FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016 ©2016 HORSEMAN PUBLISHING CO., LEXINGTON, KY USA • FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION CALL (859) 276-4026 A Win Like No Other For Fire Victim Mitchell LAST CALL!! Race 4 at Woodbine Racetrack on Monday night, Jan. 11, was programmed as just a $14,000 conditioned race, but for enter now for the hottest sale this winter trainer Chantal Mitchell, it was worth much more—much, much more—especially when the 28 year old’s 4-year-old pacer Rakin It In won a tight photo finish to score a nose victory in 1:57.4. In just his second career start, Rakin It In put his nose in front at the wire after a gru- eling, first-over trip for driver Chris Christoforou. The vic- February 8 & 9 tory came exactly one week after seven of Rakin It In’s sta- ENTER ONLINE at www.bloodedhorse.com blemates—and 36 other horses—perished in a fire Don’t be shut out...Entries are closing NOW! “It was amazing—all that destroyed Barn 1 at the congratulations Classy Lane, wiping out and hugs—that you Mitchell’s small stable, as well would have thought as those of five others, in- I just won the North cluding her boyfriend, Kris Di- America Cup.” Cenzo. “It was amazing—all the –Chantal Mitchell “There’s No Substitute for Experience” congratulations and hugs— JERRY HAWS • P.O. Box 187 • Wilmore, Kentucky 40390 that you would have thought I just won the North America Phone: (859) 858-4415 • Fax: (859) 858-8498 Cup,” Mitchell told Weekend Preview the morning following Rakin It In’s maiden-breaking win. “We’re only going for $14,000 but it was like a million-dollar purse. Chris (Christo- WHAT’S INSIDE . forou) got off the bike and told me, ‘I never wanted to win a Meadowlands Mixed Sale on Monday—pg. 3 race so bad in my life.’” Montenegro making Big M start—pg. 5 Rakin It In made his racing debut on Monday, Jan. 4, with Gaskin hopes Tower Of Power calms—pg. 7 the trek to Woodbine just the third time he had ever been away from his stall at Classy Lane. He finished third that “We’re driving back and we were so happy with how he night, and Mitchell said she will never forget what she expe- raced and discussed changes on how to make him better,” rienced when she and DiCenzo, who lost four horses of his said Mitchell. “We talked about what a busy day we would own, returned close to 11 p.m. that night to Classy Lane. have on Tuesday with blacksmiths and vets, and as soon as Rakin It In (outside) breaks his we pulled in the driveway all of that was gone. maiden in his second career “We pulled into the farm and were one of the first people start by a nose in 1:57.4. on the scene of the fire. I called 911—actually a couple of times—before they got there. I opened the door at the end where there were no flames, and the smoke was so thick. It was very cold that night so the barn doors and windows New Image Media Photos were all shut tight, so it had been smoking in there for a while. Even if we were the fire department, we weren’t sav- ing any of them. “The worst part was being there and not being able to do anything at all. It’s something I will never forget. I’ll never get Continues on page 2 ›››› HarnessRacing Weekend Preview, 2 of 12 January 15, 2016 www.harnessracing.com that sound out of my head again. The one thing that went through my mind as I was standing there was that I was FREE THIS WEEK’S imagining each and every horse and how they were probably Program reacting to what was going on. That’s what hurt me the most.” Pages FEATURED RACES Mitchell is currently working out of another barn at Classy Lane and is within eyesight of what is now a totally razed Friday, January 15 All times listed are local. Barn 1. 6:56p M2 Open Trot Trackmaster PPs “I’m now one barn over,” she said. “Some people couldn’t 7:30p Wdb1 Snowshoe Pace div. Trackmaster PPs handle seeing it, but me personally, the way everyone has 8:10p Wdb3 Snowshoe Pace div. Trackmaster PPs been with all the support, I couldn’t imagine myself any- Click here to download all Friday PPs where else. It’s better to be here than to not be here, out of respect for everyone else that had to go through it.” Saturday, January 16 Mitchell said Rakin It In, a $22,000 yearling purchase by 6:56p M2 Open Pace Trackmaster PPs Doug Millard, had been nominated to the Snowshoe Series 8:50p YR6 Open Pace Trackmaster PPs at Woodbine that got underway on Jan. 8, but when Click here to download all Saturday PPs overnights didn’t fill after the son of Bettor’s Delight fin- ished third in a Dec. 21 qualifier, she went a different route Visit www.trackmaster.com and instead entered him in a non-winners of one race or and subscribe to download $7,000 lifetime contest on Jan. 4. full cards from your favorite tracks! “We left the farm that day at 5:30 and there was a major accident on Highway 401,” remembered Mitchell about Jan. 4. “We got caught in the traffic and stuck there. There were cars going on the shoulder to get off the highway and I said I wasn’t waiting there any longer so that he’d miss his first lifetime start. We made it with two minutes to go for the re- tention time.” Mitchell said while loading Rakin It In back in the trailer for the ride home after his debut she told him that the journey would be a lot shorter than the two hours, 15 minutes it took to get there because of the accident. The trip home took the usual 45 minutes, but everything changed upon their arrival. “I put him on the trailer and told him to not worry about it because it won’t be as long because there’s rarely traffic on the way home,” she said. “We got back in 45 minutes and then he had to stand in the trailer for another two HarnessRacing Weekend Preview hours, while we were dealing with everything else, until I Kathy Parker Heather Kemper found him a stall. To be honest, he was one of the last [email protected] [email protected] things on my mind at the time as I was just trying to fig- Editor/ General Manager Assistant Production Manager ure out what to do.” Lynne Myers Vanessa Flannery [email protected] [email protected] Mitchell said she couldn’t help but have flashbacks as Accounting & Circulation Advertising Manager she loaded up Rakin It In for the trip to Woodbine for his Jan. 11 race. Gordon Waterstone [email protected] For mail sent via U.S. Postal Service, “When I put him on the trailer I didn’t say anything to him Associate Editor either P.O. Box 8480, Lexington, KY 40533, and he pawed the whole way and was hot when we got Suzanne Starbuck or 1910 Harrodsburg Rd., Suite 200, there,” she said. “We had left super early so he was able to [email protected] Lexington, KY 40503. (859) 276-4026 get in a stall and relax and decompress before the race. I put Production Manager him on the trailer after the race and said, ‘Don’t worry, © Copyright Horseman Publishing Company. buddy, it won’t be that long.’ But as we were driving home I A product of Horseman Publishing Company, publishers of the website felt sick to my stomach because I can’t really promise him www.harnessracing.com and The Horseman And Fair World magazine. This newspaper may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, that. You just never know. It broke my heart thinking about it. electronic or mechanical, without prior written permission. I made him a promise and I would hate to not keep my promise AGAIN to the poor horse. But he was home on time To sign up for the Weekend Preview please visit and had his dinner and he was so much happier this week.” www.harnessracing.com/members_sign_up.php Continues on page 3 ›››› HarnessRacing Weekend Preview, 3 of 12 January 15, 2016 www.harnessracing.com Mitchell admits she was surprised that Rakin It In won, re- Meadowlands Mixed Sale turning $16.80 as a 7-1 longshot. Set For Monday, Jan. 18 “We always knew he had some speed and some talent, but he is just like an overgrown baby,” said Mitchell, a na- The annual Meadowlands January Select Mixed Sale takes tive of New Jersey whose father, Robert, worked for more place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 18, in than 20 years for Jimmy Takter through the late 1990s, and the Meadowlands’ race paddock. The sale gets underway at mother, Sheila, worked for the New Jersey Racing Commis- 11 a.m., with 255 horses sold as part of the main catalog and sion in the test barn and licensing. “Going into the race I another 43 in the supplement. Of those, 248 are racehorses. wasn’t sure how he’d do because of everything that had “Like every year, the January sale is noteworthy because happened.