"He talks a lot to anyone that will listen, but other than that he is a great horse to be around. And all he does is talk. He’s just really vocal.”
When her phone started ringing, Casie Coleman was working on finishing her dinner but when she looked at the number she knew she had to pick up this call.
“I had 120 horses and I’ve been downsizing because it was a personal decision,” she said. “I wanted to concentrate on stakes horses and I had been friends with Ed James for a long time, but never trained a horse for him. This horse, McWicked, beat me (with Ewald Hanover) last year and I knew he was talented. I thought he would be a perfect sire stakes horse and duck some of the big ones on that circuit, but when I got him down in Florida, I knew he was a serious horse. I’ve been high on him since he came to my barn and I really thought he would win the North America Cup. I really believed he would.”
A son of McArdle out of the Western Ideal mare Western Sahara, McWicked is the 5-2 morning line favourite for the $500,000 Max C. Hempt Memorial at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Saturday (June 28). The race is the 10th on the card and 2014 Hall of Fame inductee David Miller will be holding the lines.
Purchased as a yearling for $35,000 at the 2012 Standardbred Horse Sale, McWicked was bred by Andray Farm of Punxsutawney, Pa., and was formerly owned by Paymaq Racing, Andy Miller Stable and Hannah Miller. He was conditioned by Julie Miller for his first career year and paced 10 miles, mainly on the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes circuit. The colt made just shy of $180,000 with a record of 3-5-1 and a mark of 1:52f.
He was third in the $260,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final behind Allstar Partner and Sometimes Said and fourth in the $154,575 Matron final behind All Bets Off, Stevensville and Carracci Hanover.
McWicked was purchased for $210,000 last fall at the Standardbred Mixed Sale by Ed James' SSG Stables and arrived in Coleman's barn this spring.
He will meet All Star Partner, Sometimes Said, Stevensville and All Bets Off on Saturday evening after a sharp elimination score in 1:48 last weekend. The half went in :53.1, with three-quarters in 1:21 and he came home in :27.
“He just didn’t get the trip in (finishing fourth in) the North America Cup,” Coleman said. “Dave (Miller) came back and didn’t give me one excuse. That’s exactly what he said to me and he was very pleased with the horse. Of course I’m disappointed he didn’t win, but how can you be disappointed with how he raced? He was awesome out there. Things just didn’t go right for him, but it is a long summer and he is staked to everything.”
McWicked certainly flashed talent last year, but has definitely put his name in the headlines in 2014. He has gone to the post on six occasions with three victories and two second place finishes. One of those victories was a dominating performance in his North America Cup elimination on June 7. The colt came home in :26.4 to win in 1:48.3.
“I haven’t even thought about a world record,” Coleman said. “That would be awesome, but it’s definitely exciting when you have a horse like him that gives you a great shot to win races. Jim McDonald trained him down over the winter and did a tremendous job with him. He talks a lot to anyone that will listen, but other than that he is a great horse to be around. And all he does is talk. He’s just really vocal.”
After his performance in the Hempt, McWicked has a pretty stiff schedule for the rest of the season and Coleman, who captured the last two editions of the Little Brown Jug with Michael’s Power in 2012 and Vegas Vacation in 2013, is already preparing for another visit to the Buckeye State in September. She likes her odds for a three-peat.
“He is so versatile,” she said. “He can do anything you want him to, but he does like to come off some cover at the end of the mile, but he doesn’t require it because he has such great speed. I don’t think a half (-mile track) will be any problem for him."
“Winning the Jug is the most amazing thing and it is so exciting to have another horse that gives us a chance to do that. We are definitely already thinking about it and that track is so awesome for horses, that we think he has a great shot to do that. But of course he will be in Lexington too."
Coleman stated that McWicked will not supplemented to the Meadowlands Pace, noting that after Saturday will have starts in five consecutive weeks
“He’s just a very talented horse that I have been high on since I got him in my barn after his second qualifier this year.”
Race 10, $500,000 Hempt Memorial
1. Cammikey, Brian Zendt, Bill Zendt, 6-1
2. Allstar Partner, Corey Callahan, John Butenschoen, 12-1
3. McWicked, David Miller, Casie Coleman, 5-2
4. Sometimes Said, John Campbell, Jim Campbell, 4-1
5. At Press Time, Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke, 5-1
6. Stevensville, Tim Tetrick, Ray Schnittker, 20-1
7. Bushwacker, Ron Pierce, Chris Ryder, 15-1
8. All Bets Off, Matt Kakaley, Ron Burke, 3-1
9. Limelight Beach, Brian Sears, Brian Brown, 10-1
(with files from the USTA)