by Charlene Sharpe, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Charlene Sharpe

Seaford, DE — In the summer of 2014, I’m Sid The Kid was a $17,500 claimer at the top of his game. Six barn changes in as many months, however, took their toll, and the pacer’s 1:51.4 win on July 18 at the Meadows would be his last for quite some time.

I’m Sid The Kid ended a two-year winless streak with a 1:56.4 victory at Ocean Downs June 19 in just his third start for trainer Danielle Dailey.

“He just needed some TLC,” said Dailey, a trainer from Jackson, N.J.

I’m Sid The Kid has won eight races in his career, with lifetime earnings of $100,838.

Dailey purchased I’m Sid The Kid (Mach Three-Babyremembermyname) at the end of May after being approached by friend and fellow trainer Chris Marino. He told her he had a pacer that needed a cheaper track. After being assured that the horse was sound, Dailey purchased I’m Sid The Kid for $2,500 — roughly the earnings he had on his card for the year.

After earning $35,517 in 2014 with four wins, four seconds and five thirds, I’m Sid The Kid failed to find the winner’s circle in 2015, while making just $12,140. Prior to his move to Dailey’s barn, he’d hit the board just once this year in 13 starts.

“He was racing at Saratoga and Pocono and he just wasn’t getting the job done,” Dailey said.

She got the gelding to her barn in New Jersey and wasted no time in turning him out with a handful of other horses. On the advice of her blacksmith, she also added pads to the pacer’s shoes.

In his first start for her at Monticello Raceway, I’m Sid The Kid put in a respectable performance, closing to finish fourth in a conditioned race.

Convinced that the horse was happy with his new pasturemates and benefiting from the shoeing change, Dailey went to his race replays to see if there was anything else she could do for the 7-year-old.

“When he was winning all they kept doing was sending him,” she said. “He wants to be on the front.”

And that’s exactly what she told driver Justin Vincent when the gelding shipped south for his first start at Ocean Downs on June 13. Vincent took her advice. I’m Sid The Kid led the field of pacers for most of the mile, only to get beat by a neck at the wire by Rock The Official.

Vincent told her it wasn’t because her horse got tired.

Charlene Sharpe photos

Danielle Dailey (left) and her mother Doreen Dailey get I’m Sid The Kid ready to race this past Sunday night.

“I had a hood with full cups on him and he couldn’t see the other horse,” she said.

She took it off the following week and sure enough, I’m Sid The Kid put in a convincing front-end performance, winning by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:56.4. The June 19 win pushed him over $100,000 in lifetime earnings.

He followed his victory with a fourth place finish Sunday (June 26) in the next class up.

“He’s really a nice horse,” Dailey said. “He doesn’t do anything wrong.”

She believes he’s benefited from the move to her relatively small 10-horse stable.

“He’s been moved from big barn to big barn,” she said. “He was lost. At my barn they’re always getting one on one attention.”

She’s hopeful the pacer’s recent success will continue through the summer at Ocean Downs. He certainly knows he’s a winner again.

“He’s been a totally different horse since he won,” she said. “He’s grabbing on and feeling good.”