M-M’s Dream has ‘Girl Power’ thanks to her owner
by Debbie Little
In late July, The Meadowlands announced a new race, the Girl Power for 4- and 5-year-old mare trotters, but according to trainer Ron Burke, owner Frank Baldachino was not happy.
Baldachino and Hillside Stables co-own 6-year-old female trotter M-M’s Dream, who is trained by Burke.
“He told me, ‘That’s not fair,” Burke said of Baldachino’s reaction to the new race’s age restriction. “I said, ‘I don’t know, call Jeff [Gural].’ And he did and was relentless on him about it.
“Basically, Frank Baldachino beat Jeff up about it, until, finally, Jeff relented.”
On Aug. 11, a release was sent out by The Meadowlands that the Girl Power, scheduled for Friday (Aug. 29), has been adjusted to also include 6-year-olds mares.
Burke is excited for the opportunity for M-M’s Dream to race again at The Meadowlands, where she recently won the Dr. John R. Steele Memorial on Hambletonian Day (Aug. 2) for the third-straight year.
“It’s the track that she likes the most,” Burke said. “Now, instead of racing some race for $40,000, we’re going to race for $100,000.
“So, of course, 4, 5 and 6, I don’t know why you just didn’t go aged. What’s the difference? Who’s really around at 7 that would be a factor. You know what I mean?”
The win in this year’s Steele Memorial was the first stakes victory of the season for the daughter of Swan For All—Trading Places, who Burke said has been dealing with some issues.
“She has a chip,” Burke said. “So, we had to address that. And, like I said, I’m not going to race her as much, I’m not going to train her as hard, and then I’m going to make the ones count when I do race her.
“When I can take her shoes off, it’s a huge difference. Of all the horses in my barn, I’ve never seen one that gets a bigger reaction out of shoes off.”
Burke took her shoes off in the Steele because the track was in such good shape. Meadowlands president/chief executive officer Jeff Gural landed in some hot water that day from a misunderstood comment he made about the track condition following the victory of his horse, Nordic Catcher S, in the 100th edition of the Hambletonian.
“Everybody was so mad about that,” Burke said. “I go, ‘We all raced on the same track. You’re mad because she got the track good for all of us?’ What the f – – -, who cares? It’s the dumbest thing. It’s not like it’s cheating. Oh, we made the track real good for Jeff’s horse. Oh, guess who else’s horse has raced on a real good track? Ours.
“That’s not why the horse won. The horse won because the horse was vicious the week before. [Trainer] Ake [Svanstedt] did a great job getting that horse ready for one race. Give the guy credit, he’s pretty good at what he does.
“It was said incorrectly, that’s all it was, and by an 80-year-old guy that was in a jubilant mood. I’ve got bigger things to worry about than if Sarah [Svanstedt’s] helping the trackman get it right. Like I said, the track was great. Maybe she should be in charge of the track.”
Burke did say that he has noticed more horses with suspensory, and soft-tissue injuries, than in years past.
“We’ve had a lot of problems this year there with horses getting sore, and I don’t know what it is, because I’m not there all the time, but when I’m there, it’s always a big night, and the track seems good, but maybe when it’s not, it’s not as good,” he said, adding with a laugh, “I’m the least complainer; I usually race through a minefield if the purses are good enough.”
Following the Girl Power, Burke said M-M’s Dream will tell them if she’s up to racing on Sept. 5 at The Meadowlands in the last leg of the Miss Versatility before the final on Little Brown Jug Day in Delaware (Ohio) on Sept. 18.
“If she comes out of [the Girl Power] good, and she’s fresh, yeah, of course, we’ll race her,” Burke said. “She never gets sore; I can just tell when she just isn’t herself.”
As for whether there are plans to remove the chip, Burke said, “No, she’ll just get bred. This is it. At the end of the year, we’re done.”
Burke also said that he appreciates that The Meadowlands added a race for trotting mares, even if M-M’s Dream is the senior citizen in the bunch.
“She seems now like she always has to race against the younger horses,” Burke said. “Her competition isn’t her age or older, it’s her age or younger, and basically, younger.
“I think [having the Girl Power is] good. It’s another big race for the most underserved division that has the least amount of money to race for.”
THE IRISH ARE COMING
Ireland’s Oakwood Stud is teaming up with onGait for the first Irish-bred International online auction.
On Sept. 16, three colts and three fillies bred by Derek and James Delaney’s Oakwood Stud will be offered to an international audience via onGait.
There should be some interest in the U.S. with three of the yearlings — Oakwood Camilla, Oakwood Harry, and Oakwood William — being eligible to stakes in the U.S. in addition to Great Britain and Ireland.
Oakwood Camilla is a daughter of Pebble Beach out of the No Pan Intended mare Carmel Camden, the dam of Oakwoodanabella IR, Oakwood Paddy IR, and Oakwood Maewyn.
Oakwood Harry is a Captain Crunch son and the first foal from ultra-impressive daughter of Foreclosure, Oakwoodanabella IR.
The most buzz may surround Oakwood William, a son of Always B Miki out of the Grinfromeartoear mare Trend Setter.
Oakwood William is a half-brother to Oakwood Ardan IR, winner of this year’s William Haughton Memorial, who has 13 wins in 17 starts at The Meadowlands since coming to the U.S. in late 2023.
Speaking of the Delaneys, at the recently contested Vincent Delaney Memorial at Tir Prince in North Wales, Big M TV’s Dave Little spoke with John Ball and Patrick Kane, Sr., co-owners of VDM champs Ayroplane and Ayrodrome about the possibility of either or both coming to the U.S.
Although both 3-year-old pacing colt, Ayroplane, and 2-year-old filly pacer, Ayrodrome, have more racing available to them this year and next in Great Britain and Ireland, both Ball and Kane, Sr. said they are considering sending the pair across the pond at some point in the future. Ayrodrome is also co-owned by U.S.-based Josh Graber, who has horses with Shane and Lauren Tritton.
Ayroplane and Ayrodrome were bred by Scotland’s Ayr Standardbreds owned by the O’Neil family, Ryan, Hugh, Elizabeth, and Michael.
