by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — He admits people might have thought they were aiming a bit high by entering 5-year-old McClelland in the Complex Series at the Meadowlands, but after the gelding captured one of the first legs last Saturday, trainer Aaron Lambert and owner Ken Tucci’s decision now makes perfect sense.

“We probably looked stupid putting a $20,000 claimer in a series like that, but I guess we look smart now,” said Lambert, a 33-year-old Australian native. “When we first got him he was a little bit wound up all the time, but he seems to have settled down and gotten into a groove. It’s a pity we ran into a horse that’s won 20 something races straight (St Elmo Hero) or else we might have had a shot at it (this Saturday’s second leg of the series).”

The son of Cam’s Card Shark-Enduring Dream was claimed by Tucci on November 22, 2010 at Yonkers Raceway. Prior to this purchase, McClelland had paced 52 race miles with seven victories, five second place finishes and eight thirds. He had earned $55,596 and possessed a lifetime mark of 1:53.1f. Since moving to Lambert’s barn, the gelding has won $24,500, lowered his speed record to 1:52.2 and captured two out of four races.

Lisa photo

David Miller drove McClelland to a personal best 1:52.2 score in last Saturday’s opening leg of the Complex Series at Meadowlands Racetrack.

“Ken likes to do all the research and he was one he looked up,” said Lambert, who now resides in Wrightstown, N.J. “So I watched a few replays of him and he looked sound. It just seemed like he wasn’t reaching out right, so we went ahead and claimed him.”

McClelland quickly educated his new trainer in his next start on November 30, 2010.

“Cat Manzi drove him and he said he touched the horse with his heel going into the turn and that made him break,” Lambert remembered. “He still raced very good that night (he finished fifth but was placed seventh) and I didn’t race him for a few weeks; I just fiddled around with him and experimented with some different equipment and then I went to Yonkers and raced him again (on December 21.) He was driven very carefully, but he still raced well. He was almost last going for home, but he scooted on up through to get second.”

In the weeks between those two starts, Lambert adjusted how McClelland was outfitted and shod. He believes it made quite a significant difference.

“He was hitting his knee a bit, so we changed his shoes from a steel bore to an aluminum shoe,” he explained. “We changed the angles on the foot and that seemed to get him off his knee. He was also getting hot and not settling in his races, so we put a snake cord on him instead of a the mini bit he was wearing and he seemed to respond real well.”

The gelding’s next race was a triumph in a $20,000 conditioned contest on January 8 at the Meadowlands. McClelland lowered his lifetime mark to 1:52.3 for driver Yannick Gingras and never looked like he was going to break.

“I thought in his first start at the Meadowlands it was a beatable kind of field,” Lambert said. “He was driven very carefully and raced very well. He got right on it turning for home and he seemed safe, like he didn’t want to make a break and that was his main problem.

“I was anxious about him making a break, so I didn’t want him too close to other horses,” he continued. “I didn’t want him to pull on the bit too much and fight with his driver. Also, I think the bigger track helped him. He doesn’t really stand that good; he’s a narrow-gaited horse and half-mile tracks probably are not his game.”

After he contests this series, Lambert isn’t exactly sure where McClelland will perform next.

“Actually the only reason we put him in the series was to get him a place to race and I had another horse in the series and it didn’t look like they were going to go with it because they didn’t have enough entries,” he said. “Ken said he would just put him in there to see what happened and it looks like the right decision. We’ll see where we go next.

“He was like a filly when I got him and like I said, was very antsy,” he added. “When I first got him you would turn him out in the field and he would just pace the gate. Now he goes out in the field and seems to enjoy himself. He’s a different horse since I got him and really has settled into a rhythm.”

Race 10-Meadowlands-Jan. 22-Complex Series-2nd Leg
HN-PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-1-Code Word-John Campbell-Ron Burke
1A-5-Windsong Gorgeous-Brian Sears-Ron Burke
1B-6-Get It Now-Brian Sears-Ron Burke
1C-12-Southern Allie-Brian Sears-Ron Burke
2-2-A J Corbelli-Daniel Dube-Jacob Hartline
3-3-Ise The By Boy-Ron Pierce-Nikolas Drennan
4-4-McClelland-David Miller-Aaron Lambert
5-7-Urgent Action-Richard Silverman-Jerry Silverman
6-8-St Elmo Hero-Tim Tetrick-Charles Eustis III
7-9-Born To Rockn Roll-Daniel Dube-James Eaton
8-10-Thunder’s Fury-Ron Pierce-Paul Stratton
9-11-Unicorn Hanover-Tim Tetrick-Mark Ford