by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Williamsport, PA — Ty’s Artist failed to hit the board only once this year and owner/trainer/driver Roger Hammer readily accepts the blame for that miscue.

USTA Photo

Roger Hammer was pleased with the 2007 performance of Ty’s Artist.

“I should have had her in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Final,” Hammer, a resident of Bedford, Pa., said. “But I gave her a bad drive (in finishing seventh in a Pennsylvania Sires Stakes leg on August 18 at Pocono). That was an error on my part, not putting her in contention, and thinking she would just get in. She wasn’t going to beat the filly that won the race, but second place would have been nice.”

Bred by Clair Corle, also of Bedford, the 2-year-old daughter of Real Artist and Ty Wish has a freshman record of 15-7-5-2, a lifetime mark of 1:57.1f and has earned $46,794. The black filly captured the Pennsylvania Fair Final on October 8 at Pocono Downs to extend her winning skein to six.

With only one season of racing, Ty’s Artist has already surpassed her two elder full siblings — Artful Sky and Isabellas Wish — in earnings and is the best of four foals of racing age Ty Wish, a daughter of Western Hanover, has produced. Hammer bred, owned and trained the mare, who earned $82,358, with a career line of 69-15-20-7 and who raced mainly on the Pennsylvania circuit.

Although she trained well before her racing career began, Hammer was a bit astonished by Ty’s Artist’s success.

“She trained good, but I was surprised she did so well,” the veteran horseman said. “She was only eligible for the sire stakes and that was good enough for me. That way I don’t have too much money in staking her since I own and train her myself.”

Ty’s Artist, who won a Reynolds Stake division, placed in the Tompkins-Geers Stake at Tioga Downs and nabbed the show spot in a division of the Arden Downs at The Meadows, is receiving a winter vacation before Hammer gears up for her sophomore campaign.

“I’m going to get her ready to race about the first of March or late February,” Hammer explained. “She will be coming back early. If she is not good enough for the big stakes, I can always back down and get some early money. You have to get the money while you can.”

The filly, who her conditioner describes as nice to be around and very even-tempered, will be pointed towards sires stakes and possibly a trip north of the St. Lawrence River.

“She will go back to the sire stakes, maybe some non-winners of three in the spring and maybe Canada,” the 61-year-old said. “Canada has more races for non-winners of three than down here and they have nice series for young horses. Wherever she fits on class and can make some money is where I will send her.”

While he cannot predict how Ty’s Artist will fare as a 3-year-old, Hammer only wishes that the filly maintain this season’s form.

“If she makes around $40,000 again next year, that is good enough for me,” Hammer said. “That’s what I’m hoping for next year. When you are on your own, you can’t have that much money invested in your horses. We will just see how she races next year.”