“I’ve trained several good three-year-old filly pacers such as American Jewel and See You At Peelers, but I think these would be my first really good four-year-old pacing mares.”
As a Hall of Fame trainer best known for his acumen with trotters, even Jimmy Takter is a bit surprised to have not one, but two aged pacing mares in his stable racing at a high level.
The two mares are Weeper and Katie Said, both of whom will be part of the ultra competitive $28,500 Mares Open Pace, the featured race on this Friday’s 12-race card at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
Weeper, owned by Joe and Joann Thomson’s Bay Pond Racing Stable, earned more than $500,000 in her first two years of racing when trained by Kelly O’Donnell. She scored her biggest wins in the $260,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Final and the Matron Stakes.
Takter took over her training this season and she has won her first two starts in the Open ranks at the Meadowlands, winning once in last-to-first fashion and once going gate-to-wire.
“Weeper is a very powerful horse,” explained Takter, “she’s almost built like a stud colt.”
Katie Said will make her fourth start for Takter on Friday night. The daughter of Well Said was a minor stakes winner while earning more than $200,000 when trained by Julie Miller during her juvenile and sophomore seasons. Under Takter’s care, she has a win and a second-place finish sandwiched around a race in which she made a break.
“Katie Said is wicked-fast and can absolutely fly home with the right kind of trip,” said Takter. “Both are very good mares. Weeper might be a little better at this point, but I really have no idea which one will be better by the end of the season.”
Friday’s race features a field of nine, including reigning Dan Patch co-champion pacing mare Rocklamation, recent Betsy Ross winner Radar Contact, and the rock-solid Inittowinafortune.
First-race post time on Friday is 7:15 p.m. There are six-figure carryovers in both of the evening’s Jackpot Super High 5 wagers. The Race 5 carryover is $141,174 and the Race 12 carryover is $115,348.
(With files from the Meadowlands)