by Melissa Keith

In the wake of the mighty Monalishi’s first-division Champlain Stake victory Friday night (Sept. 13) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, the second division for 2-year-old trotting fillies could have been underwhelming. Could have, but wasn’t. Particularly for owner Glenn Dyke of Townsend, DE. 

He owns two-time Ontario Sires Stakes Gold winner Medley Seelster, who crossed over early from the outside post for a gutsy victory. When Sonmar Pond rebuffed Medley Seelster’s first attempt to make the front, driver Jody Jamieson eased his filly into the pocket behind that leader. Just before the half, Jamieson asked and “Medley” answered with a burst of speed that carried her past Sonmar Pond.

The rest of the mile belonged to Medley Seelster, en route to her fourth career win. Before three-quarters, 3-5 favorite Southwind Milk made a first-over move for James MacDonald, but never cleared. Medley Seelster was surrounded by late speed down the stretch: Sonmar Pond resurgent to her inside, before a late break; Southwind Milk on the outside; a three-wide challenge from Beersnsunshine Deo.

Medley Seelster held off the latter by a neck for the 1:56.4 win.

“I’ve never owned anything approaching, you know, this type of horse; a Gold filly like this,” said an elated Dyke. He was picking up Medley Seelster’s winner’s circle photo and Champlain trophy after her latest victory at Mohawk.

“I bought her out of the London [Classic Yearling] Sale last year on day two. The strange thing is, I bought a Bettors Delight filly on day one, who I really liked [Kandy Kiss], and I nearly went home because I went there to buy that filly.”

Dyke said he had a hunch about another filly in the sale.

“She was my favorite video,” he said. “[Trainer] Blake [MacIntosh] is not big on videos, so I had to talk him into taking a look at it. I said, ‘Would you please look at this filly for me?’ He liked her, so we ended up buying her.”

Purchased for just $24,000, Medley Seelster has now earned $183,321, compelling her owner to make arrangements for transfer of her Canadian earnings to his American-based account.

“She’s by Wheeling N Dealin [5, 1:54s; $913,975], which is not a super fashionable sire,” said Dyke. “He was a really good young trotter. As a matter of fact, he’s not even standing at Seelster anymore. I think he’s in Quebec somewhere.”

Thrilled that Medley Seelster is the No. 1 2-year-old filly trotter on the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold leaderboard (one point ahead of No. 2 Monalishi), Dyke said he told MacIntosh, “Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I have to pinch myself. I have a Gold filly like this?”

The Delaware-based owner said Medley Seelster is a pleasant step up from the level of his previous stakes horses. 

“I mainly play around in the Maryland and Delaware programs in the States,” he told HRU. “Delaware is not so minor, but Maryland is a very minor program… I had one in Pennsylvania one time that won three Stallion Series races, which is the equivalent of Grassroots races here.

“She’s my best by far. If you can win in this program, in the Gold, that’s a tough thing to do, especially when you pay $24,000 for a Wheeling N Dealin.”

Dyke said he was content to bypass the Mohawk Million with Medley Seelster (“I don’t think she’s quite that caliber”), keeping the focus on her remaining 2024 OSS dates. Gold leg 5 is coming up Sept. 30, with the Gold Super Final set for Oct. 12, both at Mohawk.

“I can’t come to the Sept. 30th race because in my business, Sept. 30th is our fiscal year end,” he said. “I’m in the equipment financing and leasing business. I work for a large German company called Siemens.”

While confident in his filly, Dyke admitted that he felt “very nervous” watching the Champlain stretch drive. “Because Southwind Milk is a real tough cookie, and I have to give my filly credit, though,” he said. “She dug in, and not only did she hold off Southwind Milk, but she had horses coming from all over the place, and managed to hold them off, as well. I’m proud of her. I’m really proud of her.

“The funny thing is, training down, she was very, very fast training down, but very, very erratic. I mean, it was rare for her to go two training trips in a row, because they usually train like Wednesday and Saturday, or whatever. She would have a great training trip on Wednesday, and Saturday she’d run all over the track.”

But the fourth living foal of Daylon Melody (4, 2:03h; $22,006) held promise. The Seelster Farms broodmare is half-sister to 2011 O’Brien 3-year-old trotting colt of the year Daylon Magician (4, 1:51.1s; $1,977,969).

When it came to racing, Medley Seelster was all business. She won her first two Mohawk qualifiers for Tyler Borth in early June, then closed gamely for fourth in her June 21 pari-mutuel debut. She spent that mile on the outside and still trotted home in :27.3.

Medley Seelster bounced back with a maiden win July 18, after a July 11 miscue in OSS Gold leg 1 at Mohawk.

“She’s made one break this year, and that’s when she had the 1-hole and got jammed up on the first turn,” her owner said. “With trotters here, sometimes the 1-hole can be very problematical.

“Other than that, I’m shocked, basically, at how well-behaved she’s been.”

Dyke made a special trip Sept. 13 to watch his filly’s latest start and visit her birthplace.

“I flew in at 8:30 this morning, rented a car, and went to Seelster Farms and looked for next year’s Medley Seelsters this afternoon,” he said that evening.

“Unfortunately, she lost both foals after Medley. They said, ‘Darn it, that mare finally produced a really good one,’ and of course that’s what she runs into breeding problems. But I saw another Wheeling N Dealin there that I really liked. That one’s a colt.

“So, I can always dream for next year. She made me enough money where I can actually fire some bullets this fall, maybe.”

Dyke said MacIntosh planned to attend the Oct. 15-16 London Classic Sale to look at horses.

“And I’m going to sign up for bidding online,” Dyke said. “There are several Ontario-breds selling in Lexington. When you’re dealing at my price range, you’re not going to find full brothers and full sisters to top horses, but I try to find something, even if it’s in the second or third dam, that shows a hint that the family can produce something.”

Dyke said he looked forward to watching Medley Seelster’s 2-year-old OSS campaign conclude on Super Finals night.

“I will be here [at Mohawk] for the Super Final, 100-per cent certainty,” he said.

Note: In last weekend’s column, Jody Jamieson mentioned a childhood friend from Sackville Downs (Scott Lecain) whose name was misspelled in the article. Apologies for my error.