by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — In her last five races for former owner and trainer Tom Harmer, Pertty Music’s best performance was a sixth place finish, but it appears all this mare required was a change of scenery as she only failed to hit the board once in her first 12 appearances for new trainer and now owner Ed Hensley.

“Tom and I are friends and he wasn’t doing that well with her and asked me if I would try her,” Hensley said. “She fit into my program and has done really well for us. She is all class and I was very fortunate I received the opportunity to buy her.”

Hensley has trained the mare since the end of July and purchased her from Harmer on Nov. 5.

A daughter of Jerome’s Jet and the Party At Artsplace mare My Metallica, Pertty Music will seek her fourth consecutive win on Monday (Dec. 8) when she leaves from post six in the first race at Pompano Park. Hensley will be at the lines in the $12,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap and the mare is the morning line favorite at 3-5.

Skip Smith photo

Pertty Music made it three in a row in the Open Pace for mares on Dec. 1 at Pompano, covering the mile in a lifetime best 1:50.2.

Pertty Music is a full sister to Lucky Jet p,3,1:50.1f ($302,395) and her dam made just under $290,000 during her racing days. One of her victories was the 2005 Orange and Blue final as a 2-year old.

“She is just a beautiful horse,” Hensley said. “She’s nearly black and is built like a stud. She also has excellent manners and is great to be around in the barn.”

For her career, Pertty Music has paced 60 pari-mutuel miles with a record of 14-8-13 and lifetime earnings of $209,647. She established her lifetime mark of 1:50.2 in her most recent start on Dec. 1 at Pompano Park.

As a freshman she was in Gregg McNair’s barn and competed in Canada for all but two of her first 10 starts. Last year she remained in McNair’s barn until she returned to the States and Tom Harmer in the fall. She collected $121,361 from 24 engagements with a record of 6-3-4. One of those triumphs was in the $73,000 Cinderella Stake at Maywood Park and she was sixth in the $161,000 American-National Stake behind Charisma Hanover and I Luv The Nitelife.

This season she started off by earning checks in nine straight starts, but as the summer went on, Pertty Music began to struggle and did not regain her form until her first start for Hensley, at Hoosier Park on August 1.

Since adapting to her new environment, she has been a model of consistency with six wins, three seconds and two thirds. Pompano Park really seems to suit her, as she is unbeaten in three starts in the Sunshine State.

“She has been on quite a tear ever since we got her,” Hensley said. “The best she has ever been was last week. She did it well within herself and I didn’t even realize we were just a couple ticks off the track record. Track records don’t mean all that much as far as the time, it’s how they do it and she was just unbelievable last week.”

The plan for Pertty Music is to remain in Florida for the winter and then return to the Hoosier State to compete in the spring.

“I’ll probably give her a little break before heading back to Hoosier Park with her,” Hensley said. “She is just an incredibly classy horse and I feel very, very fortunate for purchasing her.”