Got Er Done and Slick Rick Macomber battled to the end to win the $20,000 final of the Tubby Trimble series at Hoosier Park Racing and Casino Saturday, May 9
. The duo made a bold half-mile move to secure the top spot and the victory in a time of 1:54.4.
Starting from Post 3, Got Er Done got away in mid pack as Master Punch and Don Eash rallied out for the lead, posting the quarter-mile time in :26.2. As soon as the field straightened up down the backside, Macomber had Got Er Done out and rolling hard, clearing the leader at the halfway point in :56.0. Challengers began to emerge on the outside, following the lead of F Train and Walter Haynes Jr. in the outer flow.
“It’s not the kind of trip I wanted, but I got away fourth and didn’t want to take the chance of getting locked in and also, I didn’t want to be out in that strong headwind around the turn,” said Macomber. “This colt (Got Er Done) fights hard, and he’ll fight them off all the way down to the wire.”
In the stretch, the battle was on. Got Er Done was up to the task. The sophomore gelding keeping everyone to his back and pulled off the win by three-quarters of a length over last week’s divisional winner Matts Image and Peter Wrenn, who moved up for second. F Train held gamely for third.
“He (Got Er Done) has been perfect to do everything you want,” said trainer Jerry Smith. “I’ve never asked more of him than he could go in training. He’s a little different than the other Storm Damages I’ve had. The others would always try to kick at other horses on the track. I’m not sure why they all did that, but this colt has never offered to do that.”
Owned by Smith, along with his wife, Betty, and their daughter, Christine Hecht, Got Er Done is the final foal from the great Storm Damage, who is now 32 years old and enjoying retirement at the Smith family farm. Got Er Done now has three wins in four starts for 2009 with more than $35,000 in career earnings.
“He (Got Er Done) did train well this winter, but it’s always a surprise to have a nice colt,” said Smith, who also campaigned Storm Damage during his career. “Last year, we had a little bad luck with this colt. He got sick and we came back a little too quick with him and he was never right. We brought him back in after being turned out in Florida in mid-January and he’s been good and healthy this year. Being the last Storm Damage makes him special to us.”
The Smith family purchased Got Er Done’s mother, Paso, from Armstrong Brothers in Canada. After raising several foals, most of which were sold, they recently sold her. The Smiths have one Storm Damage brood mare left at the farm. She just had an I Scoot Hanover filly.
“I have three really nice I Scoot Hanover babies at home,” said the 80-year-old Smith. “That’s it for me. When they are done racing, I’m done.”
Until then, the Smith family can enjoy success with Got Er Done, who continues to move up the charts in the Indiana-sired program.
(Hoosier Park)