Mare ‘Puts On A Show’ In ‘Liberty’ Final

Put On A Show caught the field late to win the $253,700 Lady Liberty Final on Saturday, August 4. Rebeka Bayama was second and Anndrovette was third.

Put On A Show got away behind the leader Anndrovette at the quarter pole. Rocklamation was in third and the even money favorite Drop The Ball was pacing fourth. Drop The Ball made the first move, going first over after Anndrovette, supplying a :53.2 half mile.

Into the far turn, Anndrovette still had the lead, with Drop The Ball to the outside in second and Rebeka Bayama pacing behind Drop The Ball in third. Anndrovette paced by three-quarters in 1:20.3.

Into the stretch, Anndrovette was holding off the pressure from Drop The Ball. Rebeka Bayama came three wide and Rocklamation flew off the pylons to the middle of the track. Put On A Show was looking for room to race in the final sixteenth. At the line, Put On A Show came up the pylons to defeat a closing Rebeka Bayama and game Anndrovette.

Put On A Show is a five-year-old mare by Rocknroll Hanover out of the mare Stienam’s Place by Artsplace. She is owned by Craig Henderson and Richard and Joanne Young, trained by Chris Ryder and Jody Jamieson was in the bike to win in 1:47.3, a world record performance. 

Higher And Higher Recovers to Win Round Two of Overbid

Higher And Higher rebounded after two losing efforts to upset in the second leg of the Overbid. Tea Party Princess was second, Put On A Show was third and Rocklamation finished fourth.

Put On A Show left for the lead, with Chancey Lady in second and Ginger And Fred sat third. Put On A Show went by the quarter in :27.2. Tea Party Princess came first over from fifth at the three-eighths and cleared the front before the half. Put On A Show sat second and Chancey Lady came first over. Tea Party Princess lead at the half in :56.4 (:29.2).

Into the far turn, Chancey Lady challenged Tea Party Princess. Put On A Show was getting a pocket trip in third and Rocklamation was second over in fourth. Tea Party Princess controlled at three-quarters in 1:25.3 (:28.4).

Higher And Higher winning in 1:52.1

Tea Party Princess was losing momentum at the top of the stretch. Rocklamation fanned three wide and Royal Cee Cee N and Anndrovette were closing from the back with Higher And Higher. Put On A Show was riding the pylons to get past the leader. Heading down to the wire, it was a six horse lunge to the wire, but Higher And Higher shot like a cannon in the final sixteenth. She won by about 2 lengths at the wire. Tea Party Princess finished second, Put On A Show was third and Rocklamation finished fourth.

Higher And Higher is a five-year-old mare by Western Terror out of the mare Pro Bowl Best by Cambest. She is owned by Daryl Bier, Glenn Del Russo and Charles Dombeck and was trained and driven by Daryl Bier.

The Presence of a Blossoming Superstar: Charlie De Vie

Chris Ryder & Tim Tetrick with Charlie De Vie

The Hambletonian was not in the thoughts of Chris Ryder until Charlie De Vie came into the picture. Charlie De Vie has a record of seven wins in 12 starts with earnings of $231,947. In this exclusive, I talked to Chris Ryder at the Harrisburg Sale about Charlie De Vie. I also got to talk to him about Put On A Show.

When Ryder and I went to the table and I asked him about Charlie De Vie, he told me it is a story. “He came down with EPM (Equine Protozoal Encephalytis)” Chris Ryder said. For those of you who don’t know, EPM is a condition that affects the brain of a horse and what it controls. It mostly affects his muscle control.

“He always broke from EPM,” Ryder said. Note that Chris did not know at this time Charlie De Vie had EPM.

Charlie De Vie in one of his biggest romps

“I pulled his hind shoes in the Hambletonian elimination and it didn’t work. I put hopples on him and he won three straight. He went and won in the Colonial at Chester, the $200,000 one. He went and won at Tioga, in the Zweig, in 1:53.2 and Broad Bahn went in 1:55.” Ryder stated.

“Then, he broke in the Canadian Trotting Classic elimination, he wasn’t training right. It turned out that it was EPM,” Chris said.

Although Charlie De Vie came down with such a harsh condition, he is expected to make a full recovery. “He won’t return until he is 100%. We are anticipating a comeback at four,” Ryder told me.

With Charlie De Vie coming back at four, I asked Chris how that campaign would look. “The recovery will take six to eight months. He should come back stronger and bigger by then. We will race him lightly at four. His four-year-old season will help him get back into one piece,” Ryder stated.

Put On A Show winning the Breeders Crown in 2010

After a magnificent three-year-old campaign, the world awaited the return of Ryder’s champion filly pacer Put On A Show. But her return was halted in early May. She had to get a bone chip removed in her knee and was expected to return in September.

“She had surgery and the recovery is taking longer than expected,” Chris said. “She will return at five and we are aiming for her first start to be the Overbid, at the Meadowlands,” he added.