by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — He’s been training horses for several decades, yet when Jeff Smith told Dennis and Kevin Lakomy of Mystical Marker Farms earlier this year that Mystical Dew was one of the best freshmen he ever had in his barn, his acclaim was met with a generous, but well-meant touch of skepticism.

“I told them early on I thought that he was probably one of the best colts I’ve ever trained,” said the 53-year-old resident of Washington Court House, Ohio. “They said, ‘I’ve heard that a lot of times and a lot of trainers say that, you know how it is.’ I said, ‘I’m telling you I think he’s the best horse I’ve ever trained as a 2-year-old,’ He has done everything right from the word go and we’ve never actually asked him to trot any.”

The son of Deweycheatumnhowe-Perugia is the first foal out of his dam, who is by Conway Hall. Mystical Dew was bred by Walnut Hall Stock Farm and went through the 2011 Lexington Selected Sale ring for $20,000 to Mystical Marker Farms. Mystical Dew is a perfect three for three in his young career, with $17,750 in the bank and a lifetime mark of 1:55.2.

Mystical Dew heads into the KYSS final with three wins in three lifetime starts.

The colt’s debut was on July 12 at Hoosier Park in a $5,500 2-year-old event which he won in 2:00.3 with a last quarter of :28.4. His next start was on August 19 at The Red Mile in the $15,000 first leg of the Kentucky Sire Stakes. Mystical Dew came home in 1:57 with a last quarter in :29 for his second victory. He turned in his best performance to date on August 30, also at The Red Mile in a $15,000 second leg of the Sire Stakes. The colt tripped the timer in 1:55.2 with a last quarter of :27.4, thereby lowering his existing mark.

“I told Tyler (his son who was in the bike for his last two starts) we won the first division, so I didn’t want him to be raced real hard,” the elder Smith explained. “I told him to back off with him and he got away sixth. I told him after the half he could race him and he came over after the half first up and came home easy in (1):55.2.

“He has never been extended yet. Hopefully he can trot more. I think he can. I’m almost positive he can.”

Mystical Dew’s next engagement is the $250,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes Final for his gait, age and gender on Sunday (Sept. 9). He will start from post position three in the 11th race on The Red Mile card.

“I think the horse we have to beat is Banco Solo,” Smith said. “He is a really nice horse.”

This colt is not the only one the Smith father and son duo are harnessing for the KYSS finals. Fusion Man captured his $15,000 second leg Sire Stakes race on Sept. 1 in a much improved performance from his sixth place in the opening leg, which was the only time he hasn’t been in the top two in seven contests this year.

“He broke coming into the lane in his first leg and he got a little bit sore,” Smith said. “We did a little work to him and last week he was really good. Hopefully he will be good again for this weekend.”

Nigel Soult photos

Fusion Man has been first or second in six of his seven sophomore starts.

The son of Valley Victor-Classical Girl is owned by TDTrot LLC. From seven starts last year, the colt collected one win, two seconds, two thirds and $27,727 in purse money.

Fusion Man began his professional career on August 14, 2011, in a $2,000 2-year-old event at The Red Mile where he hit the wire second. His next start was another second on August 21 in a $15,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes leg and then he broke his maiden on Sept. 1 in another $15,000 KYSS leg. In the $250,000 final on Sept. 11, Fusion Man had a rough go of it after having drawn the tenth post position and ended up seventh after a break at the start.

The colt rebounded with a third in a $38,316 Standardbred Stake division at the Delaware County Fairgrounds, then came back to The Red Mile to again finish third in an $85,250 division of the Bluegrass Stake on Sept. 30. He concluded his season with a seventh in a $10,000 2-year-old contest, also at The Red Mile, on Oct. 6.

“He was kind of a big colt last year and needed time to mature, to grow into himself a little bit,” said Smith. “He always showed a lot of ability and speed, but he was so big he didn’t know how to handle his speed, so he would make breaks here and there. I had always liked him and he’s developed into a nice-looking horse that has filled out. Everything worked out really good. He’s a nice horse.”

This year Fusion Man started out in a $6,500 race on June 6 at Hoosier Park and gained his second lifetime victory. He had his picture taken again the following week in a $9,000 conditioned race at Hoosier before traveling to Hazel Park for the William Connors Memorial and finishing second to Prayer Session in both a $10,000 elimination and the $100,000 final.

The colt then returned to The Red Mile where he won a $4,000 race on July 29 before his break in the first leg of the Sire Stakes on August 23.

He will face Prayer Session once again in the $250,000 KYSS final on Sunday evening. Prayer Session has received a big advantage in the draw as he will score from the rail while Fusion Man has drawn post position seven.

“I think it’s a two horse race,” Smith said. “I think it’s between him and Prayer Session. It just depends on the draw and whoever gets the best trip. I do think he’s got a good shot though.”

Upon the conclusion of the KYSS finals, both colts will be migrating to the same facilities but will pursue different year-end goals.

“Fusion Man is staked to the Bluegrass and then we have a few stakes that go for $150,000 to $200,000 for him in Indiana,” Smith said. “It depends on how he races and how he comes out of those races but we are thinking about supplementing him to the Breeders Crown. Hopefully we will because he really has improved this year.

“For Mystical Dew it’s basically the same thing,” he continued. “He has the Bluegrass and then some stakes over in Indiana. After that we are going to shut him down for the year, give him some time and stake him pretty heavy next year.

“He’s got a great attitude. Both these horses have a great attitude. Anything you ask them to do they do it and they are two fingers to drive. They are just nice horses to be around in the barn and out on the track they do everything you ask of them. You don’t get that very often. Hopefully they stay good and healthy for Sunday.”