Pamela Will Root, Root, Root for Her Team (08/18/10)

Posted Wednesday, August 18, 2010

   
                                                                    By Mike Paradise

  Trainer Pamela Coleman may end up getting hoarse with all the cheering she’ll be doing in Thursday afternoon’s Illinois State Fair Colts Stakes Final for two-year-old male trotters.

  The Altamont, IL based conditioner sends out a triple threat on closing day of racing at the Springfield State Fair in the $35,000 freshman championship with her entry of Powerful Charger, Powerful Position and Powerful Tom
 
  “I own a part of all three of them so I’ll be rooting for them to finish 1-2-3. Now that would be perfect,” said Pamela.

  All three trotters are sons of the Illinois stallion Powerful Emotion and are also owned by Salem, IL breeder Jerry Graham. Mystical Marker Farms of Dyer, IN is the third partner of “Charger” who likely would have been betting favorite if he raced un-coupled from his two stable-mates. The trio will open up as the 3-1 programmed choices.

  Powerful Charger set a new national season mark for a freshman trotting gelding with a career best mile of 1:55.4 in his elimination a week ago with driver Todd Warren. In his previous start earlier this month the youngster captured Balmoral’s $48,000 Plesac stake, and on July 28 he won an Illinois Stallion Stake Charleston Fair in 2:01.4, a record time for a freshman gelding trotter on the fair track.

  “Charger might have been a little on the rough side to break but he’s never been any trouble and he’s always done everything I’ve ever asked him to do,” said Pamela. “He is really a nice colt.

 “Todd (driver Warren) says the horse is very versatile and that he can do just about everything he wants to do in a race with the horse,” continued Pamela.

 “Actually last week I was watching the video of him winning the Plesac Final in Chicago and it was kind of hilarious. Not many trotters where a shadow roll but he does and when he was coming on strong down the lane he still managed to sidestep every pile of manure and win in 1:57.2,” she said laughing Pamela. “Charger has white feet and maybe he just didn’t want to get dirty.”

  Powerful Position made went off stride at the start in his elimination however he made up over eighth lengths on the field and gained the final with a fifth place finish, beaten 4 and 1/2 lengths. Bart Seales of Mason, IL is the third partner on this freshman.
 
  “I think Powerful Position will be okay in the final,” continued Pamela. “His driver Brian Carpenter told me that the recall in the elimination really messed with his mind. He’s not an easy colt to drive. Brian said the horse was up on the iron a little bit when they were about to start for the second time and when the gate sprang open he said the colt kind of froze up. The horse is still a baby and didn’t know what to do . . . go out of there or pull up. Brian laid the whip on his back to try and to get out of there and the colt kind of panicked and broke. But he came back in the race and made the final.”

  Roll N Roll Stables Inc of Chicago is his third owner of Powerful Tom (Mike Cox), who has shown a liking for the Springfield oval.

  “Tom is another nice colt,” added Pamela. “He’s had a few bumps in the road getting here. Earlier he here in Springfield Previews and raced well in the other. Tom won his first time out in an ISOBA and then got shuffled back in his next but trotted a 27.4 last quarter to be second. He came back and won his third start in a Preview.

  “I live in Altamont and train there but I moved my horses to Springfield over a week ago so they would become familiar with this track and work a few things out. I’m excited to have all three in the championship.”

  The Pressure’s On: Rumor has it there will be a huge exodus of horsemen leaving Springfield when Wednesday’s card is over to rush back to Balmoral. They all want to be there in time for the sixth race to join Tony Bastie in the winner’s circle after the 45-year-old Chicago native wins his very first horse race—that’s assuming he ends his long drought.

  Let’s just say that Tony is overdue.

  While he’s had a handful of drives through the years (starting back in 1989), competing at the fairs, in qualifiers and in pari-mutuel races Tony has now gone 12 years and 55 drives without ever winning a race. 

  However that should all change Wednesday night.

  With Dave Magee in Springfield the unbeaten the sixth race trotter Treasurer John—who has romped in four consecutive season races and the last two at tonight’s same class—needed a driver and the horse’s owner Mark Fritts is a good friend of Tony who reportedly has never been shy about pleading to be put up on a horse.

  So Fritts obliged Bastie with the streaking Treasurer John.

  Bastie is probably too young to remember one of my favorite Elvis Presley songs that perhaps would be fitting for his Wednesday evening situation:

  “It’s Now Or Never.”

  Good luck Tony.

  To view Archived Notes and Quotes click here. 

                                                                                     Springfield State Fair Photo

 Powerful Charger's (Mark Warren) 1:55.4 winning mile in his elimination was a national season mark for a two-year-old trotting gelding.