by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — All week long Casie Coleman has been fielding questions from the media about her 2-year-old pacing colt Sportswriter, who is a perfect seven for seven and holds the world record (1:49.2) on a seven-eighths-mile track, but the two-time O’Brien Award winning conditioner secretly wondered why she had received no queries about one of his stablemates.

“I have Sportswriter in the other division and all this week I’ve said to myself, ‘Man, no one has even asked me a question about Western Silk,’” said the 29-year-old Cambridge, Ontario, resident. “She’s the underdog here (for the Breeders Crown 2-year-old filly pace final), but she is going for five (wins) in a row and no one has asked a thing about her. It’s all about Sportswriter.”

The Ontario sired daughter of Western Terror-Extemporaneous was purchased by Coleman for $50,000 at the 2008 Harrisburg Sale and is co-owned by Tom Hill. From 11 career race miles, the filly has collected six victories, including her last four contests, with one second place finish and two thirds.

Western Silk has earned $217,106 during her freshman campaign, which has consisted primarily of Ontario Sire Stakes Gold events and her neck victory over Fancy Filly in last weekend’s eliminations, which came in a new personal best of 1:52.1.

“I looked at her originally because she is a Western Terror and Ontario-sired,” Coleman explained. “I didn’t think I would be able to afford one (of his foals) because they have been selling for very, very high prices. She’s a very correct filly, but was very small for a yearling. I that’s why I got the price I did on her because her breeding is also very good. I thought I would have to pay a lot more for her than I did, but I took a shot.”

When it was time to break Western Silk, Coleman, who trained 2007 Breeders Crown Mare Pace victress Moving Pictures and 2008 3-year-old filly pace winner A And G’sconfusion, was less than impressed by her young charge.

New Image Media photo

Western Silk edged Fancy Filly by a neck in their Breeders Crown elimination.

“When we started training her she was about the worst horse I had,” she said. “We tried everything, but it took about a month and a half to gait her; she just would not pace. She had hopple burns from top to bottom and was a handful of a filly. We tried heavy shoes, trotting shoes, a heavy hopple, and even bandaged her legs but once we got her going she hasn’t missed a beat after that and has been perfect.”

Coleman, who is the fourth leading trainer in North America in wins (248) and purse money won ($5.4 million) always thought the filly had enough ability to compete outside of the Ontario Sire Stakes series against other Open-caliber peers of her gender, even though Western Silk failed to make the She’s A Great Lady Final after finishing fourth in her elimination on August 29 at Mohawk Racetrack.

“In that race she got really far back and had a lot of ground to make up,” she said. “She did come up a bit sick after that race as well. She had a little bit of a virus during the middle of the summer and it cost her when some big money was on the line, but right now she seems to be healthy and strong.”

Even though she is now exceptionally mannered when the harness is on, Western Silk still does things her way.

“She has a bit of an attitude but every good mare I have had, like Moving Pictures, the best mare I ever trained, or Chancey Lady, they had attitudes,” Coleman explained. “She’s a sweetheart in the crossties and on the track she’s perfect, but when she’s in her stall, sometimes she will pin her ears at you and give you a boot if she doesn’t want you around. I have her stall wall kind of halfway down and she has a friend beside her. She just loves it and that keeps her happy.”

Although Western Silk has triumphed in a variety of race scenarios, her trainer feels the filly’s best performances come off cover.

“She can race in any way, but she is best coming off the helmet for sure,” Coleman said. “When she trains, it doesn’t matter who it is, she just paces right by them. In a perfect world, I would love to see her come second over behind Put On A Show or Higher And Higher, but she is very versatile and has done it wire-to-wire, first up and from off the pace. She has been unreal and won in every possible way. Hopefully she is coming on at the right time.”

Breeders Crown 2FP-PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1. Cannae Cammie, Luc Ouellette, Mike Vanderkamp
2. Fancy Filly, Brian Sears, Brenda Teague
3. Western Silk, Mark MacDonald, Casie Coleman
4. Higher And Higher, Dave Palone, Tracy Brainard
5. Ticket To Rock, John Campbell, Jack Darling
6. Casino Nights, Tim Tetrick, Mike Vanderkamp
7. Slimspace, Randy Waples, Jeff Gillis
8. Full Picture, Richard Silverman, Jerry Silverman
9. Put On A Show, Jody Jamieson, Chris Ryder
10. Panagler, Steve Condren, Bob McIntosh
AE 1. Native Doll, David Miller, Mark Capone
AE 2. Siri Hanover, Ron Pierce, Mark Austin