For the first time in the storied 103-year history Rockingham Park, harness horses raced on the turf course on Saturday and as it tuned out, the winners of both highly unusual contests were sired by the same horse
.
Do Si Do Lavec, the winner of the third race on the grass for trotters and Mathers Lavec, victorious in the seventh trotting race, both carry the bloodlines of Mr Lavec.
When it was suggested to driver/trainer Raymond Vizzi, who brought Mathers Lavec home in 2:09.4 over a turf course rated as good following rain storms on Friday, that his standardbred might have a thoroughbred grass runner somewhere back in his pedigree, Vizzi laughed and said, “Could be. You never know.”
Mathers Lavec certainly left that impression after winning easily on a surface he had never set his hooves on before even though he is eight years old and was making his 149th lifetime start.
“He took right to it and was very comfortable even though he’s never even once jogged on the grass,” Vizzi said after winning the seventh race, “It was a little bumpy out there and my horse’s hooves were going right through the grass into the loam below, but I think that’s because of the third race run over the course earlier. But it was an awesome experience. I have never raced on the grass before either. I wouldn’t mind doing it again.”
Vizzi may get that chance next Saturday when The Rock will card one or two races for pacers, weather permitting, on the renowned turf course that heretofore has always been used exclusively by thoroughbreds and has been idle since September 5, 2004.
John Hogan has driven and trained standardbreds for over 50 years and has over 4,500 wins as a driver, but Saturday was his initial race on a turf course. He won the first grass race over the course with Do Si Do Lavec from gate to wire in 2:10.4 and his charge made it look like a romp in the park.
“He went perfectly and I loved it out there,” said Hogan. “He’s a marginal horse at best, but he behaved perfectly and excelled out on that grass. He seemed to float over the grass.”
When asked to describe what was different about driving a trotter on the turf as opposed to the normal crushed limestone surface on the main track, Hogan had an eloquent description.
“It was so soft,” he said. “And I noticed right away that there was no noise. It was nice and quiet, almost peaceful. It was like jogging your horse in your living room on a plush carpet.”
While many of the trotters raced as though they were accustomed to the grass, several other horses in both fields made it abundantly clear that they wanted no part of it. HP Lenny Lavec, a grandson of Mr Lavec on his dam side, was one who never got into his stride and was distanced in the seventh before finishing a well beaten last in the field of seven.
“He didn’t take to the grass at all,” said Kelly Case, the trainer of HP Lenny Lavec, who was driven by her husband David Ingraham. “He never got his footing and was very uncomfortable the whole way around. We’ll be happy to get him back on the main track next time out.”
While grass racing at various distances is an every day occurrance for thoroughbreds at tracks all across America, there have only been four other standardbred races on the turf. At Indiana Downs on October 29, 2005, Primetime Ranger covered one mile in 2:05.2 and October 10, 2006 two other trotters came home in 2.08.3 and 2.10.1. In a grass race at The Meadowlands just two weeks ago, Onedin Legacy N paced the mile in 2.04.1.
Rockingham has scheduled the one or two pacing races on the grass next week, but the turf course could be pressed back into service again before the meet concludes on August 30th.
“If it all works out maybe we’ll have more races. We’ll have to wait and see,” said Racing Secretary Ozzie Cole.
Also on Saturday, The Mildred Williams Driving Series made a stop at Rockingham and Kelly Case was victorious in the second race with 4-5 favourite Canaco Piment in 1:57.1 on a fast track. The event, which also featured Stacey Chiodo, Danielle Beaulieu, Cathy Smith, Alison Hynes, Dawn Anderson, and Jolene Andrews, is a competition for female drivers which raises money for charitable causes at tracks across the United States and Canada.
The Rockingham race benefited the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, which facilitates the adoption of racehorses once their careers on the track are completed.
And following Saturday’s fifth race, Western New England Harness Horsemen’s Association President Hubert Barker presented the organization’s annual scholarships of $5,000 each to deserving candidates who are part of families associated with harness racing.
Frank James Davis, the son of Mary and James Davis of Somersworth, New Hampshire, will attend Plymouth State University and major in business. Steven LaCasse of Milton, New Hampshire and the son of Elizabeth and Stephen LaCasse, is also headed off to Plymouth State to major in business.
In Saturday’s fifth race, 76-5 top choice Camsurge won his third race in a row and the 62nd of his career when he paced the mile in 1:52.2 with Brad Irvine in the bike for trainer James Silva, Jr. Owned by Cybill Beaudoin, the 13-year-old gelding, who was the last foal of the immortal Cam Fella was making the 368th start of his illustrious career.
Live racing resumes on Sunday with a 10-race card and post time of 1:05 p.m. Twenty-one-year-old Matt Kakely, the youngest driver in harness racing history to win 1,000 races, will be at The Rock to drive top notch trotter Whosgoinwhosstayin for his mother, owner/trainer Linda Kakaley, in the featured event.
(Rockingham Park)