Shes Astronomical has some big horseshoes to fill for trainer Dr. Ian Moore when she goes to post in the lone $20,000 Whenuwishuponastar elimination at Mohawk Racetrack this Thursday
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Shes Astronomical is a two-year-old daughter of Astronomical. Her sire was a champion pacer with $781,873 in career earnings with 41 wins, 20 seconds and 14 third-place finishes in 121 starts for Dr. Moore, William Shearer and R G McGroup Ltd. The same connections own the pacing miss.
The conditioner expressed his excitement about his freshman filly making it to the races and competing in her first stakes event.
“I feel really good,” he laughed. “I thought she raced really well in her first and only start. She trained real well this winter for us. She’s a maritime bred filly, but she is by a horse that I used to race. It’s always special to race a baby that you broke and trained yourself the first time, but it’s extra special to race one by a horse I used to race as well so that meant a lot to me.”
The Charlottetown, P.E.I. native sees some striking similarities between his two horses.
“There are several characteristics that she has that the old horse would do himself,” Dr. Moore said. “She has a tremendous will and desire to be in front of somebody when they are training together. She always wants to be the best, right up front, right on the bit.
“She has a very strong attitude that way. He had that same desire which is what made him such a great horse. So I’m real hopeful for her.”
When on the track, Shes Astronomical can be spooked easily. After jogging on the farm for two months she might see something or thinks she sees something that wasn’t there yesterday and she will dart in the opposite direct.
“Astronomical was like that himself. He could turn on a dime in a heartbeat if he saw something different one day that wasn’t there the day before,” said Dr. Moore.
The black filly will be looking to notch her first victory when she makes her second lifetime start, but a couple days after her first race she sustained an injury that set her back a few days. When the Rockwood, Ont. resident went into the barn, Shes Astronomical’s left upper eyelid was partially detached.
“We looked around the stall and couldn’t find anything that she could catch it on, but she obviously caught it on something,” he said.
As a veterinarian by trade, Dr. Moore stitched her eyelid back up and he doesn’t feel it will be an issue.
“It’s done very well,” he stated. “I trained her for the first time on Saturday at the farm. She trained really good, right on the bit.”
Dr. Moore is hoping that the filly would be good enough to keep in Ontario rather than send her home to the Maritimes because purses are richer here. For now it looks like she will be staying put.
Shes Astronomical will leave from post eight in Thursday’s fifth race. She will battle 10 other freshmen fillies in the Whenuwishuponastar elimination. The top 10 finishers will advance to the $50,000 final on July 28.
To view the entries for Thursday's card of harness racing, please click the following link: Thursday Entries - Mohawk Racetrack.
(WEG)