Sends out Well Said gelding against the big boys.

by Jay Wolf

In a sport often dominated by powerhouse stables and million-dollar barns, fans watching Saturday’s (May 3) $75,000 James K. Hackett Memorial final at Miami Valley Gaming may enjoy the story of Z’s Said, a lightly-raced pacer, and one of a four-horse stable all co-owned by Neil Leist and trainer John Raynard.

Raynard is a 46-year-old full-time logger and farmer and a part-time trainer, who resides in South Webster, OH, 40 minutes from the Pike County Fairgrounds where he takes care of their small stable.

Leist’s dad bought logs off of Raynard and later introduced him to long-time Pike County trainer, Rodney Harness.

“I’ve fooled with horses in every aspect my whole life,” said Raynard. “I was showing standardbreds and speed driving, but started training a few about 10 years ago.”

Z’s Said is the gelded son of Well Said out of the I’m Gorgeous mare, I’m Flying Free. He was bred by Leist and broke by Raynard.

“I have had a few Well Saids and they are tough [to break],” said Raynard. “He was a tough cat. But from the moment I started with him, I knew he was a nice colt.”

Z’s Said only made one start as a freshman – a third-place finish at the Pickaway County Fair in Circleville.

“He threw in a step or two on me in the first turn and he got on his tendon boot and ended up with a little tear,” said Raynard. “I just stopped with him.”

The pacer started his 3-year-old season off with a five-race win streak, all with Tyler Smith in the bike.

In just his third career start (March 19) he went gate-to-wire in 1:51.4.

“It wasn’t really warm and the wind was awful that night,” he said. “He kind of sored that tendon up a little bit. I have been playing with that and trying to get that right.”

The win streak ended with a neck defeat to Up Again and Dan Noble in the $30,000 final of a non-winners of 2 series.

“Tyler [Smith] said he got on the line a little bit in the final turn and I think that is what got him beat,” said Raynard. “He is green as a gourd. He may have been a little short. I have been training him a little easy.”

Twelve colts were originally entered – allowing byes to be given to the top three career money earners. The Ron Burke trio of Sippinonsearoc ($568,000), Swingtown ($474,454) and Harrisburg Heist automatically advanced to the rich final.

On April 24, there was a $25,000 elimination with the top six advancing to join the three byes in the final.

Saddled with post 7 in the nine-horse field, Z’s Said was hustled off the gate’s wings and tried to go gate-to-wire, but could not hold off the fast closing Up Again, coming up a head short in 1:52.1.

Raynard, who has less than 120 career training starts, knows the sledding will be getting tougher this weekend.

“I saw that one colt [Sippinonsearoc] qualified last week in [1]:51[.3],” he said. “[Z’s Said] is the nicest colt that I’ve had. He’s got a lot of try about him. It’s been very enjoyable.”

Z’s Said will be Leist and Raynard’s second entry into a Hackett final. Last year they entered another Well Said colt, No Joke Folks, in the sophomore colt pace. He finished fifth in his elimination and made the final as the first alternate.

“We had the 9-hole, so, you know where we finished, ninth,” said Raynard.

The James K. Hackett Memorials are named for the London, OH, horseman, who captured the 1967 Little Brown Jug with Best Of All.

Better known as Jim “Rocky” Hackett, the son-in-law to Hall of Fame driver/trainer/trackman Wayne “Curly” Smart, died in 1970 at the age of 52 shortly after crossing the finish line at Latonia (KY) Raceway.

The $300,000 (div.) Hackett Memorials will highlight the closing day card at Miami Valley Gaming along with the $100,000 Pacey “The Wizard” Mindlin Memorial Invitational Pace.

First post for the matinee card is 1 p.m.