Although she certainly enjoyed her recent vacation, Donna Lee was also anxious to return home, for a young lady she dotes on was sure to be exhibiting signs of separation anxiety.
“I’ve never been away from Caprice this long,” she said in reference to two-time O'Brien Award winner Caprice Hill. “The only time we have been apart is when she went to Tony (Alagna) after she was broken as a yearling for a couple months, but I got her right back.”
Purchased by Tom Hill for $55,000 at the 2014 Standardbred Horse Sale, Caprice Hill is a daughter of Kadabra and stakes winner Bramasole. Conditioned by Lee’s son, Tony Alagna, the now four-year-old mare has amassed more than $1.2 million in purse money from a record of 25-15-7-1.
Her resume includes victories in the 2015 edition of the Peaceful Way, the Ontario Sires Stakes Super final that same year and the Matron Stake in 2016. Caprice Hill, who is a half-sibling to Bramalea Hanover (Windsongs Legacy, $288,512), was also second in last year’s $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks and has been incredibly consistent throughout her career.
“She is just perfect,” said Lee, who oversees the mare's day-to-day care for her son. “She never does anything wrong. She has been like that from the first day I had her. We just show her what she needs to do and it immediately clicks; she knows right away what her job is and she loves her job.”
Caprice Hill has definitely been the perfect student as not once has she ever went off stride, even as a youngster.
“I tell people all the time and they don’t believe me,” Lee said. “One of the first times I was jogging her, another horse was out there and the driver was playing around. She decided she wanted to go with them and she did, but she did it all on the trot. Right after that is when I called Tony and told him we had something special on her hands.
“He didn’t believe me either and was kind of like ‘Don’t fall in love’ but when he trained her down in 2:02, he asked me if I wanted to see my filly train and of course she was just perfect. I think that’s when he started to agree I was right about her.”
Performing almost solely in Canada, Caprice Hill has not received anywhere near the attention her former stablemate Racing Hill has, but then again, that stallion did capture the Breeders Crown final, the Messenger, the Adios final and the Hempt Memorial final. Now standing at Hickory Lane Farm in Ohio, Racing Hill is also owned by Hill.
“Tom was so lucky to have Caprice and Racing Hill in the same year,” Lee said. “Caprice is the first horse he bought and to have that kind of success with not just her, but Racing Hill, is a blessing.
Garnet Barnsdale, WEG Handicapper for The Daily Racing Form (centre) makes the O'Brien Award presentation for Caprice Hill to Joe Hill, owner Tom Hill, Betty Hill and Tom Hill Jr.
“I think Caprice would have been talked about more if she had raced outside of Canada more often, but she loves it up there and the air is good for her.”
Lee is referring to the allergies Caprice Hill has battled throughout her career.
“She is allergic to oats first of all,” she said. “We had a veterinarian make a serum for her that she has done quite well on, but it was a problem for her. It is something she had to overcome and she has.”
One of the reasons Lee feels Caprice Hill is so successful is her attitude and how much she enjoys competition.
“She loads herself on the van,” Lee said. “All you need to do is drop the gate and stay out of her way. She knows when it is time to race and can’t wait to get there. If she has a week off and she sees other horses get on the van on a Friday or Saturday night, she gets mad. She starts bucking and kicking because she doesn’t want to stay home; she wants to go.”
It has already been determined this will be the last season the mare will appear on-track prior to heading to her second career in the breeding shed. However, the process has already commenced for Caprice Hill to be a mother.
“Tom decided he wanted an embryo transfer this year and she was bred to Muscle Hill,” Lee said. “We just checked her and she didn’t take, so she will return to him for another try.
“She is used to her big stall with a window and her BFF next to her. When she is bred she might get nervous because she’s not used to the routine and it may throw her off. We’ll see what happens and go from there.
“I have to get her ready for stakes season and we are looking towards the second week in June to bring her back.”
All the mare’s connections are looking forward to a very exciting 2017 with their charge. Caprice Hill returned from her winter vacation with a terrific coat and put on some weight, which will only aid her in taking on the likes of world champion Hannelore Hanover.
“She is just a happy horse,” Lee said. “She is definitely fat, but not in a bad way and she just has a great attitude. This is a tough season to face older horses, but we think she is in a position to show she belongs. Hopefully we can take her to Lexington this year because I think she would love it and literally fly there.
“I know this year is it and she will be retired. It will be very hard not to see her every day and she is always paying attention to me, too. She has a stall guard, but is always craning her head out to look in the office and see what I am up to.
“She really is just the perfect horse and they so rarely come along. She is a pleasure.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.
What a filly!!!
What a filly!!!