by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — Before he ever signed a check, Staffan Lind was impressed with how Fico moved and thought he was a horse with an exceptionally bright future.

“I saw him before the sale,” he said. “He was very athletic in the field and he looked like a horse that could go all the way.”

Lind followed that gut feeling and the son of Credit Winner and Motivational, a Muscles Yankee mare that earned $302,128, entered his shed row after the gavel dropped at $155,000 at the 2011 Standardbred Horse Sale.

Bred by Kathleen La Montagne, who also owns and trained his dam, as well as his half-brother Carnegie (Conway Hall, 4,1:55.1f, $350,271), Fico is now owned by Bender Sweden Inc.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Fico enters the Yonkers Trot final with $27,125 in career earnings.

Since Lind was confident in the colt’s ability, he only raced twice as a 2-year-old. He was second in an $11,000 non-winners race on July 19, 2012, at the Meadowlands and then sixth in his $20,000 Peter Haughton Memorial elimination on July 27 before being kicked out into the field the rest of the year.

“In the Haughton, he actually got boxed in so he didn’t have racing room until late or else he probably would have made the final,” Lind said. “But it was probably for the best because about a week after that we found a small swelling on his right front tendon and since we liked him so much we decided not to take any chances, so we just shut him down for the year. He has recovered completely from that, so it is not an issue anymore.”

Fico returned to the races this year on May 14 and broke his maiden in a $13,000 non-winners event at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. Subsequently, he was fifth in a $12,500 non-winners at the Meadowlands on May 24, fourth in his $12,500 Empire Breeders Classic elimination and seventh in the $259,900 final at Vernon Downs on June 9 after leaving from the eight hole.

The colt was then second in his $25,000 Earl Beal elimination to Smilin Eli on June 22 at Pocono and sixth in the $500,000 final on June 29.

His next assignment yielded a sixth place finish in the $294,000 Stanley Dancer on July 13 and Fico followed up with what could be his breakout race in his $40,000 Yonkers Trot elimination on July 20.

Mike Lizzi photo

Fico (#5) was second by a nose to Dontyouforgetit in their Yonkers Trot elimination.

After being locked in during the stretch drive, the leader, Detour Hanover, broke stride, paving the way for Dontyouforgetit and Fico to contest who hit the wire first. Dontyouforgetit got there by a nose, but Fico came charging on the outside to just barely miss by the scantest of noses.

He will have another chance to compete against that rival when he leaves from the pole in the $450,000 Yonkers Trot final this Saturday (July 27) in what is carded as race seven.

“I was happy with how he raced,” Lind said. “He is very handy in a race, especially for such a big horse, and can actually leave the gate faster than most, so we didn’t use him behind the gate. It looked like if he had a couple more steps he would have been first, but I’m pleased with how he has developed and I hope it continues for the final.”

The colt is eligible for all the major stakes races remaining on the calendar, but Lind is taking a wait and see approach because he wants a top older trotter in the years to come.

“If they don’t compete consistently as a 2-year-old you don’t know how they are going to be so we kind of take one race at a time,” he said. “If he races well (in the Yonkers Trot) we may try the Hambletonian or we may not. If you go to the Hambletonian you have to think you are going to do well, if not it’s a waste of time and money.

“Hopefully he is going to be something that we will continue with as an aged horse.”

Below is the field for the Yonkers Trot final.

$450,000 Yonkers Trot Final
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-Fico-Jason Bartlett-Staffan Lind
2-Dewycolorintheline-Ray Schnittker-Ray Schnittker
3-Celebrity Stimulus-Tom Jackson-Susanne Strandqvist
4-Dontyouforgetit-Brian Sears-Jimmy Takter
5-Boffin-Charlie Norris-Charlie Norris
6-Creampuff Macdaddy-Jason Bartlett-Bradley Maxwell
7-Lauderdale-George Brennan-Jonas Czernyson
8-Cantab Abs-Trond Smedshammer-Trond Smedshammer