by Charlene Sharpe, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Charlene Sharpe

Salisbury, MD — While a few white feet and a bright red coat might have been enough to scare off a bidder at a horse sale 50 years ago, most of today’s buyers are not as concerned with color.

Maryland horseman Walt Bozman certainly wasn’t — or at least not in a negative way — when he purchased the young trotter Brickhouse Rosey. The chestnut daughter of So Striking and Confederate Rose is an eye catcher, with a flaxen mane and three white socks.

“I was looking for a young horse,” Bozman said, “and my wife saw her and said how pretty she was.”

All it took was a bid to get her, as the filly brought just $600 at the December Chick’s Harness Horse Sale in Harrington.

“We saved her from the Amish truck I guess,” said Bozman, who now owns her with his wife Debbie.

Charlene Sharpe photo

Brickhouse Rosey has earned $36,000 in just three lifetime starts.

Brickhouse Rosey, who turned three in 2011, did not race as a 2-year-old. Although unsure of what he had purchased, Bozman was impressed with the trotter the first time he jogged her, noting that her only fault seemed to be a bit of minor interference. With a small shoeing change and the addition of trotting hopples, he deemed Rosey ready for a trip to the track.

He brought her to Dover Downs in March for a schooling mile and asked driver Tony Morgan to go a mile in 2:15.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Bozman said.

Needless to say he was pleasantly surprised when the mare not only behaved behind the gate but was timed trotting a mile in 2:06.

She had just enough time for a couple qualifying miles before the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund races began on March 30. Although she went offstride in the initial leg, Brickhouse Rosey came back strong the following week, picking up $10,000 when she came easily from behind to win in 2:03.2 for driver George Dennis. Watching the race, Bozman said he was just hoping she’d do well enough to make the final.

“Next thing I knew she’s three deep looping the field,” he said.

Fotowon photo

Brickhouse Rosey broke her maiden with a DSBF win on April 6.

In the April 13 $100,000 DSBF final, Brickhouse Rosey got off fifth but was working her way up by the three-quarter pole, getting up to finish second to Nanticoke Racing and Jim Morand’s Overnight Command. The runner-up finish brings the trotter’s earnings to $36,000 in three lifetime starts. She is now being prepped for the next set of DSBF races, to be held at Harrington Raceway.

Bozman admits he made a pretty good $600 investment last December. After spending decades in the harness racing industry, although his stable includes pacers, he says he’s learned to prefer trotters.

“They’re more of a challenge,” he said. “And you can make more money.”

In 1996, Bozman won the Maryland Sire Stakes final with 3-year-old filly trotter Nostopinhernow.

Another challenge Bozman has come to enjoy, however, is buying horses cheap and making money with them. In addition to Brickhouse Rosey, he purchased pacing mare Positioned To Lead for $1,200 not quite a year ago. Since September, she has collected five wins and more than $45,000 in earnings.

Yet another bargain buy ($300) for the Maryland trainer was the Albert Albert broodmare Inheritance, who he bought in foal to Delaware sire No Spin Zone. He and his wife are looking forward to the results of that purchase later this spring.

“We’re anxious to see,” he said.