by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — He pours concrete for a living and she has a 10 horse stable, so John Yoder and Megan Wilson never imagined they would be headed for the Breeders Crown with the New York Sire Stakes champion 2-year-old filly trotter Market Rally.

“He keeps saying ‘I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it,’ whereas I have had some babies before but you never think it is going to happen to you,” said Wilson, who conditions and co-owns the filly. “Especially since I’m the little guy. I try to get one or two a year. I don’t buy 20 and I have a little stable. This is what I love to do.”

A daughter of Cash Hall and the Malabar Man mare Supreme Dish, Market Rally will leave from post seven in race four on Friday (Oct. 11) in her Breeders Crown elimination with John Cummings, Jr. in the bike.

She was selected by Wilson and Yoder at the 2012 Morrisville Sale for $7,500. Although her dam never made it to the races, Supreme Dish is out of Supreme Sahbra by Speedy Somolli. Supreme Sahbra produced Striking Sahbra (Supergill, 3,1:56, $217,492), Superstar Sahbra (Supergill, 1:55.1, $146,794) and Olympic Sahbra (Overcomer, 4,1:59.1f, $90,530). From her first eight foals, she only had one that was not a winner, but all picked up a check.

Tom Berg photo

Market Rally has hit the board in each of her last six starts heading into her Breeders Crown elimination.

Market Rally has a record of 10-4-2-1, a mark of 1:59.1h and a bank account of $220,566. She was well regarded shortly after she began training, but there were some bumps along the road.

In her debut on July 3 at Buffalo Raceway, Market Rally was seventh in a New York Sire Stakes race and in her next engagement she broke her maiden in a New York County Fair contest over the same strip. She was fourth at Monticello Raceway in a $32,662 sire stakes race on July 25 and was seventh again after being sent to the post as the favorite at Tioga Downs on August 3 in a $12,800 division of the Excelsior Series.

“We thought she had potential early on because obviously we staked her,” Wilson said. “She trained down excellent and then one day she didn’t. We couldn’t figure out why and then we found out that her shoulder was sore. We took care of that and she turned right around. The vet said she just got sore and achy from the strain of her racing at such a young age. It’s like she was colt sore.”

From then on, Market Rally has been a model of consistency with some horrific posts. She was third in another $12,800 leg of the Excelsior at Batavia Downs on August 16 after leaving from the seventh spot. She then captured a $72,193 division of the NYSS at Yonkers Raceway on August 26 from the seven hole and followed that up with a second at Saratoga Raceway in a $61,475 Sire Stake on Sept. 4 with another trip from the outermost seventh post.

Then there was another second on Sept. 12 at Vernon Downs in a $54,562 sire stake from yet again the seventh post position before a 2:00 triumph at Yonkers Raceway on Sept. 19 in a $78,629 division of the NYSS where Market Rally finally left from the rail.

The filly’s latest victory was in the $225,000 New York Sire Stakes final on Sept. 28 at Yonkers. She was fifth on the gate and defeated the favorite, Maud Blue Chip, by a neck in 1:59.1.

Market Rally’s disposition may have something to do with her success.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with people and Cash Hall’s like to bite or kick,” Wilson said. “But not her. She throws her head around when she knows she’s done something good and when she knows you are talking about her. She’s got a one of a kind personality. She is very smart.”

Wilson said this filly is just like any other horse and all you need to do is keep them happy. Market Rally proves her theory is correct and this filly will not be daunted by leaving from the seven hole again. Actually, it seems to be her lucky number.

“A horse’s natural lifestyle is to be happy and home free,” Wilson said. “And we as humans tend to lock them up. I try to do anything I can to make more horses feel good and to make them feel like they are somebody.

“When I come walking in the barn, they are happy to see me and to do their job. That’s where she is. She loves to be on the racetrack. It rained here so she had to have two days off instead of one and she was not happy. She couldn’t wait to get back on that racetrack and exercise. She is something.

“We aren’t going to change anything because why should you when things are going well?”

Division One: 1. Struck By Lindy, David Miller, Nifty Norman; 2. Goddess, John Campbell, Paul Kelley; 3. Designed To Be, Andy Miller, Julie Miller; 4. Shake It Cerry, Ron Pierce, Jimmy Takter; 5. Lifetime Pursuit, Yannick Gingras, Takter; 6. Cantabs Fortune, Rick Zeron, Zeron; 7. Market Rally, John Cummings Jr., Megan Wilson.

Division Two: 1. Cooler Schooner, John Campbell, Jim Campbell; 2. Scream And Shout, Jimmy Takter, Takter; 3. Harley Momma, Howard Parker, Jim Raymer; 4. Vanity Matters, Yannick Gingras, Jonas Czernyson; 5. Noon Tea Party, Brian Sears, Paul Fusco; 6. Demanding Sam, Paul MacDonell, Scott McEneny; 7. Ruby, Marcus Miller, Erv Miller.