After Something For Doc finished seventh in his most recent race, trainer Brian Brown’s reaction might best be described as wondering what’s up, doc?
. But Brown and the horse’s connections still have faith in the three-year-old pacer. Faith they hope is rewarded when their colt competes in Saturday’s Delvin Miller Adios elims.
“I was really disappointed in him and even considered not entering him in the Adios,” Brown said. “The three owners were wonderful. We figured he only gave us the one bad race in a year-and-a-half, so let’s give it a try.”
Something For Doc has won two of 14 lifetime races and earned $128,719 for owners Country Club Acres, William Robinson and Strollin Stable.
Last year in his first six starts, the colt won a division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Arden Downs in addition to finishing second in three sire stakes outings and third in a division of the Reynolds. An ankle chip stalled his progress from there. This year, he was second to Big Bad John in his seasonal debut, which came May 7 in the sire stakes at Harrah’s Chester, and then got sick. He bounced back to miss by a head to Dana’s Sharp Smart in a Reynolds’ split on July 9 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, but then threw in his clunker in the sire stakes last weekend at The Meadows.
“It was a good month getting over (being sick),” Brown said. “His first start back was OK and his second start at Pocono was wonderful. He was charging down the lane. Last week, I have no excuses for him. I don’t know what happened. I think he was up all the night before partying and not sleeping.
“Usually when you pull him he will dig in and try. He had nothing that day.”
Brown, from Upper Sandusky, Ohio, brought Something For Doc to The Meadows the night prior to his most recent start, which he has done before, but usually there were no horses in the stalls next to his colt.
“A horse moved in right beside him and I think that might be it,” Brown said. “He does a lot of hollering and nickering. He’s not hard to handle, he’s just loud. I think he just wore himself out.”
Something For Doc will be looking to get his owners to the winner’s circle in the $500,000 final on July 30; the same group finished second to May June Character in the 2007 Adios with Won The West.
A son of Western Hanover out of the mare Allamerican Mocha, Something For Doc was purchased as a yearling for $75,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale.
Brown was encouraged by how Something For Doc trained prior to entering the Adios.
“He seemed more himself,” Brown said. “I’m hoping he comes back to race like he did at Pocono. We thought he was ready to go with the better horses after that. If he races like he did at Pocono, he will have a good showing for himself. Whether he will be in the top three, who knows? All I care is that he races good and puts on a good show for himself.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit ustrotting.com.