by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — She didn’t exactly set the world on fire when she commenced her career, but now that 5-year-old Save My Shark has gained some seasoning, people are starting to take notice of her.

“For a lot of horses there is a big difference between four and five,” explained the mare’s trainer, Tony Alagna. “I think that’s the case with her. She’s just matured out and is a big, strong mare that seems to like the style of racing at Yonkers and she seems to be getting better all the time.”

The daughter of Four Starzzz Shark-Save My Life is co-owned by Jim Arledge, Jr., who trained her prior to her arrival at Alagna’s barn around the end of last November, along with Joe Sbrocco and Frank Dettore Horse Racing. Save My Shark has earned $230,837 from 75 career races. She established her mark of 1:52.3f last year and 10 of her 14 victories have come in her last two campaigns. She has already earned more than $63,000 from eight races this year and possesses four wins and two third place finishes while competing primarily at Yonkers Raceway.

Mike Lizzi photo

Save My Shark was a 1:54.4 winner in the opening round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker series.

One of this year’s four triumphs was in a $40,000 first leg preliminary in last week’s Blue Chip Matchmaker Series. She will leave from post three on Friday (April 1) in her second preliminary for the series, which is carded as the 12th race.

Before Save My Shark was shipped to Alagna, she contested the preferred ranks at The Meadows and as a sophomore and freshman, the mare raced frequently at Scioto Downs, Indiana Downs and Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

“Jim called me up and told me he had a mare he wanted to send out here to race,” Alagna remembered. “She had been racing at The Meadows, but he thought she needed to be somewhere she could be turned out on a farm and he wanted to know if I had room for her. I told him sure.

“Right after I got her I raced her one start at Chester,” he continued. “She raced good that day (December 8, 2010 with a fourth place finish), but then I asked Jim if she had ever raced on a half. He told me no, but that she had trained well over it at home. I told him I’d like to take her to Yonkers, because I thought the mare would fit real well there and he told me if I thought it was the thing to do, take her. She won her first start there and has been very good.”

Alagna has not made any alterations to her equipment, but the mare’s routine is definitely different in her new home.

“The biggest change, which was something she needed, was getting her out in the field,” he said. “She really spends a lot of time outside and she’s on a good schedule now. Also, Jim Pantaleono has been a great fit for her. He likes her a lot and he’s done a great job of driving her to put her in the right position to win. I think it has helped this mare move forward.”

Her conditioner also thinks Save My Shark’s racing style has contributed to her success.

“She’s just a happy-go-lucky horse that really takes care of herself and is not problematic at all,” he said. “You would love to have a barnful of ones like her and the great thing about her is she is not one-dimensional. Jim can put her on the front if he needs to and she’s just as good, if not better, from the back or off a helmet. She’s tactical and can do either, so that helps her a lot.”

Since the mare seemed to be on top of her game and won her last start before nominations closed for the Matchmaker series, Alagna persuaded his owners to make her eligible.

“I talked to Jim and told him this mare was on her way up,” he said. ‘I told him I really thought she was ready to go up the ladder and it would be a shame the way she was coming into herself not to have her in the series, so Jim, Joe and Frank decided to put her in.”

After the series concludes, Alagna is unsure what will be next on Save My Shark’s agenda.

“She’ll get a little rest after this series and we will play the rest of the year out by ear,” he said. “We are very happy to have her and that she’s having a good go. We are really looking forward to the series with her.”

Here is the field for Save My Shark’s Blue Chip Matchmaker Series division, the 12th race on Friday at Yonkers.

HN-Horse-Driver-Trainer-ML
1-Ticket To Rock-David Miller-Jeffrey Webster-5-1
2-Farmers Tuition-Cat Manzi-Joe Anderson-6-1
3-Save My Shark-Jim Pantaleano-Tony Alagna-6-5
4-Soiree-Brent Holland-Paul Blumenfeld-15-1
5-Flirtiscape-George Brennan-Lou Pena-12-1
6-Slimsplace-Tim Tetrick-Mark Ford-20-1
7-Breakheart Pass-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke-8-1