By Allan Schott
for RUS MidAtlantic
Fans of racing under saddle (RUS) have taken notice of
‘new’ rider Sietske Dijkhof and her horse No Recess which have raced on the RUS
MidAtlantic and RUS New York circuits this past season as the team went a
perfect three for three this year including a sparkling 1:59 mark at
Meadowlands Racing and Gaming. What also
drew the attention of fans was the two victories No Recess had ‘in sulky’
during the period the horse was racing under saddle, earning two of the three sulky
victories for the year as of the time this article was written. We talked to Sietske and her boyfriend,
trainer Kyle Spagnola about No Recess and the improvement seen in No Recess
while doing double duty.
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No Recess (Sietske Dijkhof) qualifying at
Saratoga Casino and Hotel. Kyle Spagnola
photo.
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First, Dijkhof
is no new rider. Born and raised in the
Netherlands, Sietske has been around standardbreds from birth as her parents
used to be trainers. When her parents
left the game, she continued working in the industry. Loving riding, the connection with the horse,
as well as the speed involved in monté (the European term for RUS) racing she
became a rider back home. So, while it
may appear a new rider has appeared in the RUS universe, it is really a
reconnection of old friends.
How did Dijkhof
and Spagnola make the decision to use No Recess? After Spagnola Racing LLC acquired the
trotter, it was noticed the nine-year-old altered son of Rich Boy-Riann Photo
(SJ’s Photo) had raced back in 2016 under saddle, learning his lessons from
rider Michelle Crawford and finishing third in his only purse start at Ocean
Downs behind RUS favorites Mr Protab and Highway Marcus. After a couple of rides, it was decided to
give No Recess another go under saddle, especially since he is not a horse inclined
to make breaks. After two RUS qualifiers
between pari-mutuel starts, it was time to make their first purse start at
Batavia Downs Gaming where No Recess won by a length. Subsequent victories at Saratoga (four
lengths) and the Meadowlands (ten lengths) proved their faith in the horse well
deserved.
“Yes, I do
believe it helps him mentally”, says Dijkhof when asked if racing No Recess
under saddle has helped his sulky career,” he seems to enjoy the races under
saddle and doing something else makes the nine-year-old gelding happier”. As for training the horse to race under
saddle, surprisingly the trotter doesn’t train for the races. Being a veteran, No Recess knows the game.
Racing every week, one way of another, keeps the horse sharp. Skipping the
Rosecroft race due to the distance the horse would have to travel, Sietske
wished there were more RUS races available either in a circuit or as overnight
events. “I wish there were more races
right now, so he could do both and keep his mind ‘fresh’.
There
has been some discussion as to whether RUS should be expanded to allow pacers
to race under saddle. As of now, there
has been no movement on the contentious issue but as far as this rider is
concerned, she takes the attitude of ‘bring it on’, the more races under saddle
the better.
Of
course, racing in non-betting races is one thing, but what about having RUS on
the wagering card. We asked Kyle
Spagnola whether he would race horses in his stable in RUS events if there was
wagering and he has no problem with entering horses in under saddle races, but
he indicated it would be hard to persuade owners to enter horses in
non-wagering events at the current purse levels. “Owners want to make money and win
races. At the level [purses] it is right
now, people are not going to invest in horses for RUS when they can race for
much more money in the bike”, Spagnola said.
Getting trainers to enter horses in RUS with the current purse structure
is difficult as there are more profitable races to compete in. But if purses increase he feels trainers will
support RUS. No doubt the caliber of
horses entering would be higher.
So, what is more difficult, racing in the bike or under a
rider? Kyle’s take? “I think it’s easier
if they are gaited well enough to do it [RUS] because they don’t have to pull
the bike and they don’t have to ride as wide”.
Since racing under saddle appears to be easier, participating in RUS is
a great way to extend a horse’s career, possibly helping with future horse
shortages.
