On January 27, 2007, Smithsonian wired a Woodbine field from the 10-hole with a mile clocked in 1:52.4. Monday morning during Mohawk qualifiers, Luc Ouellette steered the Western Hanover gelding for the first time since that win. Ouellette spoke with Trot Insider Monday afternoon about Smithsonian's down time
.
Ouellette and Smithsonian left from the six hole on Monday and sat third through fractions of :29.1, :59.2 and 1:29.3. Finishing off the mile with a 27-second final panel, the career winner of 20 races and $383,923 in purses finished second, beaten just one and a half lengths in a 1:57 mile.
"He last won a race two years ago," Ouellette told Trot Insider. "I think it was about two days after that win when he suffered a paddock accident. He slid in his paddock and hurt a hock."
Ouellette explained that after the incident occurred the injury had been misdiagnosed. He said that Smithsonian spent four or five months at his property in Campbellville, Ont. "He had good and bad days," said Ouellette.
After time passed, Smithsonian went in for more analysis of the hock. "Kevin (trainer Kevin McMaster) and I decided to do everything that we could to get him back to the races, but only if he was sound."
The further analysis of the hock indicated that there was torn cartilage and other issues. Smithsonian was operated on and then off for another year.
"I had him with me at my place after the operation," said Ouellette. "He came along slowly, but it was something else getting this horse ready to be trained down. He had a lot of stall time followed by a little time in the paddock. After a while, I hooked him up to a bike once or twice -- he didn't mind it and wasn't off."
Ouellette explained that McMaster started training Smithsonian down in late August of 2008.
"As for where we go from here, that is totally up to Kevin," said Ouellette. "He was good this morning. He was sound and wasn't blowing hard afterward. He will have to go in [1:] 53 his first time back, but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets dropped in the box next week."
Click here to view the charted lines from Mohawk's Monday qualifying session.
IM, very happy to see a
IM, very happy to see a trainer put a horses health ahead of money. A horse like smithison who was a class act could have been dropped in a cheap claimer and been used up. good luck kevin and luc.