No Absolution needed for Moiseyev’s talented pacing mare
by Matthew Lomon
“She gives you what she’s got, and she gives you a chance,” Jack Moiseyev said.
Consistency, as renowned horseman Moiseyev laid out, has been Absolution’s calling card through 40 career starts.
Cracking the top three in 27 of those appearances (11-8-8), and 12 straight going back to Aug. 22, has certainly done wonders to curate such a fine reputation.
But as Moiseyev — a winner of nearly 10,000 races as a driver during his storied and ongoing career — recalls the days before consistency came patience.
“As a yearling, she was a little small — built nice — but just a little bit small,” he said. “That’s why we took our time with her, just like we did with her mother [Bet Ya].”
Absolution, like her mother, did not race as a 2-year-old.
Having seen the script once before with Bet Ya, Moiseyev, with steady support from Absolution’s co-breeders and co-owners Joanne Colville and Nancy MacNevin, knew better than to worry – at least not too much.
“If I didn’t have her mother, I wouldn’t have believed,” Moiseyev said with a laugh. “Her mother did the same thing at 2 and 3 and then came right around. She ended up making over $300,000 [$358,362].”
The additional year proved invaluable to Absolution’s development, both in body and mind.
“When we got her back going at 3, she grew some, but about two months after training, you could really see her growing,” Moiseyev said. “Every month you would say ‘Holy cow, I think she grew a little.’
“On the mental side, she was going in 2:30 training down. She was making breaks, just like her mother. She’d make a break training and then one day something clicked in her. We got around 2:20 and she clicked over and just started pacing perfectly the whole mile and never had a problem since.
“It felt like everything synced up growing wise, pacing wise, and mentally. Now, she’s a really nice mare to drive and train.”
Absolution’s first taste of action came in a $6,500 dash at Flamboro Downs on Oct. 13, 2024.
It wasn’t a triumphant outing, but one that gave Moiseyev all the encouragement he needed.
“Right away she showed she was going to be okay; you just didn’t know how good,” Moiseyev said. “Her first start she came up inside, and she finished third, but she was loaded with pace.”
Moiseyev’s instincts were spot on, as Absolution cruised to victory next time out on Oct. 27, and again on Nov. 7, this time at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The McWicked bay rounded out her freshman campaign with a strong 2-2-1 record through seven starts, collecting $21,880.
However, it was what Absolution showed beyond the stat sheet that affirmed what Moiseyev had seen in her from the beginning.
“I think she’s just a really nice mare and her attitude is great,” he said. “She has a big heart, and she wants to do it – and it’s really up to her. I have ones that get the same training, and they don’t go like her.
“She always had that will, even training. Heading into the stretch she wanted to dig in and beat the other horse.”
Now a preferred-level star in her second professional season, Absolution, backed by the remarkable streak of a dozen straight in the money, has enjoyed several standout moments in 2025, namely, on Nov. 28 at Mohawk.
In an effort reflective of her resolute demeanor, Absolution came from the clouds to close on second favorite Tells On A Roll, and pull away for the one-length score to keep her top-three trend intact.
Moiseyev, while impressed, wasn’t exactly caught off guard by what’s become a familiar sight.
“That’s how she’s been racing,” he said. “That’s how she’s been racing. It doesn’t surprise me, because every week she shows just about the fastest last quarter in a race. Sometimes she’s a little too far back, but that happens… The last quarter is where they pay, not the beginning of the race.”
Getting Absolution to this point has not been a solo feat.
Colville and MacNevin, having raised Absolution, her mother, and grandmother, have provided a steadying presence for the reliable pacer.
“Joanne raised her, and Nancy picked out the grand dam of her,” said Moiseyev, who shares 10 horses with the duo. “They’re a great team. Joanne does an excellent job raising a baby at the farm and Nancy is always generous when it comes to buying young horses.
“A lot of the horses Joanne raised end up doing pretty well. We had a lot of luck with the homebreds and it feels good. You raise them from a baby right to racing like that, it makes you feel good.”
Add Colville’s daughter Emma Christoforou, who helps raise the foals, and Jamie Hart, Absolution’s caretaker, to the mix, and every base is covered.
“Jamie spends at least an hour at the end of the day to put her away for the night,” Moiseyev said. “She’s taken care of her since we got to the farm training. Emma is a tremendous help all around the barn, too.
“Between Joanne, Nancy, Jamie, and Emma, they all do a phenomenal job.”
Thanks to the unwavering dedication of her all-star support system, Absolution is still operating at peak levels with the New Year approaching.
“She’s racing like she’s not tired, so we’re going to give her a few more starts and see how she ends up after that,” Moiseyev said. “We might give her a month off in January or February, we’ll see how it goes.”
Other possibilities ahead include the Milton Stakes, Roses Are Red Stakes, and “if she stays well,” the Breeders Crown Open Mare Pace.
Until then, Moiseyev and Co. are content to revel in the resounding success that was, and still is, Absolution’s 2025 season – one that has earned top marks from her devoted trainer.
“For me, A-plus, A-plus,” he said. “I couldn’t ask her to do more than she’s been doing. Every week, she just shows up and gets us a nice check. She’s got nine wins this year and she’s always one, two, three. If I could put her heart into all my other ones, we’d be in good shape.”
Moiseyev, letting out one more hearty laugh, will have to settle for the next best thing.
“I’m going to put a TV in the barn so the other horses can watch her race,” he said.
