Charlene Polk

Seaford, DE — Like a fine wine, some horses seem to get better with age. Anyone who has spent some time with trotters knows how true that can be. New Jersey trainer Tom Clendining is pleased to have come across one of those late blooming racehorses.

Dingy’s Party, a 7-year-old son of Party Party-Imp’s Flirt, just finished up a lucrative campaign at Dover Downs, where he lowered his lifetime mark to 1:54.2 and made $51,800. While he was a $20,000 claimer when Clendining got involved with him in 2007, he spent most of the Dover meet racing in the Open.

“He’s not a super fast horse,” Clendining said, “but he’s consistent. He always tries hard and never gives up.”

Dingy’s Party appears to be on his way to one of his best seasons ever, as in just 12 starts he has already surpassed $50,000 for the year. Clendining says that lately the trotter has settled down and become more confident.

“He’s by Party Party though, and he did well when he was older,” said Clendining, who trains a stable of seven. And perhaps Dingy’s Party is following in his father’s footsteps a bit.

Party Party did not win a race until he was 4, and he had one of his most successful seasons as a 7-year-old, with three wins and earnings of more than $32,000 from just 18 starts.

Fotowon photo

Dingy’s Party (#5) lowered his mark to 1:54.2 on Feb. 11 at Dover Downs.

Although time has helped Dingy’s Party mature, Clendining has also made a few changes that he believes have helped the trotter. He said that when he first started training him, Dingy’s Party wasn’t trotting just right.

“My blacksmith really did a good job with this horse,” Clendining said. “Now he wears bar shoes in front and a full swedge behind.”

He added that although the horse had been plagued by quarter cracks in the past, at Dover this winter they were not a problem. While at the first state five-eighths, he had two wins, two seconds and one third, bringing his lifetime stats to 24 wins, 23 seconds and 21 thirds from 147 starts.

“At Dover everything came together,” Clendining said. “He seemed to like the track there.”

Of course Clendining has also had a little extra help with the horse.

“Right when he started racing good was when my son, who’s in college, started jogging him,” he said.

Clendining said that aside from turning the horse out every day, Dingy’s Party requires very little extra care.

“He’s a nice horse to be around,” he said. “He’s friendly and he just likes to race. He’s a good poor man’s horse.”