Me And My Baby, a longtime staple in the Brooke Nickells barn and a favourite at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, proved to be too tough for her opponents in the sixth race Friday, March 26. Now six, the daughter of Artiscape rolled to the top and never looked back
, winning in a time of 1:54.1.
Starting from the center of the pack in Post 6, Me And My Baby has the skills to race well from all different scenarios, including the front end. Nickells urged the mare out quickly to secure the top spot and set fractions of :26.3 and :56.3 before seeing any real challengers on the outside.
In the stretch, Me And My Baby kept her stride lively and brushed home in a final panel of :28.3 to win her first start of 2010 in only her second outing. Crystal Chris and Ricky Macomber Jr. came at the leaders wide late in the stretch to finish second over Sandys Baby and Josh Sutton in the center of the track for third.
Owned by Glenby Farms, Me And My Baby has more than $600,000 in career earnings. Her best time of 1:51 was established as a three-year-old at The Meadowlands, setting her up for the next phase of her life.
“I’m really excited to get one more win with 'Baby'," said Nickells, who has campaigned the mare her entire career. “Our plan all along was to breed her and race her through Hoosier Park before retiring her as a brood mare. She’s been bred to Rocknroll Hanover, so we’ll find out soon if she is actually in foal or not.”
Not large in stature, Me And My Baby has been a consistent performer, pulling in 11 career wins in 65 career starts. More than half of her starts have landed her on the board.
“She [Me And My Baby] is getting a little older, and every year, she loses a step,” said Nickells. “She has really been part of our family, and to have her win again in her last year of racing was so great.”
Me And My Baby’s mother, My Baby And Me, has also been bred to Rocknroll Hanover, who earned nearly $2 million during his career. Nickells also trains "Baby’s" three-year-old half-sister, Baby MC, who made her second career start in the fourth race.
“It’s been a family night,” said Nickells. “You can’t ask for a better night. Baby MC raced well and finished second.”
Also owned by Glenby Farms of Boynton Beach, Florida, Baby MC was a half-length back of Dragon Of Mystery and Peter Wrenn in a time of 1:56.4, her fastest mile to date.
Wrenn Flying High With Six Wins Friday
Racing fans at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino got very familiar with Peter Wrenn’s new role as The Challenger Friday, March 26. Wrenn pulled in six wins on the 11-race program to catapult himself into the early lead among all drivers. Tagged as The Challenger to the popular Fab Five promotion from 2009, Peter “The Wolf” Wrenn now has nine wins in only two nights of racing.
Wrenn began his evening with a victory behind Townline Rosanna in the opener. Trained by Jeff Brewer, Townline Rosanna drove off to a five-plus length lead at the wire in a time of 1:57.1 in Mini Series action.
Wrenn was back in the winner’s circle during Race 4, guiding Dragon Of Mystery to a more challenging finish, defeating Baby MC and Brooke Nickells by only one-half length. Trained by Charlie Stewart, Dragon Of Mystery earned his first career win in his first career start in a time of 1:56.4.
The familiar sounds of Wrenn’s signature music, “The Lone Wolf” by Hank Williams Jr. greeted him again for the fifth race as he entered the winner’s circle with a horse from his own stable, Amarillo Sky. The impressive daughter of Modern Art was an easy winner in a time of 1:54.3 by open lengths. Trained by Wrenn and owned by his wife, Melanie, Amarillo Sky looks to be returning to her dominant nature from last season where she won five of six starts. The four-year-old is now two-for-three in 2010.
Wrenn was back to his catch-driving duties in the eighth race, guiding Odds On Teal to a win for trainer Mike Lee. The veteran driver with more than 8,000 career wins was right back in the same spot with Rollonsally in the ninth race for trainer Alvin Miller in Mini Series action.
The final win of the night was the highest payoff for Wrenn as he guided Northern Lei Ann under the wire first in the featured $23,000 Fillies and Mares Invitational Pace. Starting from the inside post two, Wrenn allowed EJ’s Copperstone and driver Rick Farrington to set the pace at the quarter mile marker in a time of :28.2 before moving around and taking over the tempo for the rest of the mile.
A winner by one and one-quarter lengths over EJ’s Copperstone, Northern Lei Ann picked up her second win in six starts for 2010 in a time of 1:54.4. High Speed Life and Ricky Macomber Jr. finished third. The six-year-old daughter of Lease On Life is owned by Northern Lane Farm of Grabill, Indiana and trained by Ron Otto.
“I really didn’t expect a night like this tonight,” said Wrenn. “I had a lot of live mounts. That usually goes a long way, although I’ve been in that position before and been to the back of the bus, so I never take anything for granted. It always makes you feel good to have a night like this, though.”
Wrenn will be ready to drive again Saturday, March 27 as he’s named on horses in 10 of 11 races on the card. Besides overseeing operations for his stable based at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, Wrenn has a full day planned prior to his driving commitments.
“My wife, Melanie, signed both of us up for a marathon tomorrow morning,” said Wrenn. “It’s for a good cause for our kids’ sports teams in our neighborhood. We both enjoy running in them so I’m looking forward to competing. They had an 18 mile run, but I told her that would be a little much for me tomorrow. I’ll stick with the 10K.”
A native of Michigan, the Wrenns recently relocated to the Indianapolis area to compete on the Indiana circuit full time. They have 25 horses in training for the upcoming season, including Indiana’s 2009 Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year Msnaughtybynature.
(Hoosier Park)