by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Talk about a bargain, just check out Tracys Song. A $4,000 purchase earlier this year, she has now run her victory string to nine in a row and currently is the winningest horse in North America.

Win number nine — and all her wins for that matter– have come at Monticello Raceway and all under the guidance of driver Bruce Aldrich, Jr. However, it was trainer Bob Lounsbury who decided that Tracys Song would be a worthwhile purchase.

Geri Schwarz photo

Tracys Song was a 1:59.1 winner on Monday at Monticello.

“She has been a classy, hard hitting mare who had won over $300,000 when she was younger,” Lounsbury said of Tracys Song. “Even last year she earned over $20,000 and won in 1:55 (.2) at Dover Downs. And that she started 41 times in the past two years means she must be at least race-horse sound so I thought she’d probably be a decent purchase.”

Lounsbury suggested to his patron Nancy Fugere that Tracys Song was worth taking a chance on, especially since there wasn’t a whole lot of money involved in her purchase.

So Fugere, who has had previous success with claimers that were handled by Lounsbury, took his advice and bought Tracys Song from Kyle DiBenedetto for ‘four large.’

Once under his tuteledge Lounsbury discovered that Tracys Song didn’t like the burr headpole that she was previously rigged with. So he took it off and at a very appropriate time and place.

“Actually that happened the first time Bruce drove her,” Lounsbury explained. “In the post parade during her first start for us she (Tracys Song) was acting up badly, fighting the burr headpole, so Bruce brought her back to the paddock and we took it off. Admittedly, she raced a bit sideways that day but Bruce kept her fairly straight and she went on to win in 2:01.

“The next time we started her we used a line burr in place of the burr headpole and took some other rigging off her, too. Since that day she’s been nothing but a terror in her class.”

Tracys Song romped her way through the Mighty M’s Name Your Price Claiming Series which made the pacers available for prices from $4,000 to $6,000; of course with the higher price tags came outside post position draws.

Still, racing from the outside post positions Aldrich had always sped Tracys Song to the lead — her recent MO — and she did not lose a race in the series.

After the series ended she has been racing with a $9,000 price tag ($7,500 base plus mare’s allowance). She was in for that amount again when she won on Monday (March 18).

Thinking about her next move, Lounsbury is still undecided as to where — what class — he’ll start Tracys Song in next week.

“Currently Monticello’s top claiming price for mares is $7,500 and I’d hate to have to race her against the boys,” Lounsbury said. “Nancy and I will talk it over and make a decision.

“I’d like to keep her here at Monticello and not have to race her out of town, so we have a bit of a dilemma. Not a serious one mind you, but we’d like to give her a chance to keep her winning streak intact.”