We’ve all read stories many times about a harness racing horse having a winning attitude, or a will to win. Just as some horses race with confidence and frequently come away with a victory, there are many others for one reason or another can’t get the job done.
It could be they just aren’t fast enough or have some health issues that limit their ability. Maybe they would just rather be doing something else or just have gotten used to losing.
Extended losing streaks far out-number extended winning streaks. There are some horses who never do make a visit to a winner’s circle.
We have a couple of horses competing Friday night at Maywood Park that are still looking for their first victory, of any kind, at the age of five.
In race six Friday the homebred Buttered Noodles is 0 for his first 61 starts. The ICF pacer does have a trio of second place finishes in his first 4 starts of this season including a head decision in his first start of the year with Casey Leonard, who will be at the gelding’s lines tonight.
Maybe, just maybe Buttered Noodles will make that slippery first stop in a winner’s circle Friday night.
While Buttered Noodles’ 0 for 61 may be an disheartening record it isn’t the worse in Friday’s sixth race. That less-than-distinguished honor goes to Bakesidebar Nlounge who is making his 80th career start and failed to get his maiden win in his first 79 tries for a trio of different trainers.
The black ICF pacer does have 12 second place finishes and a dozen more thirds in his career. Baksidebar Lounge has been close at times (not this year), but still hasn’t enjoyed the “taste of victory” only the “agony of defeat.”
The 40-plus Club: There are a number of horses racing Friday night that have won dozens of races in their career. In fact several of them have 40 or more with Blazing Fury (race 2) topping the list with 46. Just The Way Itis (race 11) has 44, one more than Speakin Creek’s (race 9) 43) victories Tamarac Sassy (race 5) has 42 and I Don’t Rember (race 7) comes in with an even 40. And the next win for Equinox Seelster will be his 40th.
Downsizing: Thursday’s Maywood Park card has been reduced from 10 races to 9. Friday’s programs also have been scaled back by a race to 11.
Horse for Course: Muy Caliente (Travis Seekman), who is 3-for-3 this season at Maywood and 8-for-8 elsewhere, is the 7-5 programmed favorite in Friday’s fourth race co-feature for fillies and mates.
The 6-year-old Gary Fatland trained mare will take on Sealark Hanover (12-1, Casey Leonard), The Right Move (4-1, Todd Warren), Gimmeazzmooch (8-1, Bobby Smolin), Incredible Filly (7-2, Tim Curtin), Molly Go Lightly (8-1, Mike Oosting) and ER Monica (12-1, Dean Magee).
Sizeable Carryover: There’s a $6,551 carryover on Maywood Park’s 20 cent Pick Six that begins race with its first race Thursday and concludes with race six.
By Mike Paradise