by James Platz

In late 2008, Walter Fister purchased Four Starzzzz Hope at Harrisburg for a bargain basement price. The Cam’s Card Shark—Wizzardmania mare has gone on to become an incredible producer for the Bluegrass-based breeder. Today (July 23), freshman pacing filly Go Now will compete in one of several $50,000 Kentucky Proud Series championships offered at The Red Mile. Four Starzzzz Hope is the grandam of the Always A Virgin 2-year-old, trained by veteran Kentucky conditioner Randy Jerrell.

“When I bought her, I paid very little for her,” said Fister, who will turn 80 later this year. “She was a fast mare. I would have to go back through the records, but I believe I only gave $1,300 for her at the Harrisburg sale. She was a real gutsy horse; she never quit.”

When the owner and breeder acquired Four Starzzzz Hope, the mare had four foals to her credit. Bred to The Panderosa once and Western Hanover for three consecutive years, the dam had not produced much when she passed through the sale ring. That would change after Fister brought her home to Kentucky.

“They had not really started producing too much,” Fister said. “She had a record of 1:52. She was a strong mare. One of the first horses I ever had was a mare called Ah So Bingo. She wasn’t a big mare, but she had a big rear end. That’s the reason I bought this mare. She wasn’t too big, but she had a big, strong rear end.”

After Fister purchased the mare, Carter Duer made a statement that served as a foreshadowing for the events to come.

“Carter and I are good friends,” Fister said. “I bought this horse and he walked down there and said, ‘Well, he probably bought the cheapest horse in the sale and she’ll probably end up being the best damn mare.’”

Once in Fister’s broodmare band, those early foals began to generate results on the track. The first foal, Four Starz Hand, made two starts and earned $375 in her abbreviated career. She was followed by geldings Four Starz Hold Em, p, 4, 1:50.2m ($114,135), 39 wins; Four Starz Trace, p, 5, 1:50.3f ($704,295), 32 wins; and Four Starzzz Z, p, 7, 1:50f ($310,053), 29 wins. The breeder had purchased Four Starzzzz Hope again in foal to The Panderosa. She foaled a filly that Fister named Podges Lady for his mother. She went on to bank $414,100 while taking a sophomore mark of 1:51.4. As a broodmare, she has five winners from six foals, with total earnings nearing $900,000.

“Podges Lady was so good, and Podge was so good,” Fister said. “They started breeding to Western Hanover before I had her and those were good horses. They became good horses after I bought her. It seemed like anything you bred to, she would do well.”

All told, Four Starzzzz Hope has produced 14 foals, with 13 starters and 12 winners. Besides Western Hanover and The Panderosa, she was bred to sires including Mach Three, Jenna’s Beach Boy, Ponder, Pet Rock, Always A Virgin, Big Bad John and Fear The Dragon. Combined, her offspring have earned more than $2.2 million. Fister has kept some mares from the dam and is again reaping the rewards from the next generation. Walstan’s Lady, an eight-time winner on the track, produced six-figure earners from her first three foals. Top Honors, an Always A Virgin mare, won last year’s $50,000 Kentucky Proud Series championship for sophomore pacing fillies for the team of Fister and Jerrell, driven by Elliott Deaton.

“I really liked Walstan’s Lady,” said the owner, who purchased his first horse in 1968. “She got a little injured, which is why I had to quit with her. She’s produced really well, too. I’m probably going to be one of those guys with four horses that are all sisters.”

In keeping with that theme, he has also retained Oh How Gracious, a Pet Rock mare with a 3-year-old mark of 1:55.4 on a five-eighths. Go Now is the first living foal from the dam, and in keeping with his affinity for the Western Hanover line, the filly is sired by Always A Virgin. He describes the young pacer as slick-gaited, sound and a good eater. Jerrell trains the filly and also serves as driver. He also campaigned Oh How Gracious for Fister.

“She’s been a really nice filly to work with all along,” Jerrell said. “She’s got a good attitude, good to work around, good-gaited from day one. I raced her mother. This filly probably has quite a bit more speed than her mother had.”

Go Now, owned by Walter S. Fister LLC, Walter M. Fister and Justin Fister, has contested each of the seven Kentucky fair stops this season, hitting the board each time out. The freshman has tallied four wins and leads the points heading into today’s contest. Her latest win one week ago produced her fastest mile to date, a 1:57.3 clocking at Lexington with Jerrell at the lines.

“She was in the better division this past Sunday and three of them left out of there real hard,” said the 61-year-old horseman. “I dropped in behind them and tipped her with cover going into the last turn, popped off the cover at the three-quarter pole and she got by them pretty handy. Her attitude is good in the barn, her attitude is good on the track. She’s easy to drive. She can race on the front end or out of a hole, either one.”

With $20,595 in seasonal earnings, Go Now looks to close out the fair season with a winning performance this afternoon. Ironically, she will compete against a filly from the same family. Tameudown, ranked third in points, is a Fear The Dragon freshman that is the last foal from Four Starzzzz Hope, making her a sister to Go Now’s dam. Jerrell trains and has guided her to two wins on the fair circuit.

“Tameudown will end up being the better horse, I think,” said Fister, who plans to add her to his broodmare band when she is done racing. “She’s grown a lot. Right now, she’s not the best horse. I think eventually she will be.”

Regardless of today’s outcome, Fister can be proud of the generational talent that Four Starzzzz Hope and her offspring continue to produce. His small investment has yielded incredible returns, and should for years to come.