Caviart Seacrest goes from Rideau Carleton auditions to center stage at Mohawk

by Melissa Keith

When a top trainer at any Ontario “B” track sends a horse to try its luck at Woodbine Mohawk Park, there’s always an element of uncertainty. Success over the smaller tracks that dot the province doesn’t always translate into similar results at the Campbellville, ON racing mecca. In a sense, it’s like being a small-town singer attempting to prove themself on a televised competition like American Idol. So, it’s somehow fitting that a 3-year-old gelding named for Ryan Seacrest, the host of that TV show, has stepped up to provide his connections with their fastest Mohawk winner.

Caviart Seacrest, a former $45,000 Lexington yearling, took a 1:49.4 lifetime mark on Saturday (Sept. 13) at Mohawk, racing for new trainer Garry Merner and driver James MacDonald. It was a going-away three-length victory for the gelded son of Tall Dark Stranger—Caviart Sailor, bred by Caviart Farms of Vienna, VA. Caviart Seacrest is co-owned by Jamie Copley and Darren Tingley of Ontario, with Duane Tingley of Nova Scotia. With four wins and one place finish this season, from just five starts, the gelding looks to be improving at a time when many same-aged peers are becoming a little leg-weary.

Caviart Seacrest was developed by top Rideau Carleton Raceway trainer Mandy Archer, who acquired him this summer. Purchased by her husband Jamie Copley for just $10,000 on the Preferred Equine website, the gelding came with little information about his past.

“The guy just wanted to sell him,” Archer told HRU. “Jamie said to [son] Jacob, ‘There’s just something about this horse.’ It’s weird, but sometimes you just know. Jamie said, ‘If I can get him for a good price, I want him.’”

When Caviart Seacrest arrived, Archer said she was instantly impressed.

“He’s beautiful,” she said. “You should see the foretop on him!”

When the pacer qualified for the first time at Rideau Carleton, with a six-length front-end victory in line to Guy Gagnon, he suddenly looked even better.

“We were in awe,” said his former trainer.

Copley admitted he was hesitant to get too excited about the new horse in the barn.

“We like to stay neutral,” he said. “He had his first couple of races at Rideau, and he went well here.”

The decision to enter Caviart Seacrest at Woodbine Mohawk Park was motivated by a conversation on Aug. 24 at Rideau Carleton, when the Ontario Sires Stakes came to the Ottawa track.

“Garry [Merner] stabled at our farm [owned by Dean Larkin] for the Sires Stakes,” said Archer. “Jamie and him decided to try him at Mohawk.”

Copley added that Caviart Seacrest was also running out of competition at Rideau Carleton, and appeared ready to attempt the big track.

“His classes were getting limited, and he’s a very nice, sound horse… He looks the part, but in the horse business, you never know,” Copley said. “You can’t be too optimistic.”

Archer and Copley both said that they still have little knowledge of Caviart Seacrest’s background, making it harder to assess his potential.

“He was eligible to Kentucky and Indiana stakes, because we bought him off Tony Alagna,” Copley told HRU. “I believe he may be eligible to [the Breeders Crown]. When we bought him, we had no information on anything. We bought him blind; we had no clue. But maybe it’s for the best, looking at them with a fresh pair of eyes. The Tall Dark Strangers are not high on many people’s lists.”

Archer said that everyone works together in her stable, which currently races around 13 horses at Rideau Carleton. She said that Caviart Seacrest was developed by a team that includes herself, Jamie, their 16-year-old son Jacob Copley, “a 16-year-old who wanted a race bike before a car,” 15-year veteran caretaker Ashley Murphy, and the retired driver Robbie Robinson, who owns a 3-year-old pacing filly (Cleo Hanover) stabled at Larkin’s farm.

“Robbie gives us a hand with jogging,” Jamie said. “It’s a pastime for him now. He’s trying get [Cleo Hanover] to the races.”

Archer said, “Jacob helps when he’s not at school. He’s done with school in December, and will work in the barn after that for two co-op credits.”

Jacob is now a rising trainer in his own right, and his mother told HRU he has plans to give driving a try next year.

Caviart Seacrest was a pleasant surprise to all who worked with him.

“He was a gelding when we got him,” Jamie said. “He’s an easy horse to deal with. Everybody had a hand with this one. It’s a real team effort. We’ll just cross our fingers and hope it continues.”

While Archer and Jamie said they did not speak with James MacDonald after Caviart Seacrest’s winning Mohawk debut, there was little to add about the dominating performance. They did want to emphasize the importance of the Ontario “B” tracks in developing dark horses like their latest success story.

“You would never buy him if you had to start him at Mohawk,” Jamie said. “We’ve had different horses win in 1:53 at Rideau, but they don’t win at Mohawk. You absolutely need to have them types of [“B”] tracks, or the business will be very limited without them. The price of horses is crazy, [especially] if you buy a horse [specifically] for Mohawk.”

Archer agreed that the smaller tracks are “for the little man,” and woman, to remain a part of the racing game, even if, like herself, they also have a day job outside the sport. She works in a government job, but is also hands-on with the horses and the business side of running a racing stable.

“We can’t do what we did starting [Caviart Seacrest] at Mohawk,” Archer said. “We got lucky with him, because we always have the opportunity to race him at Rideau Carleton. He can always return if he needs to.”

Jamie added that for up-and-coming equine talent from the Maritime provinces, Rideau Carleton is a natural proving ground.

“It’s a good place for people from the Maritimes to test them here,” Jamie said. “If they can’t make it here, then there’s no sense in sending them on to Mohawk.

“It’s also a great place to develop young horses, so they learn to race and gain confidence. It’s like minor league hockey. Some horses can get beat up at Mohawk, and confidence is everything in horse racing.”

Archer and Jamie have their fingers crossed that Caviart Seacrest will continue to race well for Merner. At press time, the gelding was 2-1 favorite in race 11 Saturday night (Sept. 21) at Mohawk, for pacers 5-years-old or younger who are non-winners of two races or $30,250 lifetime.

“It’s very hard to say [how good he is],” Jamie said. “We’ve been very fortunate; we’ve had some very nice horses. We were hoping he would make a conditioned claimer; that’s what the intention was anyway. I think we’ll keep him out of the claimers for now.”

While a clear undercard race on a night filled with Grand Circuit superstars, it will be Caviart Seacrest’s 10th lifetime start and maybe, just maybe, a ticket to bigger things down the road.