by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — It has certainly not been the swiftest or simplest journey for Bushwacker during his 49-race career, but the 4-year-old pacing gelding is poised to relegate all those frustrating miles far in arrears and fulfill all the potential his connections were convinced he possessed as a youngster.

“I liked him right when I first saw him,” said Chris Ryder, his conditioner. “He was a big, strong colt with a presence about him. He missed out in some of the races that went for big money as a 2- and 3-year old, but he is doing really well right now. I think he’s the best he’s ever been and I expect a very good performance from him on Saturday (Jan. 2) night.”

Ryder is referring to the horse’s appearance in a very stout edition of a $25,000 Open Handicap at the Meadowlands that evening. Bushwacker will attempt to collect his first win after his fifth birthday and commence his 2016 season on a winning note. Owned by Henderson Farms, the $135,000 yearling purchase will begin pacing from post position eight in the ninth race on the card and is the 5-2 favorite on the morning line. Corey Callahan will be responsible for guiding him over the New Jersey oval where his primary competition will come from Kingofthejungle, Ultimate Beachboy, Doctor Butch and Shooter’s Dream.

“I am very pleased with him right now,” Ryder said. “He seems to have put it all together and we are looking forward to the upcoming season with him.”

Fotowon photo

Bushwacker has won 12 times in his career, with earnings of $355,112.

A son of Rocknroll Hanover and the Camluck mare Dolphins Can Talk, Bushwacker elicited high expectations from those associated with him immediately after the check for him was signed at the 2012 Lexington Selected Sale. Not only is he the progeny of a tremendous sire, he hails from one of the most powerful female families in harness racing. His dam, a daughter of the world champion and prolific producer Stienam’s Place, is a half-sibling to Donkeys Can Talk (Jate Lobell, $153,164), Showherthemoney (Cam’s Card Shark, $871,161), Put On A Show (Rocknroll Hanover, $2,406,628), Good Day Mate (Christian Cullen, $469,189), Rockstar Stride (Rocknroll Hanover, $103,025) and The Show Returns (Rocknroll Hanover, $377,327).

Prior to giving birth to Bushwacker, Dolphins Can Talk continued the family tradition by foaling Flipper J (Art Major, $586,182) and Talk Back (Tell All, $103,410). All six of her offspring have picked up at least one check and none of them have sold for less than $70,000.

With a pedigree packed with that type of star power most participants in this business would wonder why Bushwacker is a gelding.

“Right when we got him home he was very naughty,” said Ryder, who also managed the careers of Put On A Show and The Show Returns. “That is why we had to castrate him and his manners improved immediately after we performed that surgery. We just would not have been able to get along with him otherwise.”

In his first year of racing, Bushwacker amassed a record of 7-2-0-3, collected just over $82,000 and paced in 1:51.4. He ended his year with a third place finish in the $534,500 Governor’s Cup at the Meadowlands behind divisional heavyweights JK Endofanera and Arthur Blue Chip. After he was shut down for the winter, Ryder noticed he was having an issue with a stifle and the horse was sent to the New Bolton Center.

“(Dr.) Mike Ross performed surgery on that stifle to remove bone chips,” Ryder said. “We were quite shocked when he sent us the pictures after the operation and there were 19 chips. That definitely had to be bothering him all year. We were really unsure if he would ever be able to race again after he recovered, but he never allowed it to faze him one bit. He came back as good as new and you would never even know he had the procedure performed.”

As a sophomore, Bushwacker made 15 trips to the post with a resume of 2-3-2 and earned just more than $122,000. He was third in the $225,000 New Jersey Classic and fourth in the $437,325 Cane Pace, but failed to hit the board in the $500,000 Hempt Memorial final, the $400,000 Adios final and the $227,000 American-National. He did, however, lower his lifetime mark to 1:50.1.

“He got really tired towards the end of last year,” Ryder said. “So we just stopped on him and gave him the time he needed. He came back terrific and is an even bigger, stronger horse.”

The gelding has enjoyed an excellent 2015. While competing primarily at the Meadowlands and the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Bushwacker advanced to the Open ranks after competing in non-winners contests. Since Sept. 26 he has not been worse than fourth in nine starts. He enters this Saturday’s contest after a pair of triumphs in two Open events at Dover Downs and just missed to the red hot Atta Boy Dan at the same facility in his most recent start on Monday (Dec. 28). He has banked just under $150,000 in 2015, paced in 1:49.1 and his record stands at 27-8-6-4.

“David (Miller) is actually a really good fit for this horse and has driven him in his last several starts,” Ryder said. “He’s out of town for this race and I’m sure Corey (Callahan) will do a top notch job with him.

“It took him awhile to come around, but we plan on staking him to some of the big events over the summer. He will keep the same schedule of races over the winter until I give him a rest. It’s hard to do when he is doing so well, but it will be a long year for him and we want to give him opportunity to have an outstanding 5-year-old year, which we think he will.”