Dontgetbyme suffered defeat for the first time on February 20, finishing second to Smellthecolornine by a length in the $32,000 Open Handicap at Yonkers Raceway, but not before opening trainer Julie Miller’s eyes by rattling off six consecutive victories to begin the year
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A five-year-old black gelding pacer, Dontgetbyme started six-for-six in 2010, winning once at Maywood Park in Illinois before shipping to the stable of Julie and Andy Miller in New Jersey and working his way through the ranks at Yonkers. Two weeks ago, Dontgetbyme won the $27,000 Preferred at Yonkers by three lengths over Diamond Stick Pin in 1:54.2. The time was one-fifth of a second off his career best, which came two weeks earlier in a non-winners class.
He has earned $55,550 this year and his six victories are tied for second for any horse in North America.
Dontgetbyme is a son of 1994 Woodrow Wilson winner Dontgetinmyway out of the Cam Fella mare Quest For Truth. He is owned by Illinois’ Chris Mackowiak, who bought the horse for $25,000 at the 2008 Standardbred Horse Sale. Unraced as a two-year-old, Dontgetbyme won five times and earned $28,830 over the next two seasons combined. His half brother, Sammy Syd, in 2009, at the age of five, set career highs with nine victories and $75,560 in purses while racing in Ontario.
“[Dontgetbyme] was a consistent closer. I thought he would be a nice addition to the barn,” said Mackowiak, who also trained Dontgetbyme. “He’s always shown ability and heart. I think he just needed a little time to mature. My stable has done a great job with that horse, getting him healthy. He had some bad feet when we first got him, which I think was part of his problem.
“They’ve been telling me for a while he was a good horse, he just needed to get some luck. He was getting some unlucky draws at Maywood Park. Julie and Andy Miller are top trainers in the country. I figured Julie would be able to improve off me.”
Mackowiak, who owns a nationwide food distribution company, got into harness racing as a hobby, but is competing more on a fulltime basis these days. He has a 43-acre farm with half-mile track in Kingston, Illinois, where he is assisted by farm manager Michelle Graham and Dennis and Roland Henert. His Mack Racing Stable has nearly two dozen horses.
Dontgetbyme’s success at Yonkers led to Mackowiak putting up the money for the horse to compete in the upcoming George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series.
“The horse likes those turns at Yonkers,” Mackowiak said. “He’s got so much confidence right now. I don’t know if they can beat him right now.
“He’s a great horse to be around. He’s kind of ornery. I wouldn’t say he’s mean; he’s more playful. He’s a bully. He’s perfectly healthy and sound, he’s got a great heart and he’s got a great way of going about him. When you get those three things in one horse, you’ve got a pretty good one.”
Julie Miller was uncertain whether Dontgetbyme would be able to handle the competition at Yonkers, but she has become a believer. “I was a skeptic,” Miller said. “Chris thought he could compete; I said he would have to prove it to me. He sure has made a statement. He’s just really come into his own. Week after week he seems to be getting stronger and his attitude is great.
“If he made it, he could stay; if not, he would go back to Illinois. Obviously, he’s here to stay.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.