Harness racing has been a ‘Boone’ to Karlee McNab

by Chris Lomon

Karlee McNab wasn’t born into horse racing, but there’s no doubt she has fully embraced the industry – its people, and the pacers and trotters under her unwavering care.

It’s a scene she had never imagined herself in: standing in a barn, under the cover of night, tending to an orphaned colt.

But that’s exactly where the 22-year-old groom from Manitoba was near the start of this summer.

“I have always been around horses and had horses since I was young, so there is a connection in that way, but I had no association with horse racing,” McNab said. “And now, here I am with a three-month-old racehorse of my own. I raised him by myself since he was a month and a half when his mother passed away. I have been feeding him and taking care of him ever since.”

The horse, one she named Boone, has kept her busy over those 12-plus weeks.

“For the first little while, I was waking up early in the morning, feeding him, checking his vitals and making sure he wasn’t getting sick being off his mother,” she said. “It was a bit of a struggle – feeding him every few hours, waking up in the middle of the night and taking care of him. I wanted to make sure he didn’t feel he was alone.”

There’s every sign that Boone doesn’t feel that way.

Each morning, McNab is greeted by one of two very different receptions from her colt.

“I walk into the barn and he is always there whinnying,” she said. “He meets me at the gate, sometimes with a happy face and sometimes with an angry face that says, ‘Why didn’t you come earlier? I’m hungry.’”

The colt who has endured a tough start to his life isn’t the only one to have a doting McNab in his life.

Working in the barn of the Mason family, husband and wife Darryl and Sherri, siblings Aaron (McNab’s boyfriend), Paula and Trisha, McNab has developed strong bonds with the horses in her care.

One standout is Fan C That, a 5-year-old son of Armbro Baylor (MB) out of the Mystery Chase mare Cordees Fantasy. With 10 wins and 26 top-three finishes in 54 starts, Fan C That continues to prove a consistent competitor. His most recent win came on Sept. 25 at The Loop, a half-mile oval in Winnipeg.

“We have always had this great connection,” McNab said. “You could leave me alone with him and I would be totally fine. Obviously, I was inexperienced when I first started, but he was a horse who made you more confident in yourself.”

That confidence has grown, though not without some memorable moments along the way.

In one instance, McNab had to keep pace with the pacer in the barn.

“We have gotten into some laughable moments over the years,” she said. “He would get loose when I was harnessing him and I would be hanging off his neck, waddling beside him to get him back to his stall so I could harness him again. But he taught me quite a bit early on and really helped me.”

McNab typically doesn’t battle butterflies when it’s post time.

“It is more of a feeling of pride rather than nervousness,” she said. “You work so closely with the horses and get to know them so well because you are the one who spends the most time with them.”

She’s also learned how perceptive some horses can be – especially after a win.

HF Aprils Kiss, a bay daughter of Santanna Blue Chip (AB) out of the Glorious Scooter mare HF Georges Kiss, pulled off a 27-1 upset at The Loop on Sept. 6. The horse, owned and driven by Aaron Mason, seemed to know exactly what she had accomplished.

McNab took notice of her demeanor the day after the trip to the winner’s circle.

“They definitely do know if they have won,” she said. “Some of the horses in the barn, you can see a mood change after they win. I don’t know if they feel it off us or if they just know themselves. I was talking to Aaron recently and I was telling him that his horse, HF Aprils Kiss, she is always the one who almost seems to count the horses, where she is saying, ‘Okay, this is how many I need to pass to be in the top three.’ She was pretty full of herself the day after she won.”

While McNab appreciates the excitement of race day, it’s the quieter moments she cherishes most.

“The best part of my job is having the down time with the horses,” she said. “When everybody else is in the paddock and I am in the barn myself, just loving on them, getting them harnessed up – that is the best part of the job.”

One of the more challenging parts of the job? Managing the individualized needs of each horse.

“Making sure you have them fully set to get to the race can be a bit nerve-wracking,” McNab said. “Every horse requires different equipment and has different needs, so early on, that was tough for me. You get better at it as time rolls on, but when it gets busy, you just need to stay focused and ensure that every horse is 100 per cent ready for their race. The setup for each horse is always changing, so you have to be on your toes.”

It’s a task McNab takes on with quiet confidence and deep commitment.

Reflecting on her unexpected path into racing, she laughs.

“I don’t know if it was deciding to become a groom – it was more being thrown into it,” she said. “It took a little bit to get the hang of things, and it just stuck. I have learned a lot over the past three years working with the Masons and I just love working with my horses.”

She’s also developed a deep respect for the Western Canadian horse racing community.

“The people are very welcoming, and you can see the love they have for horses,” she said.

One more reason — a significant one at that — for McNab to embrace all things harness racing.