by Kim French, USTA Internet News Editor

Kim French

Columbus, OH — When she entered the winner’s circle at the Hastings (Mich.) Fair on July 17, Betterluvnexttime appeared to be unfamiliar with her surroundings and required time to process why her presence was required in this place.

The 9-year-old mare has banked $633,160, so she is certainly quite familiar with the festivities surrounding her capturing a race, but not only was it the first occasion in 16 months where her picture was taken, it was the first time she had performed since giving birth to a colt on March 28.

“It was a snap decision to breed her and another one to bring her back after having a foal,” said Dan Mitchell, the mare’s proud owner. “When I talked to Virgil (Morgan Jr.) when he was getting her ready last year he said she was doing great and he was looking forward to her season.

“However, she just wasn’t racing like herself and only had one win in five starts. In her last race at Miami Valley (April 1, 2016) she really was not herself and rather than wait to find out if it was something like flipping her palate, I called Virgil. I asked him what he thought and he still felt she was going to be just fine, but I decided right then to breed her. I probably should have waited, but went right ahead; she was bred to Pet Rock.”

Mitchell, a resident of Novi, Mich., who originally hails from Saratoga Springs, has been an amateur driver and was a trainer for years. He has owned more than 100 horses, but has never been in the breeding business except on a very limited scale. He was responsible for the arrival of Betterluvnexttime, named after a country song he heard on the radio, in conjunction with his former partners Peter Hardy and Steve Tokos.

Dave Oxford photo

Betterluvnexttime has won 52 times in her career, with earnings of $633,160.

The daughter of American Ideal-Darriwillian Girl sports a record of 126-52-18-15, is a former track record holder at Scioto Downs and is the one horse Mitchell has fallen in love with. Always the practical business man, Mitchell has never felt this kind of connection with any of his horses and she is the one horse his wife Susan also has an affinity for.

“Everyone just loves her,” he said. “Virgil loves her, Al Tomlinson (her current trainer) loves her and anyone that’s ever been around her will tell you that. She just has such a terrific personality and is a sweetheart. My wife just wanted to shoot me when we put her foal on a nurse mare several days after she was born, because she didn’t think it was fair for her not to be a mom to her son after all she has done for us.”

Although Mitchell is very pleased with his new foal, named Betterluvtorock, and was right from his birth, he felt it might have been a bit premature to send her to the breeding shed when she very well could have wanted to still pace.

“I know some people have returned their mares to racing after foaling,” he said. “I know it’s common and everyone has their reasons, but I just kept thinking maybe I was too hasty. I know she is 9 years old now and I can’t expect her to race at the level she used to but when we put her back into training about two weeks after putting her foal on the nurse mare, which they took to each other right away, she was happy. She was bucking, playing and squealing when she went out to train and it did not take her very long, only several days, to wonder where her colt was.”

Since Mitchell does not frequently breed his own horses, he relied on the aid of Mitchell and Laura Naught for their advice on how he should proceed with Betterluvnexttime, as well as caring for the foal.

“I’ve known Mitch and Laura for years,” he said. “I sold them the dams of Betterluvnexttime and another horse we bred. They sold yearlings out of both of them and did quite well. When I told them about bringing Better back, they told me they would help out and I could definitely do it. They were the ones that selected the nurse mare for Betterluvtorock and are taking care of him.”

Like anyone else, Mitchell cannot predict what the future holds, but as of now intends on keeping Betterluvtorock while racing his dam.

Photo courtesy of Dan Mitchell

Betterluvtorock was born March 28.

“It’s hard to say and I’ve gone back and forth on it,” Mitchell said. “But he’s a very nice colt and I think I will keep him. Anything can happen in this business, especially on the breeding end. You never know how they are going to turn out or how much money you have to put into them before they ever race, but he is Better’s colt and look at all she has done for us.”

Betterluvnexttime passed her initial test with flying colors and will proceed with her campaign at Hoosier Park in the coming weeks, with appearances at other venues, such as Scioto Downs, if she continues to enjoy her work.

“She will stay with Al (Tomlinson) and we’ll just see how it goes but we’ll put her in at Hoosier, then at Scioto, as she loves it there,” Mitchell said. “When everyone texted me and sent me a picture to let me know she won, since I could not be in Michigan for the fair, they told me she was totally looking around at everything wondering where she was, as she was not used to the environment.

“Brad (Kramer) drove her and he said she was just perfect. The only thing she did was try to duck under the gate at the start, as she wasn’t used to it going that slow to let the other horses catch up; she was ready to go.

“Like I said, I don’t expect her to show the same form she did before having her baby, but she seems to be happy to be back out there, doing what she loves to do. She owes us nothing and I’ve toyed with the idea of taking time to just drive her and play around with her myself, but this is probably the best thing. I’m just very glad it all worked out so well and that my two snap decisions look pretty good now.”