by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — Like any conditioner of a talented 2-year-old pacing filly that has an outstanding chance to capture the lucrative $260,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stake final, Joann Looney-King is over the moon, but there is another extra special reason Looney-King can barely wait until Sunday (Sept. 15) to see her charge Tyra perform at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

“I am so glad the race is on the 15th and really looking forward to it,” she said. “On the 18th I have to have a kidney removed, so I’m anxious to have that done so I can get back to the barn with my husband Jim and my horses. It’s just something I have to have done, but I’m so happy the race falls on that day, because I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it for the whole world.”

Owned by CC Racing LLC, Tyra, a daughter of McArdle and the unraced Abercrombie mare Pernilla, is her dam’s sixth foal and she is a half-sister to Cat Cora (Jenna’s Beach Boy p,1.50.2f, $229,740) and Perec (Badlands Hanover p,3,1:54.3h, $71,629). Every one of Pernilla’s offspring has been in the winner’s circle at least one time.

Racehorsephoto.com photo

Tyra has won five of her six lifetime starts with earnings of $144,929.

This particular daughter will leave from post six on the above mentioned afternoon at about 3:20 p.m. in what is the ninth race on the card. Her regular pilot, Tim Tetrick, will be holding the lines and Tyra is 4-1 on the morning line. Only Gallie Bythe Beach, the second place finisher in the Aug. 31 She’s A Great Lady final, has accumulated a larger bankroll and is the early favorite at 7-5. She’ll start this contest from the rail.

Tyra was broken in Illinois by Tim Tetrick’s brother and father before shipping to Looney-King and her husband Jim this spring. Before she ever arrived in their barn, the Kings heard a lot of positive things about the filly and continued to check on her regularly because they owned part of a colt she was training down with.

“She always seemed to be the star of the show,” Looney-King said. “They were always so high on Tyra and when she got here we could see why.”

The filly won her first qualifying race on June 18 at Harrah’s Philadelphia in 1:59.4 and came home her last quarter in :26.4. She debuted a winner over the same surface on July 3 in a $13,000 non-winners contest before defeating sire stakes company at the same venue on July 12 in a $57,227 event.

Her next engagement produced a third place finish at The Meadows on July 20 in an $86,845 Pennsylvania Sire Stake, but she rebounded with another victory against the same company at Pocono Downs on Aug. 7. Tyra then returned to The Meadows on Aug. 16 for another triumph against her Keystone colleagues and most recently triumphed in a $42,812 Historic-Debutante contest at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Aug. 30.

For all but one of Tyra’s starts, Tim Tetrick has been in the bike. Her career line stands at 6-5-0-1 with earnings of $144,929 and a mark of 1:52.3f.

“We just knew she was special,” Looney-King said. “Then she qualified and baby raced. She is so pleasant to be around and from Day One just knew what she was supposed to do. She doesn’t ever get nervous. She’s like an old horse in a young horse’s body. She is so intelligent and just a wonderful horse. Of course she is clean-gaited and the only reason she wears tendon boots is because I’m a nervous nelly. I know anything can happen on the track, but you can work on a knee and not a tendon. I insist on her wearing those.”

Anyone in this business knows it’s difficult to stay perfect, but Tyra has come remarkably close.

“She didn’t seem to be herself that night at The Meadows (when she was third and left from the outside post),” Looney-King said. “It was a long trip and it was really hot out that night. Brian (Sears) drove her and Tim had talked to Brian about her that night. She wasn’t really at her best, but she still raced well, so we brought her home and after a few days out she was fine.”

After Tyra’s performance in the PASS final, Looney-King is not sure whether she will make another appearance in the Keystone Classic later on this year.

“When we get through this race, we will see where we are and go from there,” she said. “She is the best 2-year-old we have ever had and probably the best horse we have ever had.

“My husband and I basically run a claiming stable and we don’t have 2-year-olds, let alone anything like her. We just train her and Tim calls all the shots on her. We are so grateful, as it is a real thrill for my husband. We love everything about her because she is just a wonderful horse.”

Below is the field for Sunday’s PASS final for 2-year-old pacing fillies at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship-2-year-old-filly pace
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Line
1-Gallie Bythe Beach-John Campbell-Jim Campbell-7-5
2-One Jazzy Lady-Andy Miller-Todd La Fountaine-10-1
3-Also Encouraging-David Miller-Casie Coleman-6-1
4-Southwind Silence-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke-8-1
5-Talkative-Marcus Miller-Erv Miller-12-1
6-Tyra-Tim Tetrick-Joann Looney-King-4-1
7-Beach Body-Ron Pierce-Chris Oakes-6-1
8-Sister Stroll-Yannick Gingras-Brian Brown-15-1