Private hanging out in officer’s club

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This article was published 14/07/2023 (1127 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Private Frank just got promoted to First Class, and he wasn’t the only one who overachieved this week at Assiniboia Downs.

Two $1,000 yearlings and another that was purchased for just $2,500 won over $78,000 in purses in stakes races on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The first two have now earned over $50,000 during their short careers. The third one just smashed the $100,000 barrier. All of which makes you wonder, where were all the experts when these horses were going through the sales ring?

Three-year-old filly Spitten Kitten started the march to riches in the 30th running of the $50,000 Jack Hardy Stakes on Monday night for trainer Marvin Buffalo and his wife Deb, when she smoked out of the gate and ever looked back on her way to a 10 ½-length victory, in fast time.

Picked out by Deb Buffalo in the Arizona Fall Mixed Sale in 2021, the $2,500 yearling has now won three in a row at the Downs, all stakes, and her latest romp put her over the $100,000 mark in earnings. The chestnut filly by English Group 1 winner Air Force Blue has some female family too. Her mother Zahrah once sold for $170,000, and she’s a half sister to four hundred-thousand-plus earners including Will Rogers Stakes (G3) winner Polonius.

It was more of the same on Tuesday night when bargain yearlings Mechanic Susie and Russian Pearl finished 1-2 in the 15th running of the $40,000 Hazel Wright Sire Stakes for Manitoba-sired 3-year-old fillies. Trained by Elton Dickey, Mechanic Susie won a close photo to take home the $24,480 first prize money for trainer Dickey and ownership partners Tom Payne and Larry Falloon, who was also the breeder of the winner.

Falloon bred runner up Russian Pearl too, in partnership with Denis Huberdeau, and he’ll be getting substantial additional breeders’ bonuses for both horses, who have a few more things in common. Both are daughters of local sire Nonios and both were originally purchased for $1,000 in the Manitoba CTHS Yearling Sale by trainer Elton Dickey. Mechanic Susie has now earned $54,930. Russian Pearl has earned $51,395.

The parade of bargain basement stakes winners continued on Wednesday when Private Frank won the 35th running of the $40,000 Frank Arnason Sire Stakes for Manitoba-sired colts and geldings. Trained by Tom Gardipy, Jr. for owner-breeders Jerry Lambert and Lynn Mathews, the big chestnut gelding by Going Commando is out of the mare Inspeightofsuccess by Speightstown.

A four-time winner on the track, Inspeightofsuccess is also the dam of 2014 CTHS Sales Stakes winner Spanky’s Bourbon, and she’s a half-sister to graded-stakes placed stakes-winner Hard Seven.

Lambert has been involved with racehorses since the early eighties and has campaigned some good ones including 1988 Gold Cup winner Uene. The Gold Cup is the second toughest race to win at Assiniboia Downs behind only the Manitoba Derby.

“Big Red,” as Private Frank is affectionately called by his groom/exercise rider Douglas Badaloo, won’t be running in Monday’s $50,000 Derby Trial, and he won’t be going in the $125,000 Manitoba Derby either. His yellow brick road goes in a different direction.

“We’re going to do what’s right by the horse,” said Lambert. “We’re going to run him in as many of the Manitoba-bred races as we can and pass the Derby. That way we can keep our conditions and the horse gets a chance to develop.”

Private Frank has many opportunities to earn a lot more money. He won $24,000 for his victory in the Frank Arnason, and has now won three in a row and just over $50,000. The lucrative Manitoba-bred stakes and bonuses are there for the taking, and the strong open race purses will bolster his earnings even more.

The 73-year-old Lambert, who still runs his own large commercial painting business, has seen it all in his five decades of owning and breeding horses. He knows that fast workers in the morning don’t necessarily turn into good racehorses in the actual races, and horses that are asked to do more that they’re ready for can go the wrong way quickly.

Lambert looks after the management of the horses when they’re at the track, and his partner Lynn Mathews, a former pipeline boss, is now retired and winters the horses on his farm in Oak Point. “He’s one of the reasons I’m still in this business,” said Lambert. “He’s got a pretty nice place out there. It’s a big plus.”

Private Frank showed talent in the mornings, but more importantly he showed character, heart and versatility in his races, winning on the lead and from off the pace, and showing some heavy courage in a duel.

And if you’re into superstition and karma, the “Frank” Arnason Sire Stakes trophy was presented by the great grandson of the race’s namesake, who also happened to be named “Franklin” Arnason. So was it superstition or talent that got him home? Jockey Ronald Ali offered some insights to Lambert after the race.

“Boss, I never took him out of second gear. I had a lot of horse left.”

Hence the promotion.