by Ashley Mayotte, WEG communications
Campbellville, ON — The 3-year-old trotting ‘Princess,’ Peach Martini, is re-charged and ready to take on her next set of opponents in Friday’s (August 26) C$148,654 SBOA final at Mohawk Racetrack.
The sophomore filly has an attitude and acts like a princess in the barn, which is how she got her barn name. Trainer/driver Rick Zeron says it’s because she thinks she is first-rate and with $567,430 in career earnings and a lifetime record of 9-7-1 in 20 starts who could blame her.
“She knows she is good,” he said. “She has character and a little bit of an attitude.”
When the daughter of Striking Sahbra-Armbro Martini steps out onto the track, she is all business and ready to get the job done and this Friday is no exception, but the veteran conditioner has revealed that at the end of her 3-year-old campaign, her career on the racetrack will be finished.
“This will be her last year of racing,” Zeron stated. “She will be sold to Europe or as a broodmare or we’ll keep her as a broodmare.
“We are just going to keep racing her in her own category like the Ontario Sires Stakes and we will race her in the Super Final,” he added. “After that we will sit down with the partners and we will discuss where her future is, but I think she will go to the breeding shed.”
The main reason is because Zeron doesn’t want Peach Martini to have to race against the boys as a 4-year-old.
“I just want her to go out on top of her game,” he said.
And that is exactly where she is right now and Zeron couldn’t be happier with how things have played out for his filly going into the SBOA final.
After welcoming a bye to pass last week’s elimination, even though it meant losing the chance to pick his post for the final, he is confident and pleased about the post he drew.
“I got really lucky,” he chuckled. “I was very fortunate to get a three hole. Randy (Waples with China Pearls, the elimination winner) took the four hole.”
The Oakville resident admits his filly was getting tired and by not racing in the elimination Peach Martini was able to get some much needed rest.
“She has raced for five weeks in a row and she was a little bit worn out so I think a week off is going to refresh her as well as keep her fresh,” said Zeron. “She’s had a great week. We just trained her lightly last Saturday and we’ll train her a little bit on Wednesday. She is going to be really good going into the race on Friday.”
The bay is owned by Zeron, Rojan Stables, Michael Katz and Stephen Waldman.
Also on Friday evening, there will be a C$132,654 SBOA final contested for 3-year-old pacing fillies. No eliminations were required and as a result all five entries advanced to the rich final.
Monkey On My Wheel will headline the field. With a record of 7-7-1 in 18 lifetime starts, the sophomore miss boasts $458,741 in earnings for trainer Travis Umphrey who also owns a piece of the bay with Mac Nichol.
The daughter of Mach Three-Legislation will be looking to extend her win streak to five when she leaves from post five with Zeron in the sulky.