by Ken Weingartner, for the Breeders Crown

Campbellville, ON — If Snazzy Millie is finding her stride in time for Saturday’s (September 1) Breeders Crown Mare Trot at Mohawk Racetrack, it might be because she found her stroke first.

The 7-year-old has been spending less time on the track and more time in the swimming pool in preparation for her races.

Mike Burns photo

Snazzy Millie takes a dip.

“We wanted to give her a bit of a change,” trainer Kevin O’Reilly said. “She really loves it. She swims for about 15 minutes, but she’d stay in for an hour if you let her. It keeps her sound and keeps her fresh.”

This week, O’Reilly planned to have Snazzy Millie swim Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. He expected to lightly train her on the racetrack Thursday.

Often, Snazzy Millie has a companion in the pool — a dog named Otis that belongs to caretaker Jackie Kidd.

“He’s been known to jump on the back of the odd one and do some surfing,” said a laughing O’Reilly, a 40-year-old native of New Zealand. “But he doesn’t do it with Millie.”

Snazzy Millie, driven by Chris Christoforou, won her Breeders Crown elimination race on August 24, beating Passionate Glide by a nose in 1:54. It was her second consecutive victory and third in 15 starts this year for father-and-son owners Clarence and Terry Devos of Langton, Ontario. She just set a new lifetime mark of 1:53.1 on August 6 in a triumph at Mohawk.

“She’s coming around now and getting better,” said Terry Devos, who bred Snazzy Millie with his father and mother, Mary. “She’s feeling real good. I think we’ve got a real shot Saturday. She can go with any of those.”

Snazzy Millie’s back-to-back wins came after finishing off the board in the Frank Ryan Memorial elimination and final at Rideau Carleton. Majestic Son won both Ryan races, including a track record 1:53 victory in the final.

“She’s very good, the old girl,” O’Reilly said. “She seems to be right on the money. She was chasing Majestic Son and Armbro Chronicle around Rideau Carleton when they were at their best. She went pretty good miles, but she was chasing good horses.”

Snazzy Millie, who last year raced in the prestigious Elitlopp in Sweden, is on the verge of $1 million in Canadian earnings, with $990,306 entering the $250,000 (C$270,000) Crown final.

“It’s been a nice ride, for sure,” Devos said. “Every time you think she’s tired, or had enough, she comes back as good as ever. We’ll probably continue to race her next year the way she’s going. We’ll drive on, I guess.”

Swim, too, as the case may be.