Just as it finished the season last year, The Stable That God Loves is again off to a flying start in 2016.
Led by heavy hitter Luck Be Withyou, Stable members struck for four victories at U.S. tracks over the weekend, hiking The Stable’s season’s record to 13-10-11, with just 18 of the 79 Stable members facing the starting gate to date.
Luck Be Withyou’s first victory of the year, and the 20th in his brilliant career, was recorded with George Napolitano, Jr., in the bike in the $50,000 Van Rose Memorial Invitational May 8 at Pocono Downs. The Chris Oakes-trained bay tripped the teletimer in 1:48.4 and boosted his lifetime bank account to $1,148,611 for North York’s John Craig.
Norm Clements of Uxbridge, Ont. picked up three victories on the weekend. His Its Payday Friday, and PL Idaho with son Dan in the bike, were popular winners at Tioga Downs on May 8, and his Oho Diamond, who Clements feels will be a dominant force in the trotting ranks this season, powered from 12 lengths off the pace at the half-mile pole for an impressive victory at Mohawk Racetrack on May 9. That win improved his season's stats to 6-2-2-1 and $33,610 in purses.
Clements, whose legacy of service, philanthropy and goodwill rooted in his founding of the Jennifer Ashleigh Children's Charity that assists thousands of children, has donated 22 of his colourbearers to The Stable That God Loves, a gesture that speaks volumes for his support of The Stable, which in turn supports the work of the Standardbred Racetrack Chaplaincy of Canada that is dedicated to
providing for the physical, spiritual and human needs of the horse racing workforce in southwestern Ontario.
Mike Sinclair’s Heavenly Bet was just that: he was never headed as he chalked up a popular score at Tioga Downs on May 8. The next day at Miami Valley, Charmed Life turned in a powerful performance by coming off the pace to finish second to Hannelore Hanover in the $100,000 Miami Valley Grand Circuit Stakes for aged trotting distaffers. Charmed Life is trained by Dave Menary for Mike Guerriero and partners.
The leading race winner and top money-winning member in God’s Stable is Tom and Elizabeth Rankin’s Charlie Is A Joker with a 4-2-1 record and $72,700 in seasonal earnings. The ultra-consistent Ben Baillargeon-trained trotter, who won $99,000 last year for God’s Stable, just keeps on racing and keeps on winning.
Mac Nichol’s Madefromlucky, the lone thoroughbred in God’s Stable, is in second spot in the 'Dollar Derby' with $57,500 from a second and a third in his three season’s starts. The talented chestnut four-year-old needs just a few thousand dollars in purse earnings to reach the $1 million plateau and move on to join Luck Be Withyou and McWicked on the Stable’s Millionaires Row.
Stalls are always available in The Stable That God Loves. Every trotter, pacer, Thoroughbred and Quarter horse is welcome and guaranteed a stall. Please send stall applications to Ken Middleton: [email protected], or Norm Clements: [email protected].
(with files from the Standardbred Racetrack Chaplaincy of Canada)