The Canadian Sportsman
Last Call Online
Back To Last Call OnlineSeptember 09, 2009
New owner vows never to buy another thoroughbred.
Craig Henderson’s pulse was racing as he raised both fists in triumph to the harvest moon looming over the Mohawk winner’s circle. It’s too bad stories like his come along only once in a blue moon.
After years of owning a handful of thoroughbreds, the first standardbred Henderson (above right) bought is undefeated freshman pacing filly Put On A Show, the winner of the $810,300 Shes A Great Lady on Sept. 5 at Mohawk.
That victory alone was enough for him to forget about the runners.
“I’ll never invest in a thoroughbred horse again, ever. This is the most surreal day of my life. I’m totally blown away,” he said emphatically.
Such is the glory of a major stakes victory and the magic of beginner’s luck.
It was veteran owner Richard Young (above left) of Florida — the man who has named such horses as Sing Fat Lady, Elephants Can Fly, Geckos Can Talk — who convinced Henderson to give standardbred ownership a try.
“I said that harness racing was more fun. They race more often and it doesn’t cost as much to get in. They cost as much to keep,” Young said.
That’s the practical side of the argument, of course. But just how powerful an elixir is winning a stakes race with your first horse? Henderson is adamant he’s going to reinvest every penny he’s made back into the game, with Young as his partner. To date Put On A Show has earned just shy of $500,000 in only five starts.
“The good news is, we’re going to be partners for a long time because I’m going to put all my money back into other horses,” Henderson said.
Which truly is good news for racing in a time when the sour economy has weakened both some owners’ resolve and wherewithal to reload.
How I wish we could bottle it.
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