by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

“I broke her and have had her from Day One,” he said. “She always had a lot of talent, but not the best attitude. She’s just one of those Feelin Friskie mares and they seem to have poor attitudes for their job.”

Bred and co-owned by Jerry Zosel and Kathy Ratcliff, who were later joined in their partnership by the Daileys in May 2012, Igottafeelinfran is from the second crop of Feelin Friskie, the second place finisher in the 2006 North America Cup, and is the first foal from the Expensive Scooter mare Fran Anna.

The 3-year-old filly has been a model of consistency throughout her career with a slate of 22-8-7-5, a mark of 1:53.3f and $160,370 in the bank. She has competed primarily within the confines of the Buckeye State except for some occasional forays to Hoosier Park.

JJ Zamaiko photo

Igottafeelinfran has only missed one check in her 22 career starts.

Igottafeelinfran has captured three of her last four starts, with the other start resulting in a dead heat for second with an official clocking of 1:52.1 in a $20,000 Filly and Mare Open at Scioto Downs on July 26.

Her next contest will be the $150,000 Ohio Sire Stakes final at Scioto Downs on Saturday (Sept. 7). The filly will leave from post six with her regular pilot, Dan Noble, at the lines and will vie for favoritism with the points leader in her division, Pink Camo. Igottafeelinfran is right behind her though and these two young ladies are far ahead of their colleagues.

“She is going to be competitive,” Dailey said. “There are a couple of nice fillies in there, but we are going there to race her. She seems to be in good spirits, but I am a little worried because everybody seems to be having a little sickness now and I’ve had a little bit of it, too. If everybody is healthy, I’m not afraid to race anybody.”

In her first year of racing, Igottafeelinfran accumulated $64,800 with a record of 9-4-2-3. She was third in the $100,000 Ohio Sire Stakes final for her age, gender and gait on Sept. 8, 2012, but came back the following week to defeat the two fillies, Pink Camo and Cating Around, who hit the wire in front of her that night, in a $28,000 Ohio Breeders Championship on Sept. 16 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. That victory closed out her 2-year-old season.

She returned this year with a fourth in an $18,000 Open at Hoosier Park on April 5 and it took seven more starts for her to reach the winner’s circle again in a $10,000 conditioned race at Scioto Downs on June 14, but she was second four times and third twice.

Igottafeelinfran, who is the top earner for her sire, has only missed earnng a check on one occasion from her 22 race miles. That was a sixth in a $17,500 Open at Scioto Downs on June 28.

While Igottafeelinfran has been moving smoothly through her season, her conditioner hasn’t exactly had the easiest last couple months after a mishap during a training session.

“I dislocated my hip and then had something like five cracks in the socket, but I’m pretty good now,” he said. “That happened about eight or nine weeks ago, but I have a great crew, I don’t think I have anyone that hasn’t worked for me at least eight years, and one of my brothers is my second trainer so we got through it.

“I’m very fortunate with the crew I have and some of them have worked for me for 20 years now. You have to have guys you can trust with how you operate. You just try to treat them the best you can and hope it works out.”

After Igottafeelinfran has completed her weekend engagement, the filly will return to the Delaware County Fairgrounds, similar to last season, before traveling to Hoosier Park once again for the final start of her sophomore campaign.

“She has been great on any size track and can do it from anywhere, although I think she prefers to chase them down,” Dailey said. “With her it doesn’t make a difference. We’ll race her at Delaware and then go to the Circle City for 3-year-old fillies at Hoosier. Then I will just shut her down if I don’t sell her.

“I normally sell all my 3-year-olds, but I do have partners, so it depends on what everybody wants to do with her.”