by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent
Louisville, KY — She only competed in one qualifying race during her freshman year, but it wasn’t because 3-year-old Will Panout was unprepared to step onto the track; in fact her lack of racing can be blamed on her owners.
“She was sent to me last October and she trained down real good last year,” explained Jim Arledge, Jr., the filly’s conditioner. “She was doing very well, but her owner forgot to make the Indiana Sire Stakes payments on her, so we just put her away to point for this year.”
The daughter of Panspacificflight-Wilfully Dunnrite, who is owned by Indy Lane Stables, has paced 10 miles this year with seven victories, one second place finish and two thirds. Will Panout has amassed $58,660 in purse money and a lifetime mark of 1:54.2s while racing primarily at The Meadows and Hoosier Park. She is the fourth foal her dam has produced and to date, is the only one of her mother’s progeny to win a race.
The filly captured her first three lifetime starts in non-winners events at the Meadows and finished third in her fourth start before being sent to Hoosier Park. Her last outing was a victory in a $40,000 Indiana Sire Stakes race on May 6.
“I didn’t know how talented she was, but I knew she was nice, big, strong filly and I thought she could be very good,” Arledge, who is a resident of Orient, Ohio, said. “We put her in some maidens at The Meadows and she raced really well, so I thought maybe she would be a nice Indiana horse. That’s why we raced her over there a few times for experience and now we are waiting for the Sire Stakes.”
Her trainer thinks there are two reasons Will Panout will enjoy a successful racing career.
“She’s big and strong and you can do anything with her,” Arledge said. “She doesn’t even look like a filly and I think that’s what makes her so durable. She also has a real good attitude.”
Although she minds her manners on the racetrack, the filly has a mind of her own and likes her own way at times, but it isn’t anything Arledge hasn’t come across before.
“She’s a little bit of a tough filly,” the 53-year-old with more than $18 million in lifetime training earnings, said. “She has her quirks to her, but most fillies that are good are that way.”
Will Panout will remain on the Indiana circuit throughout this year and there are no real plans to try her elsewhere.
“She will only be in the Indiana Sire Stakes,” Arledge said. “I think she might be in the Circle City and a couple stakes at Indiana Downs, but not anywhere else. I’m not sure how she’ll go, but it does seem like she’s a good one you can do just about anything with. You can race her any way you want to.”