MANALAPAN,
NJ – July 10, 2013 -- Western Vintage, unbeaten in his first two starts,
headlines his New Jersey Sire Stakes Final, one of a quartet of $150,000 finals
for two-year-olds on Saturday, July 13, 2013 at the Meadowlands.
The
New Jersey Sire Stakes events share the spotlight with the finals of the
Meadowlands Pace for three-year-old pacing colts, Mistletoe Shalee for
three-year-old pacing fillies, William Haughton Memorial for free for all
pacers, Stanley Dancer for three-year-old trotting colts and the Delvin Miller
for three-year-old trotting fillies.
Western
Vintage has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite in the division for
two-year-old pacing colts and geldings, carded as the fourth race. Driven
by Yannick Gingras and trained by Nancy Johansson, the son of Western Ideal –
Major Harmony has earned $22,250 in two starts for owner Perry Soderberg of
Hightstown, NJ.
Soderberg,
a bloodstock expert, found himself falling for the colt each time he saw him,
but lacking any clients for the colt, he gave in and bought the pacer for
himself.
“My
job is to perform yearling scouting and recommendations for [Hall of Fame
trainer] Jimmy Takter and his clients,” Soderberg explained. “I also do a
lot of work for [Toronto-based owners] Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld, and Brittany
Farm. Some of the work that I do includes yearling inspections in the
spring. That's when I saw Western Vintage at Brittany for the first time
and gave him high scores. When I came back in the fall, to prepare for
the sales, I liked him even more. He was a very nice colt on the floor, but
when I saw him in the field, that's when I really got hooked on him.
”His
video was also very good and being a Western Ideal out of a great family that I
knew well (Vintage Master and Great Vintage both raced for Takter), made me
like the colt even more,” he continued. “I recommended him to my clients,
but they were not interested, mostly due to the New Jersey Sire Stakes program
not being as lucrative as others. But also because most people were set
on trying to buy Somebeachsomewhere yearlings and Well Said was new and
interesting. My own clients have had a lot of luck with American Ideal
and were looking for colts by him to race in New York and on the Grand
Circuit.”
Soderberg,
who has been evaluating horses for clients since 1986, was not in the market to
buy a yearling for himself.
“I
did not own any horses at the time but had a few ideas to buy a couple of race
horses later in the fall to race at the Meadowlands during the winter,”
Soderberg said. “But when this colt came in to the ring, I kept an eye on
him because I liked everything about him. They did not get a bid.
He did have a scar on one of the hind ankles that probably scared people away,
and he may have been just below average in height. I bid $3,000, and it
was quiet, but then someone woke up and bid against, so I ended up paying $7
000 for him.”
Soderberg
did not buy the colt to resell. He wanted to have a couple of horses to
own, follow while they trained and raced, and just “have for fun.” His
plan was to buy ready-to-race horses for whom there are no stakes payments,
they race for good money and they race year round. Toward that end, he
also bought Rocky Mountain Guy at the January mixed sale.
“But
circumstances made me buy this horse - Western Vintage,” he noted.
For
the Swedish-born Soderberg, these were the first pacers he had ever
owned.
And
now he needed a trainer to oversee the preparation of Western Vintage for his
racing career.
“When
I bought Western Vintage, I had no clue who would train him,” he
recalled. “My longtime friend and business partner, Jimmy Takter, would
be my first choice for most any horse, but his daughter Nancy Johansson texted
me as soon as she saw that I had bought a yearling. She said that she
wanted to train him, but she was just starting out on her own and did not even
know where she would be training. So I turned him out for five weeks at
Brittany [Farms] while Nancy worked on setting up shop.
“She
chose Joie De Vie Farm in [Jobstown,] NJ, and I sent Western Vintage to her
after the Harrisburg Sale in November,” Soderberg said. “I have always
had the highest respect for Nancy and her husband Marcus's skills and
devotion. They have worked with the best horses in the world at Jimmy
Takter's barn, they know what it takes and just like Jimmy, Nancy doesn’t ever
leave any stone unturned.
“I
also enjoy a smaller barn for my own two horses since I can show up any time,
see my horses, have lunch with the family and talk about most anything,” he
explained. “It is just a pleasant experience to own horses like
that. Nancy will soon move into a brand new barn with nice paddocks, and
I am sure that she will be ready at the yearling sales this coming fall.
“They
don't want to expand too much, so space will be limited,” he added,
musing. “I hope they have room for another yearling from me as well.”
It
is still early in the career of Western Vintage, and Soderberg, a former
trainer, is cautiously optimistic. So far, the horse evaluator likes what
he sees.
“Western
Vintage is a medium sized horse with a lot of power and flawless gait,” he
said. “Since day one, he has been talented and with a great
attitude. What makes him really good, I think, is that he is
complete. Not only has he high speed, he is strong and has not been tired
a single time in his life, yet. There are many good horses out there, so
we have to wait and see how it pans out, but I really like this colt.”
After
the New Jersey Sire Stakes Final, Western Vintage will have a few weeks off
before heading to Canada.
“He
is staked to the big ones, this year and next,” said Soderberg. “We all
need some luck!”
The
New Jersey Sire Stakes fields with sire, early driver, trainer and morning
lines:
2nd
Race -- $150,000 NJSS FINAL – 2YO TROTTING FILLIES
1-My
Inspiration, Chocolatier, Brian Sears, Trond Smedshammer, 5-1
2-Pacific
Winds K, Muscle Hill, Tim Tetrick, Paul Reid, 2-1
3-Southwind
Confetti, Muscle Hill, Corey Callahan, Linda Toscano, 20-1
4-Alwaysinblackpedia,
Muscle Hill, Ron Pierce, Jonas Czernyson, 15-1
5-Ravine,
Muscle Hill, Mike Lachance, Bob Stewart, 8-1
6-Chocolate
Crisp, Chocolatier, David Miller, Linda Toscano, 12-1
7-Dancing
For Money, Muscles Yankee, Yannick Gingras, Paula Wellwood, 3-1
8-Cee
Bee Yes, Muscles Yankee, Andy Miller, Julie Miller, 4-1
3rd
Race -- $150,000 NJSS FINAL – 2YO TROTTING COLTS & GELDINGS
1-Chocolate
Day, Chocolatier, Andy Miller, Julie Miller, 8-1
2-Hill
I Am, Muscle Hill, Corey Callahan, Dennis A. Laterza, 2-1
3-Sumatra,
Muscles Yankee, Andy Miller, Julie Miller, 7-2
4-Angels
Ransom, Revenue, David Miller, Roland Mallar, 15-1
5-Muscles
Midas, Muscle Hill, Marcus Johansson, Deborah Brunet, 15-1
6-Quikwit,
Muscle Hill, Jim Morrill Jr., Staffan Lind, 15-1
7-Southwind
Spirit, Muscle Hill, Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke, 4-1
8-Muscle
On It, Muscle Hill, John Campbell, Chris Ryder, 12-1
9-Well
Built, Muscle Hill, Chris Ryder, Chris Ryder, l8-1
10-Musclesprinctonian,
Muscle Hill, Tim Tetrick, Jim Campbell, 12-1
4th
Race -- $150,000 NJSS FINAL – 2YO PACING COLTS & GELDINGS
1-Beat
The Drum, Tell All, Tim Tetrick, Staffan Lind, 6-1
2-Western
Vintage, Western Ideal, Yannick Gingras, Nancy Johansson, 8-5
3-Doo
Wop Hanover, Rocknroll Hanover, David Miller, Steve Elliott, 12-1
4-Caviart
Chase, Tell All, Ron Pierce, Gary Green, 15-1
5-Unadorned
Hanover, Cam’s Card Shark, Corey Callahan, John Butenschoen, 20-1
6-In
The Clear, Western Ideal, Andrew McCarthy, Aaron Lambert, 9-2
7-Rock
N Roll Legacy, Rocknroll Hanover, Mike Lachance, Larry Remmen, 10-1
8-Sweet
Rock, Rocknroll Hanover, John Campbell, Larry Remmen, 4-1
9-Shark
Leap Hanover, Cam’s Card Shark, Corey Callahan, Bruce Saunders, 15-1
6th
Race -- $150,000 NJSS FINAL – 2YO PACING FILLIES
1-Ideal
Helen, Western Ideal, Marcus Miller, Erv Miller, 3-1
2-Danielles
All Aces, Cam’s Card Shark, Andrew McCarthy, Aaron Lambert, 10-1
3-My
Lady Day, Western Ideal, David Miller, Joe Holloway, 8-1
4-Boxed
Chocolates, Rocknroll Hanover, Tim Tetrick, Todd La Fountaine, 15-1
5-I
Need Hotstuff, Rocknroll Hanover, Tim Tetrick, Chris Ryder, 20-1
6-Cut
A Deal, Rocknroll Hanover, Ron Pierce, Chris Ryder, 12-1
7-Surfside
Sexy, Rocknroll Hanover, Ron Pierce, Mark Harder, 12-1
8-Bolt
Of Thunder, Rocknroll Hanover, John Campbell, Larry Remmen, 6-1
9-Fiyonce,
Rocknroll Hanover, Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke, 9-2
10-Rockingcam
Park, Rocknroll Hanover, Andy Miller, Ron Coyne Jr., 5-2
--Submitted
by Carol Hodes for SBOANJ
