by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — His owners didn’t even bother to turn on the lights when they checked him out in the field at the 2012 Lexington Selected Sale, but Chris Ryder and Robert Mondillo have to be pretty pleased with how their evening foray happened to turn out.

“Bob Mondillo knew the horse’s breeder (Way To Win Farms) so I thought we should go over and take a look at him,” said Ryder. “It was dark out and sale was almost over, but he looked good enough. Sometimes that’s not a bad way to buy a horse and it wasn’t like he wasn’t under the lights once he stepped into the ring. He was a little small then, but he’s grown up and we are quite pleased with him. Especially after (Sunday) night.”

What Ryder was referring to was Well Built’s triumph in his $27,775 Matron elimination on Sunday (Nov. 10) at Dover Downs. The son of Muscle Hill is the first foal out of the Ken Warkentin mare Working Girl, who only won one race in her short nine mile career, but was conditioned by Hall of Famer Jimmy Takter. Her dam, Poster Princess by Pine Chip, has been no slouch in the breeding shed and produced Prince Rocco (SJ’s Photo, 1:56.3f, $159,910) and Poster Pin Up (Andover Hall, 3,1:55.4f, $439,454).

Fotowon photo

Well Built enters the Matron final on a three race winning streak.

Naturally, Well Built will make his next start this coming Sunday (Nov. 17) in the $166,650 Matron final. He will leave from post six and will be steered by Jim Meittinis in the eight horse field. The colt captured Sunday night’s contest after Don Dorado, who was leading in the stretch, went on a break, but Well Built trotted home with a last quarter of :29.2 and stopped the clock in 1:55.2, which was a new lifetime best.

He will have to contend with Don Dorado, the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes victor, and Nuncio, the only horse to defeat Father Patrick, but Well Built seems to be coming to hand at the right time.

“He always trained down well, but was just a little anxious early on,” Ryder said. “He just needed to learn what to do out there and now he’s perfectly fine.”

Well Built made his first start on June 28 in a $20,500 New Jersey Sire Stakes race. He was second to Southwind Spirit in that race and second again to Hill I Am under the same conditions the following week. After leaving from post position nine in the $150,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes final on July 13, he was seventh.

Well Built then finished fifth in his Peter Haughton elimination on July 26 and 10th in the $280,500 final.

The colt qualified twice after the Haughton and then traveled to Canada for an $86,004 Champlain Stakes contest where he jumped it off in the stretch. But after that miscue, Well Built has really seemed to find his best stride. He was second in the $66,500 Harold Dancer at Freehold Raceway on Sept. 27 to his stablemate Muscle On In, and then broke his maiden at Vernon Downs on Oct. 19 in a non-winners race.

Well Built won his second race in a $14,396 division of the Simpson over the same oval on Nov. 1 and then picked up his third triumph in a row on Sunday night. His record stands at 10-3-3-0 and he has collected $50,785 in purse money.

“He was small, but he has really grown,” Ryder said. “He’s nice and tall, but still kind of lanky and needs to grow into himself, but he’s doing really well.

“After this race we plan on going to the Valley Victory and then see how he is doing from there.”

As for next year, his owners haven’t figured out how they will stake him, but odds are he will be eligible to every big dance.

“As long as he’s doing well, why not?” Ryder said. “We will let him tell us what to do but I’m pretty sure that will be the plan with him after the winter is over.”

Below is the field for the $166,650 Matron 2-year-old male trot final.

PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-Don Dorado-Tim Tetrick-Robert Baggitt, Jr.
2-Karets-Jason Bartlett-Paul Reid
3-Another Transcript-Corey Callahan-Jerry Silverman
4-Nuncio-John Campbell-Scott Andrews
5-Skates N Plates-Simon Allard-Paul Reid
6-Well Built-Jim Meittinis-Chris Ryder
7-Another Depostion-Yannick Gingras-Jerry Silverman
8-It Really Matters-Ron Pierce-Therese Lindgren