His price tag hardly suggested he was destined for the winner's circle, but the horse with the catchy name and huge heart has paid big dividends for his connections
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The probable favourite for Friday's $60,000 Apaches Fame final at Woodbine was by no means an ugly duckling, but still, there was nothing to suggest Lil Bit Lil Bit, a son of Rambaran, could one day be a stakes-winning colt.
Yet there was something that caught the eye of trainer Andrew Deleersnyder at the Standardbred Canada Fall Mixed Sale two years ago when the horse with Hip No. 603 was brought out.
"I love horses sired by Rambaran and I couldn't believe this guy was going for such a low price," recalled Deleersnyder. "I thought he was a good-looking one and I would have gone up to $1,000 to get him. We wound up getting him for $800. When I went home, I told my boys they could buy a piece of them if they wanted to. My son Steve was the only one who wanted to do it. So he bought him outright and became the owner."
Randy Bennett, the man who bred Lil Bit Lil Bit, recalls it being a rough ride, literally, on his trip to the sale in 2008.
"At the time, I was breeding three or four horses a year. I usually kept one to train and sold the rest," offered Bennett. "However, I don't enter them in the regular yearling sales, because I wait to see how they develop over the summer and then decide on which one to keep and which to sell. In the year I sold Lil Bit Lil Bit, I also sold a Million Dollar Cam filly and I kept an Astreos colt, who looks like a nice horse, but won't likely be racing until later this spring.
"Glennis Egginton, who raised him at Meadowcroft Farm, kept telling me that he was a nice colt and that I should keep him but I liked the Astreos colt better. I also thought the Lil Bit Lil Bit would take longer to mature into a racehorse. So off we went to the Fall Extravaganza sale. Unfortunately, he banged an ankle in the truck on the way to the sale and only brought $800 in the ring."
Lil Bit Lil Bit didn't make any missteps in his debut qualifier. He went wire-to-wire in Sarnia last June, romping by 12 lengths in 2:02.2. His career bow resulted in a second-place finish at Western Fair in London.
After a disappointing seventh-place finish at Flamboro, the well-traveled pacer broke his maiden in style, a 6 1/2-length triumph at Dresden.
In 11 starts in 2009, Lil Bit Lil Bit won twice, along with two seconds and two thirds, including a track record of 1.57.1 for two-year-old pacing colts at Sudbury Downs last August.
"He's a super horse," said the 68-year-old Deleersnyder. "He's a real tough guy. When we broke him, he almost broke us. You could tell he was going to be a good racehorse."
This season has been even more prosperous. In seven starts, Lil Bit Lil Bit has four wins and three thirds, including three consecutive scores.
After a 1 1/4-length victory at Western Fair on February 23, Lil Bit Lil Bit won his first race at Woodbine, the opening leg of the Apaches Fame, a series named after the sire of his dam (Little Bit Famous) on March 5, at odds of 14-1.
Last week, it was another command performance, a 1 1/2-length win in the second leg of the Apaches Fame, this time at 3-1.
On Friday night at Woodbine, Lil Bit Lil Bit will look to add another milestone to his name, as he seeks his first added-money score.
There are at least two people who believe it's within his grasp.
"I keep tabs on all the yearlings I breed and I've followed Lil Bit Lil Bit since he started racing," said Bennett. "His form is obviously good right now, but I still think that his best days are ahead as he matures."
Deleersnyder concurs.
"You never know what can happen in a race, but he's in good shape coming into the final. The one thing is that he won't stop trying. He's that type of horse."
A horse that always gives just a little bit more than many could have ever expected.
The Apaches Fame is listed as race six on Friday's 12-race card of harness racing. First post is 7:30 p.m.
To view entries, click here.
(WEG)