Noel Daley is still in the process of getting to know five-year-old female trotter Absattitudexpress, but after spending a little more than a month with the mare in his stable, the trainer knows he is pleased with her.
A 2020 New Jersey Sire Stakes champion and two-time winner on the Grand Circuit, Absattitudexpress makes her debut for Daley on Saturday in a $16,500 conditioned trot at The Meadowlands. She is one of two mares in the 10-horse field, along with multiple-stakes-winner Darlene Hanover, and is the 3-1 morning-line favourite.
For her career, Absattitudexpress has won 11 of 33 races and $374,291 for breeder-owner Stop The Jade Farm. In addition to her victories, which include a Bluegrass Stakes division at age three and a preliminary leg of the Miss Versatility Series last year, she finished second in the 2021 Miss Versatility Series final and third in the 2020 Breeders Crown and Matron.
“She’s always been a nice horse,” Daley said about Absattitudexpress, who was trained previously by Lucas Wallin. “I don’t think we’re going to reinvent the wheel. She’s always shown plenty of ability. We’ve treated her as one of the crew and she’s fitting in well. She seems happy and we’re happy with how she’s been. She seems in a good spot right now.”
Absattitudexpress will race on Lasix for the first time in Saturday’s start. Last week, she won a qualifier for Daley and driver Scott Zeron by seven lengths in 1:54.4 at the Big M.
“Training at home the first couple of weeks, she was all right, but she did seem better when we trained her on the Lasix,” Daley said. “Whether that makes a difference we’ll see. It makes a difference for some of them, but not for all of them.”
As a four-year-old, Absattitudexpress won four of 17 races and $106,275. Eleven of her starts came on the Grand Circuit.
“Sometimes that four-year-old year is a bit of a tough year,” Daley said. “She raced all the big dances and there were some good ones running around last year. She’s five now, so we’ll hope she can take that next step.
“We’ll see how she goes. Yonkers is another avenue if she doesn’t show that she’s quite up to those top ones. There is a lot of money to be made there too if they’re good on a half. The way she acts and behaves, it doesn’t look like the half bothers her. But I’m just as happy to race at The Meadowlands too if that’s where she shows us she belongs. We’ll just pick our spots. It’s not like she’s been over-raced. We’ll let her tell us.”
Saturday’s 15-race Big M card also includes a $31,500 preferred pace and $31,500 preferred trot. J M Mandamin is the 5-2 morning-line favourite in the pace while Dunbar Hall gets the 5-2 nod in the trot.
Live harness racing begins at 6:20 p.m. at The Meadowlands and fans are reminded that the post-time “drag” will be reduced this weekend from eight minutes to four minutes. The televised countdown clock will be adjusted to begin three minutes prior to the off time and horses will head to the starting gate as the clock ticks toward zero.
(USTA)