Pricey Upgrade is paying off for Bax, Libfeld and Grant

by Matthew Lomon

Arriving at Matt Bax’s stable as a $300,000 yearling sale purchase by Al Libfeld and Bradley Grant, Upgrade clearly had the hardware to match her hefty price tag.

It was also evident that the striking black filly’s software still needed some fine-tuning.

“She’s a great looker, and that’s why she was so expensive as a yearling,” Bax said. “But, as we found out last year, maturity-wise, she wasn’t quite there yet.”

While not displaying anything out of the ordinary for a neophyte racehorse, Bax and Co. recognized early on that Upgrade’s first professional season was bound to be a developmental one.

The daughter of Green Manalishi S—Uptown Classic made eight starts during her debut campaign, seven of which came in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots division.

With just one second and one third to show for it, Upgrade’s first taste of the Ontario tour didn’t pop from a results perspective.

Bax, though, wasn’t discouraged.

“She definitely showed flashes of talent, but she was such a big, regal mare, and her body didn’t seem to fill out,” he said. “She was just a little too gangly at 2 and wasn’t able to put the power on the track.”

The plan was never to expedite Upgrade’s development; like her, it simply needed time.

“Fortunately, the owners [Libfeld and Grant] were patient with her; their patience has gone a long way,” Bax said.

“This year, her body has caught up to her and she’s kept progressing well throughout the year. Sometimes, that happens where it takes them a year before they can put it all together.”

After a winless rookie season, Upgrade has been operating at a different level as a 3-year-old in 2026.

The transformed trotter has already recorded six wins to go along with a second and five thirds from 16 starts, good for more than $99,000 in total purses.

Upgrade has emerged as a considerable force in her second go-round at the Grassroots level, collecting five wins from five starts across Flamboro Downs, Hanover Raceway, and Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Of the commanding quartet of victories, Bax identified the 2¼-length triumph on May 17 at Flamboro as the springboard for Upgrade’s ascent.

“That one was probably the most impressive,” he said. “She won there, and that felt like the tipping point. The owners were wondering if she was going to turn it around or not, so that win there was huge, and then she just kept on rolling from there.”

Upgrade immediately followed up with a 4¼-length decision on May 28, also at Flamboro, before jumping back into Grassroots competition in mid-June at Mohawk, where she powered to a 2¼-length score.

The standout sophomore remained in top form during her July 11 stop at Hanover (one-length win) and her second Grassroots victory at Mohawk on August 9 (1½ lengths).

In the right place physically, mentally, and competitively, Upgrade had finally found her rhythm.

“With some of these horses, when they get a little bit of confidence, I find that goes a long way with them,” Bax said. “She’s very confident on the Grassroots. Of course, we had thoughts of possibly stepping her up to the Gold, but she’s comfortable where she is, and being confident at the top echelon there. I think where we are is the best spot for her.”

Even when all is well and good, the mind still does wander.

“The dream was always to be a Gold horse, so that she could maybe start paying off some of her purchase price,” Bax said with a laugh. “But we’re chipping away at it.”

One of the central characters supporting Upgrade’s upgrade has been driver Todd Ratchford.

The 2024 O’Brien Future Star Award recipient and Breeders Crown-winning reinsman was in the race bike for Upgrade’s professional debut and all six of her wins.

That familiarity between horse and driver — Ratchford has held the reins in 19 of Upgrade’s 24 career starts — has been instrumental to the latter’s continued development.

“Every driver has their niche or the type of horse they get along with the best,” Bax said. “I feel like Todd knows her. He’s been with her through both years of her career, and he helps me out at the farm and sees her a lot when they’re not racing. So, knowing the horse and having that time together on and off the track definitely helps quite a bit.”

With each remaining Grassroots leg more meaningful than the last, Bax is pleased with where Upgrade stands leading into the home stretch and $100,000 final on Oct. 3 at Mohawk.

“Overall, I’m pretty happy with where we are right now,” he said. “She gets a little faster each time, and that’s mostly all I’m looking for right now. I feel like she’s heading into the end of the season, hopefully, peaking at the right time for the final.”

But the conditioner, who has excelled by playing the long game with Upgrade, is still committed to taking things one day at a time.

“She’s heading in the right direction, and now you want to just stay the course,” Bax said. “If she stays strong and confident, she should be good.”