No Better Air soaring in the OSS Grassroots

by Matthew Lomon

Brought together by a strong first impression and a promise from a business partner, No Better Air and long-time trainer Scott McEneny have developed into a formidable force on the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) circuit, where the 2-year-old pacing filly is a close third in her division.

The duo first met last year at Hunterton Farms in Paris, KY.

“One of my owners [George Lowenfeld of Andrea Lea Racing Stable] had her,” McEneny said. “She was going in the Harrisburg Sale, but George said if he didn’t get enough for her that he would buy her back and I’d get her to train.”

The arrangement, as straightforward as it gets, still was not immune to bumps along the way.

“There were 11 fillies in the one barn at Hunterton and two or three of them got sick,” McEneny said. “The vet would not let any of the horses that were in that barn go to the sale to prevent any further spreading.”

On the exempt list by association, No Better Air ended up with heavyweight conditioner Tony Alagna.

While only with Alagna for a cup of coffee, a neophyte No Better Air stood out to the lifetime winner of nearly 2,400 races – but Lowenfeld was a man of his word.

“I think it was around Dec. 1st, George phoned Tony to see if he had got somebody to buy her,” McEneny said. “Tony said no, but he didn’t really want to lose her because she’s been such a nice filly to work with. George’s response was, ‘I promised her to Scott so that’s what’s going to happen.’”

The bay filly was soon en route from New Jersey to Florida, where McEneny would train her down. But, McEneny, who is based in Carlisle, ON, had one more question for Lowenfeld.

“I really liked her a lot, so I asked him if he wanted to sell part of her to one of my owners [Aristi Varsakis] and myself, and we ended up buying part of her,” McEneny said. “She’s been nothing but a sweetheart.”

A natural from the outset, No Better Air’s sharp mechanics and agreeable mindset instantly caught McEneny’s eye, offering a window into her considerable potential.

“She was just so slick-gaited,” he said. “She’ll do anything you ask. You can come off a helmet with her and she’s gone. She’s very good that way.”

That promising combination materialized into an impressive showing in her first qualifier on June 12 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

“She was amazing,” said McEneny. “She popped out of the hole around the last turn, and she was just gone. She has that quick speed to her and she’s so good-gaited. She just needs to grow up a little more, and once she gets a little more substance to her, I think she’s going to be even a nicer filly.”

The rookie pacer made her professional debut 15 days later, finishing second in an $16,000 race, also at Mohawk.

With two encouraging outings now under her belt, No Better Air was ready to graduate to the OSS ranks on July 7.

Slotted into post 4, the daughter of Cattlewash—Claireabell gave a valiant effort, but ran out of steam to land in third.

“That first one was a tough race for her,” McEneny said. “She had to be used really hard to get to the half. She was down to the half, left hard, had to let two go, and then move on them, and that got her a little tired.”

Although her OSS debut didn’t go according to plan, 11 days later, No Better Air proved she’s also a fast learner.

Competing in her second Grassroots tilt, the resilient racer sped around the Mohawk dirt in 1:53.3 to score her first career victory by 2¾ lengths, and praise from her trainer.

“We got a good trip with her,” McEneny said. “Like I said, she’s better if you can trip her out and not use her as much, this year anyway. She’s got such good gate speed, if you can get her set up well, she’ll follow any horse, I think, for as long as she can.

“There are some really nice fillies out there right now. Like that other filly I have, Jen Tilly, is one of them — there are four or five really good 2-year-old pacing fillies going — I think she’s [No Better Air] one of the better ones in the Grassroots.”

No Better Air validated her trainer’s belief on Aug. 30, delivering a coast-to-coast 4½-length triumph in a Grassroots leg at Hanover Raceway.

“She was really good on the front,” McEneny said. “It’s a smaller track and that’s where you want to control it.

“She looked like she was going to be the best in there and we got to the front, backed it down, and he [driver Trevor Henry] gave her a little cue at the head of the lane and she swelled up and went pretty handy. It was a nice easy mile for her and executed very well.”

No Better Air followed her smooth score at Hanover with a third in her fifth Grassroots endeavour of the season on Monday (Sept. 8) at Mohawk.

Despite how well his pupil has been doing in the Grassroots, McEneny had an opinion to share on the series.

“There is one thing that I think needs to be changed on the sire stakes: this trailing position in sire stakes should never happen,” McEneny said. “I don’t know why we can’t get this out; it just baffles me. You’re three-fifths-of-a-second off the gate when they leave. The speeds they go nowadays that three-fifths-of-a-second means a lot.”

Just like any young athlete, equine or human, No Better Air has plenty of room left to grow.

McEneny, who’s coached some of the province’s finest competitors, knows that as well as anyone.

“She’s got such great gate speed that she can get spotted, and she can go on any size racetrack,” he said, adding with a laugh. “She’s just so good-gaited that you don’t want to wear boots or anything, she’s got a good attitude, and she’s a Cattlewash… Now I can praise Cattlewash because Bettors Delight’s gone.”

McEneny trained Bettors Delight — today the sport’s most prolific sire — over a brilliant 15-month racing career that saw the bay pacer collect north of $2.5 million from 26 starts.

As for if he sees any similarities between his former Hall of Fame pupil and his ascending filly, the veteran conditioner didn’t need long to think.

“No, not really,” McEneny said with a laugh. “You could race him tough. He could race as tough as you wanted a horse to race. He was just one good animal, that’s all. He’s shown that being a stallion.”

He wasted no time, however, in singing the praises of the filly he wholeheartedly believes in.

“She’s a really nice filly to be around,” he said. “She doesn’t do anything wrong. She’s been like that from day one. Anybody that sat behind her all winter just loved her.

“The first time training her after I got her, ‘I was like, ‘Wow, she’s going to be all right.’ You hate to be too high on them at the beginning because they always break your heart – she hasn’t. She showed that to me in the qualifier and she’s showing it today. If she gets raced right, then she’s going to be right there.”