by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — For Ralph Andersen, she is one of the horses he has most enjoyed conditioning, as Fox Valley Sage’s intelligence still amuses and astonishes him after five years together.

“I have probably had more fun training her than any other horse,” explained the 64-year-old Norfolk, Mass., resident. “She is so smart that she tells me what she is going to do. I jog her with a little overcheck and open bridle and she seldom goes more than four miles, but when she thinks she’s gone far enough, she will switch into a dead run and stay that way through the entire turn. If I think she needs to go further, I’ll tell her to go around one more time and she’ll start the mile off real quick, then run harder to let me know she wants to go home now. She’s a character.”

Andersen became the trainer for Fox Valley Sage after she was purchased at the 2007 Tattersalls January Mixed Sale for $14,000. The now 8-year-old daughter of Richess Hanover and the Cam’s Card Shark mare Pink Cadillac is owned by Stephen Farrell, Jr. Fox Valley Sage has faced the starter on 160 occasions with 30 triumphs, 36 seconds, 26 thirds and $436,449 in purse money.

Tom Berg photo

Fox Valley Sage has banked $436,449 in her career.

She earned $22,389 from 20 sophomore starts, $56,965 from 25 miles as a 4-year-old while establishing her lifetime mark of 1:52z, and $56,043 from 29 trips to the post at age 5. In her 6-year-old season, the mare collected $81,785 from 34 pari-mutuel competitions and last year, at age 7, she came close to doubling her then career bankroll of $225,884 with $171,675 from 37 starts.

This year, she has already banked $38,890 from four starts with two victories and a second. She is scheduled to perform on Friday night (Feb. 24), in a $33,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap at Yonkers Raceway from post position four in the sixth race on the card.

“She had made almost $9,000 at two,” Andersen remembered. “She showed good last quarters, I loved her conformation and her mark was 2:00.1. She looked like a young horse that had potential.

“I’ve been just thrilled with her,” he continued. “She’s such a smart mare with such a great personality, who obviously likes to race. Cat Manzi (her regular pilot) said he wished there were more horses like her to drive because she helps you do what you want to with her.”

Fox Valley Sage has always been a reliable, steadfast horse, but it seems over the last 12 months she has really discovered her best stride.

“If you would have asked me a year ago, I probably would have said we will race her one more year and then breed her, but last year was the best of her life,” Andersen said. “When I started racing her at Yonkers she earned $80,000 and last year she earned $171,000, so it’s hard to stop with one that is at the peak of her career and the best she’s been in her life.

“She likes the long stretch at Yonkers,” he continued. “She can get herself into position and doesn’t care if she gets carried out in the passing lane. As long as she’s within a couple of lengths, she is very competitive.”

There are two potential contributors that enabled the mare to find her best form.

“I’m lucky enough to be at a farm in Plainville, Mass., which is Ralston Farm,” Andersen said. “Her owner feeds her breakfast every day at 4:30 a.m. and then puts her out in the center field, so she has that to herself for at least two hours and it keeps her sweet.

“She’s actually never had any major problems and her vet bill has always been low, but she did have spells where she was a little hikey behind,” he continued. “We did some different things with her, but since last March or April, she all of a sudden became sounder. She’s eight right now and the soundest she’s ever been. It’s really incredible and so is she.”

Her connections intend to keep Fox Valley Sage within the same level of competition, but their immediate goal is shortly after St. Patrick’s Day.

“They have the Blue Chip (Matchmaker) Series starting on March 23 at Yonkers and she is in that,” Andersen said. “We go for five weeks for $40,000 and the final is $125,000 so we are hoping she is competitive in there and if not, we’ll just go back to the Opens.”