by Rich Fisher, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — Bob Riddle says the toughest time for him as a trainer is the minutes just prior to a race.

But that’s nothing compared to the torture he endured while laid up with a fractured left knee from early July to mid-September.

“Aww, you don’t know, it was just unbelievable,” Riddle said Thursday from Canada, where he is getting 3-year-old filly pacer Major Look ready for Saturday’s Breeders Crown eliminations at Woodbine. “You’re watching the race on a computer and it’s agonizing that you couldn’t be there. This is a once in-a-lifetime kind of horse; trainers like me don’t get one like this too often. She’s a special horse.”

She’s also a little dangerous without even trying to be. It was Major Look who put Riddle in the hospital when the filly accidentally stepped on the trainer in his New Jersey stable and caused the injury on July 8.

After being hospitalized for a while, Riddle returned home and began rehabilitation.

“Rehab wasn’t that bad,” he said. “Once I started, it went quick. I went from limping around on a walker barely getting around the grocery store to feeling pretty good.

“If you saw me right now, you wouldn’t know that a month ago I could barely walk. You wouldn’t know anything was wrong. I’ve got a slight limp but it’s not too bad.”

Riddle returned to active training duties just over three weeks ago and while he was able to improve his gait, he did pick up a new nickname.

“Oh yeah,” he said. “People started calling me Chester from Gunsmoke because I was gimping around like him.”

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Major Look enters the Breeders Crown eliminations with 10 lifetime wins and purses of $408,047.

Upon his return, Riddle decided to handle Major Look a little differently when it came to the day’s workout.

“We don’t walk her out of the stall with her equipment on,” he said. “I bring her out of the stall and then put the equipment on. I always put the bridle on in the stall and I used to put the equipment on in there. I don’t know if that’s something that spooked her or what happened.

“She always had a little trouble walking out with the equipment on, so I set her up in the aisle way and she seems better doing it that way.”

And while the filly was responsible for putting Riddle on the sidelines, he could hardly stay mad at a horse that has won seven of 15 races this year and earned $291,242 for owners Joseph Balkunas, Mark Giordano and Anthony Pancella. In her first three starts following the accident, Major Look upset American Jewel in the Mistletoe Shalee and then set stakes records in divisions of the Tompkins-Geers and the Adioo Volo.

Last week, Major Look faced a field of older female pacers at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and finished last, pacing her mile in 1:50.2 in the seven-horse field. Put On A Show, who will challenge the boys in the Breeders Crown Open Pace, won in a track record 1:49.

“She paced where I figured her to pace,” Riddle said. “It was a good tightener for this week. I wasn’t worried about last week, I’m worried about this week.”

Riddle is just happy to be working with Major Look again, as she is the first horse he has taken to the Breeders Crown. Riddle’s longtime friend Kevin McDermott handled the training while Riddle was out of action.

“We had a couple of big races last year for her, but this is really exciting,” he said. “I’m just trying to keep it like, ‘This race is the next race.’ We might do a little extra here or there, but this is the next race coming up and you try to condition her like any other race.

“Once you hand the lines over to the driver, it’s pretty much out of your hands. That’s when it all sets in. You have the 10 minutes during the post parade to worry about it and then it’s the race. I don’t care what you’re racing for, that’s the most agonizing time for me.”

A pair of eliminations will be held on Saturday (Oct. 20) for the 3-year-old filly pacers. The first five finishers from each elim will advance to the final. Elimination winners may pick their post position. With Andy Miller handling the driving, Major Look may deserve a major look when things get underway Saturday.

“She jogged super (Thursday) morning,” Riddle said. “This week it’s just about making the final. Next week is when you’ll really worry about it.

“You just hope it all goes good, you make the final and get a little luck next week. All I want is a shot. You don’t want a bad trip or you don’t want to get locked in. As long as she’s got a shot, there’s nothing you can do about where they finish.”

Whatever happens, Riddle is happy about one thing — he will be there to watch her in person.

Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Pace–1st $25,000 Elim
Post-Horse-Driver
1-Jet Wash-Jody Jamieson
2-American Jewel-Tim Tetrick
3-Ramalama-John Campbell
4-Bettor B Lucky-Jim Morrill, Jr.
5-Big McDeal-Jody Jamieson
6-Economy Terror-Dave Palone
7-Marty Party-Ron Pierce

Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Pace–2nd $25,000 Elim
Post-Horse-Driver
1-Angel Scent-Jody Jamieson
2-Major Look-Andy Miller
3-Shelliscape-John Campbell
4-Destinys Chance-Brian Sears
5-Rockaround Sue-Andy Miller
6-Handsoffmycookie-David Miller
7-Apogee Hanover-Doug McNair
8-Romantic Moment-Yannick Gingras