Amex Helps Murphy Pay The Bills

A $1,000 yearling, sold in a mixed sale a year later for $1,300, is now in the midst of a seven-race win streak with nearly $25,000 stashed away

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Dan Murphy of Kingston, Ont. doesn't train horses full-time, but when he trains horses on the side he likes a challenge. That's why he took a chance with a two-year-old Amigo Hall trotting filly named Amex in 2009.

"I liked the look of her and the fact that she has some Valley Victory blood in her," Murphy told Trot Insider, "I won't buy a trotter unless it has some Valley Victory in the pedigree. I talked to [trainer] Riina Rekila and she told me she thought Amex would be a good one but needed time."

Time is what Amex got. After Murphy purchased Amex for $1,300 at the 2009 Fall Extravaganza Mixed Sale, he turned her out with the plan of not bringing her back well into her three-year-old season.

"I paint full-time, and just train a few for the fun of it. I try to find two-year-old trotters that I can take my time bringing back for three. We had her turned her out until the summer and she was still favouring a knee so I gave her the summer off."

When Amex returned, things didn't go quite according to Murphy's plan.

"When we brought her back, I had an accident and broke my ankles so my wife [Liz] was training her down. I just gave instructions from the sidelines," laughed Murphy.

Amex made her qualifying debut at Rideau Carleton in November, recording a flat line in 2:04.4, but broke in her first race. After requalifying, Murphy guided the Amigo Hall filly to a hard-charging second place finish before ending 2010 with back-to-back wins. In 2011, those wins have kept on coming. In 14 starts thus far at age four, Amex has racked up 11 wins and stashed away more than $50,000 in purses.

On Saturday night, Amex will aim for her 12th win of the campaign and eighth straight win. With driver Randy Waples aboard, Amex leaves from Post 6 in the first race on Saturday's card of harness racing. Murphy knows it's a step up in class but also knows his mare hasn't been full out in her seven-race win spree at Rideau Carleton. In that time, the offers have been coming in to purchase the trotting mare but Murphy isn't biting.

"I'm having fun with her. I just have her and another trotter - Alard Hanover. She will likely get shut down soon as this gets to be a busy time for me with painting."

Five years ago, Murphy was in a very similar situation with a trotting reclamation project: a fast yet inconsistent trotter by the name of New Dice Please.

"I took my time with him and got him ready before sending him to Woodbine for the Don Mills," noted Murphy. "Pat Hudon bought him off me the third night I was down there."

New Dice Please took a mark of 1:55.1 and banked in excess of $75,000 for Hudon. For now, Murphy will roll the dice and keep hold of his Amex.