Few horses this year have changed barns more frequently than
Stoman, a 7-year-old pacing gelding by Marker Report. Over the past five weeks
the pacer has been claimed four times including yesterday (August 6) when
trainer Bob Lounsbury took him home for the $12,500 claiming price.
And through it all, save for the $20,000 tag he raced for on
June 30 when the pacer finished second, Stoman has won all of his
other starts including a 1:55.4 triumph on August 6. And the fact that Stoman
had two consecutive victories prior to being claimed on July 9 attests to the
desire others had in making Stoman their own.
Stoman has had six wins and a second in his last seven
starts and Jimmy Devaux has handled the driving chores no matter who was the
trainer of record or whose barn he had been in.
On July 9 Stoman was claimed for $12,500 by trainer Brandon
Simpson after the pacer scored a 1:54.4 victory that afternoon. The next week ,
July 16, after Stoman won in 1:55.1, trainer Stanislao took the pacer to his
barn for the $12,500 tag he was in for.
Then on July 23 Stanislao claimed Stoman back for $12,500
after the pacer won in a time of 1:56 only to lose him again when
trainer David Russo plunked down $12,500 and took Stoman home.
The following week, July 30, the $12,500 claim game
was interrupted when Russo entered Stoman in for $20,000.
Still the pacer made a good showing despite being overtaken in the final
strides by Tinys Million when Jimmy taggart, Jr. used the passing lane
to defeat Stoman in a 1:55.3 clocking.
Then yesterday, August 6, Russo put the pacer back in
for $12,500 and Stoman was victorious once again for driover Jimmy
Devaux when he turned back 18-time winner Haroun Hanover in a
1:55.2 clocking after benefitting from a two-hole journey.
And again after the race Stoman had a new barn to return to when trainer Bob
Lounsbury’s patron, Phillip Schultz, claimed him for $12,500.
“Mr. Schultz has been following this horse and he saw
that no matter who owns him or who trains him Stoman just keeps winning,”
Lounsbury related. “He asked me if I thought Stoman is worth the price and I
told him he fits the $12,500 claimers perfectly so we decided to
try our luck with him.”
Lounsbury mainly races claimers and knows something about
winning. Many of his horses, whether trotters or pacers, have won over 10
races each this season including the venerable Tracys Song whose 21
seasonal victories still leads North America in races won.
In all, Stoman has won nine races and has had four
seconds in 24 starts earning almost $35,000 this season. His fastest win
time on the Mighty M double oval is 1:54.
