by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent
Kimberly French
Louisville, KY — She’s only three races into her career, but Handsoffmycookie already has her connections excited about her future.
“We bought her at Harrisburg last fall,” explained her conditioner, Scott Di Domenico. “We liked the look of her as she’s a very well-made filly and she had a great video. There were five or six of them we liked and I’m just glad we got her instead of the other ones we looked at. She’s been awesome from Day One, has never done anything wrong and just keeps getting better and better.”
The 2-year-old daughter of Art Major and the unraced Observe Me (by Cambest) was purchased for $25,000 last fall by JFE Enterprise LLC and has already earned more than her price tag. Handsoffmycookie has $44,167 in her bank account from three pari-mutuel miles, which are all victories, and a lifetime mark of 1:56.4 established in her second baby race at the Meadowlands on June 25.
The filly is the fourth foal out of her dam, who happens to be a half-sister to California Cam (Cam Fella, $488,998), Michelle’s Fantasy (Cam’s Card Shark, $402,049), Drivers Ed (Cam Fella, $187,632), Cam’s Sensation (Cam Fella, $164,360) and Cam’s Terminator (Cam Fella, $156,319).
Paul White photo
Handsoffmycookie was a 6-1/2 length winner in her most recent effort, a NYSS race at Batavia Downs.
The filly’s pari-mutuel debut was in a $43,068 division of the New York Sire Stakes at Yonkers Raceway on July 7. She then paced home first in a $20,982 NYSS event at Buffalo Raceway on July 24 before capturing a $24,285 Sire Stake contest by a dominant 6-1/2 lengths at Batavia Downs on August 3.
Her next performance will be in Friday’s (August 12) Sweetheart elimination at the Meadowlands. She will leave from post five in what is carded as the fourth race with Tim Tetrick, North America’s leading driver in wins, grasping the reins.
“I baby-raced her twice at the Meadowlands and I think she can be a good one,” the ‘Bionic Man’ said after Handsoffmycookie won her first start. “She has some things to learn, but she has a motor.”
Di Domenico has banked nearly $3 million during his training career and is absolutely thrilled with how his filly is progressing.
“She’s just one of those kind of fillies,” the 28-year-old Jamesburg, N.J., resident said. “She’s a freak and she deserves all the credit. I can’t say enough good things about her. She’s clean-gaited, but I think the best thing about her is her attitude, especially her will. She really likes to win and she fights for it. She never gives up.
“I think her last race at Batavia was probably her best,” he continued. “When Timmy came back he was really happy with her. She had a little trouble and at the three-eighths pole, she kind of got hung wide. I think that made her mad and forced her to just go more.”
After Handsoffmycookie competes in the Sweetheart, she will return to the Empire State and if all goes well, travel to Woodbine in October for the Breeders Crown.
“After the Sweetheart we will probably go back to New York and then she has a race at Chester,” Di Domenico said. “Hopefully she’ll be good enough for the Breeders Crown. We really want to try her there. There are a lot of nice fillies out there that look pretty good, but we are really confident with her and are going into this race thinking she will do very well.
“Joe Seekman’s horse (Podges Lady) looks tough and it should be a great race,” he continued. “I’ve never had a horse like her and if we make the final to go for $400,000 I’ll probably have some jitters, but I am very confident in the horse and I’m very glad Timmy is driving her.”
Below is the field for the Sweetheart elimination.
$20,000 Sweetheart elimination
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-ML
1-Podges Lady-Brian Sears-Joe Seekman-5-2
2-Major Look-Andy Miller-Robert Riddle-15-1
3-Rockin Reese-James Lackey-Lou Pena-15-1
4-Yummy Sushi-Ron Pierce-Jimmy Takter-12-1
5-Handsoffmycookie-Tim Tetrick-Scott Di Domenico-3-1
6-Sangaal-Yannick Gingras-Chris Ryder-10-1
7-Bettor B Lucky-Jim Morrill, Jr.-Noel Daley-8-1
8-Rockin Belle-Simon Allard-Rene Allard-5-1
9-Ramalama-David Miller-Jerry Silverman-8-1
10-Odds On Jan-Mike Lachance-Robin Schadt-15-1