The connections of Dreamfair Eternal, Canada's 2010 Horse of the Year, have entered the mare to compete pari-mutuelly after just one qualifier
to start the season. And, if her breeder/owner, John Lamers, has any worries about the lasses his star has to face this year, he sure as heck isn't passing that sentiment along publicly.
In discussion with the Woodbine Entertainment Group on Monday, May 9 after his mare qualified in 1:54.3, Lamers explained, in regard to the lass' competition, that "as I said before, we don't have to beat anybody, they have to beat us, and that says it all, really."
The 2010 season saw Dreamfair Eternal assemble a record of 16-4-1 from 22 starts and bank over $942,000. Just some of her stakes triumphs came in the Breeders Crown, Milton Stakes, Artiscape and Masters Series.
Lamers stated to WEG that "there is really no need to qualify her back again."
He wasn't kidding.
Dreamfair Eternal will be making her 2011 pari-mutuel debut this Friday (May 13) at Woodbine Racetrack in the $40,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace (Race 9, 10:10 p.m.). She has drawn Post 5 in the eight-horse contest and will be saddled with her regular pilot, Randy Waples.
There was some question as to whether or not Dreamfair Eternal would be able to make her debut this weekend. Her connections were hoping that the Fillies and Mares Open would fill because --- even though she has competed against and beat them in the past --- Lamers does not necessarily want his star knocking heads the tougher male crowd consistently. "I'm not in favour of racing against the boys all the time," Lamers had told WEG in the interview, which was previous to the Friday draw, "but she needs to get a couple of starts because on June 12 we have a stakes race (the Artiscape Pace) at Tioga Downs."
He also commented on the stakes trail Dreamfair Eternal will be prancing down in 2011. Lamers explained that it will be similar to the successful route she took in 2010, with a few exceptions.
"There aren't that many big dollar races like the two and three-year-olds have it, so we've paid her into everything she's eligible for, basically within driving distance, like the Meadowlands and Tioga, etc. We're going to change it up a little bit where I don't think we're going to go down there and get stabled up for two or three weeks. She does just as well shipping down there the day before and coming home again, but her schedule is pretty much the same. I would like to see her at the Red Mile because it's a fast piece of dirt, and, if she stays healthy and sound, I'd like to give that a shot."
To view entries for Woodbine Racetrack's Friday card of harness racing, please click the following link: Friday Entries - Woodbine Racetrack.