by Rich Fisher, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — When Vicki Givens’ Legacy Racing of DE Inc. purchased Empress Deo for $12,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale’s Mixed Sale in Harrisburg in November, the horse had some moderate success but was still looking to prove herself.

According to trainer Wayne Givens — Vicki’s husband — the 4-year-old pacer is on her way to doing that.

“She just turned out to be something super,” Givens said. “The way things look right now, I’ve paid her up in some of the larger stakes, so we’ll see what happens.”

Empress Deo has won seven of 11 starts since joining Givens’ stable, including three of six this season. Her next race is Saturday’s $50,600 Burning Point Series final at the Meadowlands. She won each of her first two races in the series and is the 8-5 morning line favorite. Brett Miller will handle the driving, leaving from post five in the six-horse field.

The Ron Burke-trained entry of Donttellruss and Southwind Serenity is the 2-1 second choice and Tony Alagna’s Witch Dali, who won the Worldly Beauty Series in January, is 5-2 from post six.

Lisa photo

Empress Deo is the 8-5 morning line favorite in the Burning Point Series final.

For her career, Empress Deo has won eight of 18 races and earned $71,207, with half of her lifetime earnings coming this year.

In looking at horses at the Harrisburg sale, Empress Deo fit the description of the kind Givens was interested in. She was unraced at age 2 and won five of 12 races for $35,480 at age 3 while mostly under previous ownership.

“I was looking for something that hadn’t won very many races, I looked for a few in that category,” Givens said. “I checked her over and she checked in good, I thought the price was pretty good.”

Asked how he got her for that price, the trainer said, “She hadn’t raced that great, she did a mile in (1):57, but I think she only had seven starts when I got her. She’s been getting better every start now.”

Empress Deo is a daughter of Rocknroll Hanover out of the stakes-winning mare Little Miss K. Her family includes millionaires Royal Mattjesty and His Mattjesty, as well as stakes-winner Her Mattjesty.

Givens has the horse staked in pretty much all the Meadowlands races, and said next up will be the Artistic Vision Series in April at the Meadowlands.

“You’ve just got to hope things stay the same and she keeps going good,” Givens said. “So far, so good.

“I can’t say anything bad about her. She can race from ahead or coming from behind, but I think she’s best from behind.”

The Burning Point is part of a Meadowlands card that includes the finals of the $59,000 Sonsam Series for male pacers and the $49,000 Charles Singer Memorial for trotters, as well as the opening round of the Buddy Gilmour Series for 3-year-old male pacers.