Overshadowed in the exciting stakes action from Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack was a million-dollar milestone moment for one of harness racing's most consistent pacing mares.
In the Roses Are Red Final, Yagonnakissmeornot's second-place finish pushed her lifetime bankroll to $1,069,532 and made her the sport's newest millionaire. The daughter of The Panderosa has been on a tear since being purchased at the 2014 Meadowlands January Mixed Sale by trainer Rene Allard.
"We bought her in the January sale last year and we paid $110,000 for her. I thought she was going to bring around $70-$75 range...but I really, really liked her and I went a little bit over what we were expecting to spend," said Allard, who purchased the mare with partners Yves Sarrazin and Kapildeo Singh. "She was such a good-looking athletic mare and she just has a beautiful way of going on the track.
"We definitely didn't regret it; she's made about $750,000 in the time we've had her. She's gone well over our expectations."
Looking for a higher-end mare to race in conditioned events and hopefully Fillies & Mares Opens, Allard knew she has talent but didn't expect her to jump up to Grand Circuit competition. That's just what she did with wins in her 2014 Milton elim (runner-up in the final) and the Allerage Pace for open mares.
"That's the kind of thing Rene does; they put a lot of money out, him and his partners, and they want them to turn into top horses," said Jody Jamieson, who drove the horse in her runner-up performance in last year's Milton and this year's Roses Are Red. "Yagonnakissmeornot is no exception to that rule."
"It's not a surprise to me that a mare like her in Rene's barn has made a million dollars."
Allard said that one key change was that the mare had a "bit of a bleeding issue" and the addition of Lasix has really helped out.
The stakes schedule will see her back in Canada for the Milton, Ellamony and Breeders Crown later this year, with a return to the Red Mile also in the plans. For now, Allard will ship back to New York and race his millionaire in open class events at Pocono and Yonkers.
"We're going to give her a couple of weeks off and then she'll race in a few overnights," continued Allard, "then she'll start up with the rest of Grand Circuit she's eligible to."
A daughter of The Panderosa out of the Artsplace mare Artstopper, she's a half sister to the speedy stakes winner Always B Miki, who himself is approaching millionaire status with $930,000 bankrolled. Allard feels her attitude and pedigree will also make her an exceptional broodmare once her racing career has concluded.
"She's a special horse to work around. George Teague did such a great job with her, she's so well trained. Anything you have to do with her, she's just a Cadillac."