Monday’s Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack will only be Wilsonator’s fourth lifetime start, but the two-year-old trotting filly has already delivered a full season’s worth of thrills to owner Ted Wilson
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“It’s just a dream come true to have something like her,” says Wilson, who bought his first Standardbred in 1963.
In her first lifetime start the long-legged Kadabra daughter set a 2:00.4 track record at Grand River Raceway winning her Gold Elimination. An early break and a tough trip saw her settle for fifth in the July 20 Gold Final, but she bounced back with another elimination win at Mohawk last Monday, touring the Campbellville oval in 1:57.1 from Post 9. In this week’s $130,000 Final Wilsonator and regular reinsman Mike Saftic will be hoping to earn the main prize from Post 8.
Wilson and his partner Michael Pozefsky of Gloversville, NY also bred Wilsonator, the fourth foal from their Garland Lobell mare Sahalee, and the Seagrave resident says the filly exuded potential from the moment she arrived.
“She was just gorgeous from the moment she was born,” enthuses the horseman. “I named her after my granddaughter. She’s a varsity volleyball player for the University of Western Ontario Mustangs and her e-mail is wilsonator.”
As the filly matured Wilson’s name selection became more and more fitting. Chrissy Wilson is a 6’1” sophomore who plays middle hitter for the UWO Mustangs, and her namesake has grown into such a big strong filly that Wilson says bystanders often mistake her for a colt. The owner-breeder expects Wilsonator’s size and strength will stand her in good stead through the rigors of the freshman season.
“She got a really rough trip going for the Final in Grand River, but she survived it,” explains the horseman. “I asked Mike (Wade) the next day and he said she ate her supper right up and ate her breakfast right up, she didn’t miss a bit.”
Wilson taught the filly her early lessons before turning her over to trainer Mike Wade, a transaction that was almost quashed by Wilsonator’s temperamental personality.
“My wife and I were going away to Australia for a month and I asked Mike to take three horses for me,” recalls Wilson. “He said, ‘Who are they?’ I said, ‘Well, there’s Mr Pozefsky, and I’ve got Anikawiesahalee...’ and he said those two were okay and I said, ‘And I’ve got a yearling, she likes to kick a bit,’ and he said why don’t you turn her out. I said, ‘Well, I’ve already been in 2:39 with her,’ and he said, ‘Bring her up.’
“She’s done everything perfect since,” he adds. “She still has a mind of her own, but Mike gets along with her very well.”
While the filly has been impressive through the early season, Wilson has owned enough horses to be cautious in his predictions for future success.
“If you hope for the best and kind of expect the worst, you maintain your sanity,” he says with a laugh. “That’s the horse business.”
Wilsonator and her two-year-old trotting filly peers will square off in the fifth race on Mohawk Racetrack’s Monday evening program of harness racing, which gets under way at 7:20 pm.
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(OSS)