Trainer Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman has commented on Haveoneforme, the lightly-raced three-year-old daughter of Kadabra that the conditioner expects to be a familiar face around Ontario raceways this coming stakes season.
Norman is looking forward to watching his three-year-old female trotters this season and is getting an early look at Haveoneforme, who didn’t get to see action on the racetrack last year.
Haveoneforme was unraced at age two because of soundness issues. She made her career debut on January 25 and defeated a field of mostly older horses, both male and female, in a conditioned class at the Meadowlands Racetrack. She will return to the same class Friday and is the 9-5 morning line favourite from Post 8 and is scheduled to have Dexter Dunn in her sulky.
Haveoneforme is among a group of three-year-old fillies that has Norman feeling hopeful as he looks ahead to stakes season. Others in the stable are returning Grand Circuit winners Evident Beauty and Princess Deo, as well as the lightly-raced Mother Bonnie. Princess Deo and Mother Bonnie were trained previously by Noel Daley, who returned home to Australia to continue his career at the end of last year.
“I’ve got a good group,” Norman said. “I’ve got a couple others that are just maidens but have got some talent I think. It’s good to have depth. Anytime you’ve got depth, you’re all right.”
Haveoneforme adds to that depth, although she might be pointed more toward restricted-stakes action in Ontario. The filly is a daughter of Kadabra out of All Filled Up. Her second dam, Filly At Bigs, and third dam, Mombasa, were O’Brien Award winners. The family also includes stakes winners Big Rigs, Miss Tezsla, and Bridger.
“We trained her down last year and she got a bit sore,” said Norman, whose Enzed Racing Stable owns Haveoneforme with Mel Hartman. “She went through the July (Tattersalls Summer Mixed) sale and we bought her back. She is pretty good this year; no killer, but handy. I’m probably just going to stake her in Ontario. I think she could maybe do well up there.
“I liked her last year. She was nice enough, but she wasn’t sound. We just turned her out and gave her some time, let her grow up. She’s lovely to be around, has got a good head on her, and she is good gaited.”
Haveoneforme finished second in a qualifier prior to winning her debut in 1:58 on a 30-degree night at the ‘Big M.’
“I wasn’t sure if she had enough speed, but she actually showed good speed in her qualifier and her race,” Norman said. “I liked the way she finished up both times. I just wanted to race her a few times to see if she’s good enough to go to the next level. I’ll maybe give her three starts and then give her another break and get her ready for Ontario.”
Racing will begin at 7:15 p.m. (EST) at the Meadowlands on Friday. Six-year-old Trolley, trained by Erv Miller and driven by Marcus Miller, is the 2-1 morning line favourite in the night’s Preferred Handicap for trotters. Trolley is two-for-two this year and has won five of his past six races dating back to November.
(USTA)