A three time O'Brien Award-winning trainer, and not to mention one of the most successful female trainers in harness racing history, is coming to Prince Edward Island.
Casie Coleman will be here as the guest speaker at the P.E.I. standardbred Horse Owner's Association banquet Saturday, March 27, at the Dutch Inn in Cornwall. Reception is at 6 p.m. with the meal at 7.
Tickets are available at the HRPEI office, the Charlottetown Veterinary Clinic and from PEISHOA directors.
Coleman said she was honoured to be asked to come and be guest speaker.
"There are a lot of great horsemen, trainers and drivers, from there and I've never been out, so I'm excited to get the chance," Coleman said in a telephone interview from her Cambridge, Ont., home.
Although she's never been here, she has certainly became accustomed to Islanders.
Coleman met Kingston's Mark MacDonald through her boyfriend Blake MacIntosh, and started listing him to drive at Western Fair Raceway in London, Ont.,
And, every experience she's had with Islanders has been positive ever since.
"From there I've used Shep (Robert Shepherd) and different drivers from there. They're great to deal with. Very easy to communicate with and they do as you ask. If they do screw up they're pretty quick to tell you. They're not fat headed, they'll admit when they did a bad job."
Every year she circles the Gold Cup and Saucer on her calendar but has yet to make it down for the Canadian classic.
She says horses Lucky Man, Wholly Louy, and Legal Litigator are all possibles for the races and hasn't ruled out taking Wildmotion - a former $3,000 claimer on P.E.I. that Coleman elevated to beating up on the smaller track preferreds in Ontario and the $30,000 claimer in Yonkers, N.Y.
"Every year I say I'm going to bring something and I always want to bring something for the Gold Cup and Saucer, but I never do. It's just so busy that time of year."
Coleman is coming off a career year for wins and money.
She lists her top moments in racing as winning the Breeders Crown with Moving Pictures, the $1 million Metro Pace with Sportswriter and setting a world record of 1:47.4 with American Ideal at Lexington, Kentucky - all with MacDonald in the bike.
But even with all that, there isn't really a "I did it moment for her."
"I don't really look back on it a lot," Coleman said. "I always look forward as much as I can. It honestly all started for me with a $6,500 claimer at Flamboro Downs called Keep Her Flyin ten years ago. Hopefully it shows any young person they can make it."
Right now she is training back world champion Sportswriter and is disappointed friend MacDonald won't be driving him.
"It was a shock to me when it was brought up to me that, that was what they were looking at. It's nothing against Mark. I hate that it happened to Mark, he made us $800,000 and got us a world champion colt."
But she stresses Steve Calhoun bought five yearlings last fall and told her MacDonald would be driving all of them.
"If all Sportswriter's races were in Ontario we wouldn't even be talking about this."
Around the tracks
I want to correct a statement in last week's column.
Ameripan Grafitti is paid into the Atlantic Sires stakes for the 2010 breeding season.
The son of the Panderosa is a winner of $107,528, took a mark of 1:51.4 at the Meadowlands with Yannick Gingras in the bike, and was a runner up to Ontario Sires and grand circuit standout Geartogear while racing at Mohawk.
The former $80,000 yearling is standing in eastern P.E.I., for a fee of $500.
My apologies to John Clarey and Jamie Hachey at Whim Farms for the mistake.
In racing action in Ontario, Islander David O'Brien claimed Babes Gold for $6,500 at Flamboro Downs Wednesday afternoon.
The pacer won in 1:54 in that race, including sprinting to the quarter in 26.4.
The horse is headed to Bethany MacLeod and Joey Squires on P.E.I. for the summer racing season.
It looks like they got their money's worth.
It may only be March, but some two-year-old's are starting to look impressive.
Training Wednesday morning was R Es Fred (Benvolio Hanover-Kona Queen), a half-brother to R Es Mary ($80,000, 1:56.4), and Tiger Williams (Force of Life-Susan Shea), a half -rother to maritime champion Mr Domi (1:50.3).
Both trained in 2:27 for trainer Earl Smith.
But as my buddy James "Blacky" Lund says, "They can all train boys."
Though if they look anything like that in August, I don't think owners Larry Chappell, Don and Peter Smith, and Gerald Morrissey will have to worry too much.
Best of luck, guys.
Nicholas Oakes' column appears in The Guardian each Friday. He can be reached at nicholasoakes@hotmail.com.
