Ginger And Fred hopes to dance to Crown win

by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Williamsport, PA — She has only performed for five months, yet 2-year-old pacer Ginger And Fred already knows how to steal the spotlight.

Bred by Ronald Mersky of Paris, Kentucky and owned by the partnership of Howard Taylor (2008 Pennsylvania Owner of the Year), Robert Feldman, Edwin Gold and Jerry Silva, the daughter of Real Artist-Graceful Motion has collected $175,457 with six victories in 12 starts.

Chris Gooden photo

Ginger And Fred has danced to 2008 earnings of $175,457.

Under the tutelage of trainer Kevin Lare, the bay youngster dominated her Pennsylvania peers while establishing Sire Stakes records on August 12 (1:53.2) and September 2 (1:53) at The Meadows. On September 24, Ginger And Fred captured the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship for her division in a career best 1:52f.

“She’s an exceptional mare,” said the 39-year-old conditioner. “They gave top dollar for her and she is really worth it. When they did the pre-purchase (examination) on her at New Bolton, they said she looked like a developed 4-year-old and she shows up to race every time.”+

Lare, who trained 2007 Dan Patch winner Snow White, admits Ginger And Fred inherited her sire’s attitude.

“She’s a Real Artist and she’s really got that hot-headed side to her that you can’t take out,” Lare said. “That’s why you see all those ones on her paper.”

After her triumph in the Sire Stakes Championship, Ginger And Fred was nipped at the wire in her Three Diamonds elimination at Woodbine on October 17, finished fifth in the final the following week and was sixth in her Matron Stakes elimination at Dover Downs on November 8.

“When we went to Canada I thought we were right on schedule,” said Lare, a Seaford, Delaware native, who has earned more than $13.7 million throughout his training career. “She could have destroyed the world record at Chester that day (in the Sire Stakes final) but Timmy (Tetrick) never even asked her. In Canada she just got beat a lip and it wasn’t her fault. The other horse snuck up to get her in the last step. Timmy took a little blame for that, but she had no firepower in the final or at Dover.”

After the Matron, Lare decided to eliminate headpoles from the filly’s equipment. The change did not seem to improve her form in the Breeders Crown elimination last Friday night but she did make the final.

The filly took the lead shortly after the first quarter then faded in the lane to finish fifth behind Racing Star.

“Well she had been a little hot in her last few races,” Tetrick said. “I had to pull and brush with her because I didn’t want to fight her down the backside. The trip didn’t really work out well for her and when right, she can be the best filly in the country.”

There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation why Ginger And Fred is no longer on the muscle.

“She’s not sick and she’s not lame,” Lare said. “She’s had a long season and she’s ready for a vacation after next week’s final. There are only so many horses like Dewey and Snow White that can stand racing from June to December. Earlier in the year, she was just as straight as an arrow down the lane while pacing home in :27. Now she’s like a fish out of water and it seems like she’s looking to get beat. She’s just tired.”

Tetrick may employ different driving tactics for Saturday’s final.

“I’d like to see her snatched up at the gate, covered up and then run past someone in the lane, instead of getting passed herself,” Lare said. “I’d like to see if she could win that way. At least we are competing in the final, but Tracy Brainard’s filly (Hawaiian Drink) seems to be peaking at the right time and should be tough to beat. We’ll take her to the farm for a vacation after this race, freshen her up and bring her back to try the best again next year.”

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