One of America’s oldest sports, and favourite past times, is horseback riding and the well supported annual fillies races are nicely spread out throughout the year so as many people as possible can enjoy the spectacles on display. These races are also key in developing and spotting future race stars of the future as they make their debuts and gather the necessary experience and following that could befit the future success their owners hope they will go on to achieve. Betting on horse races remains popular in the US, particularly in places like New York, as indicated by NY.bet, even amidst concerns over recent animal incidents on the tracks. The sport of horse racing contributes significantly to this figure. In 2022 alone, horses raced for combined purses exceeding $1.1 billion in the US, with the average daily purse around $290,000. Over the course of that year, wagers on horse races totaled more than $12.2 billion.
At the end of last month, one local Colorado family with a rich history in equestrian added to their usual annual revenue by taking a punt and backing their latest three year old young filly at the recent CTBA Oaks competition, and with 40 years of judgement behind them, and a lineage of four heirs, the filly did not disappoint, and the home bred trotted home with a share of the $196,000 cash prize on offer.
The stakes race was the latest in a long line of debuts for the trainer, breeder and caretaker and the saddlers’ horses added their first win to their portfolio as they begin building a name for themselves in their own right – in what was only their second race start.
Misty Girl, may well be a name that punters who like a small flutter on their racing might want to remember with a showing like that. Home Bred by trainer Monk Hall and his wife Lynda, Misty Girl triumphed at the CTBA Oaks at Arapahoe Park on July 29, and in the seven furlong dirt sprint, Adrian B. Ramos rode the three year old alongside six other pairs. She came into the race as 1.3 favourite, and did not disappoint. It was an all round good day for the Hall’s as their joy doubled with dark bay filly ‘Just a Sec’ came in fourth with pre race odds of 28.4. Commenting on Misty Girl’s success, the Hall’s said.
“Everything you ask her to do, that’s what she wants to do, poses no problem whatsoever. It’s been a real treat to have this as a horse in our stable.”
Never was a truer word said, as she angled in and clocked a final race tie of 1:28.94 across the course.
Foaled in 1988, thoroughbred racehorse, Kennedy Factor, was also a stakes earner on the broodmare line as four of her nine offspring are now winners. The Hall’s also stable Misty Girl’s sire, Vice Lord and her dam, Lake Cider Girl and this family have been a major source of their success in the last three or four generations.
At the same track back in mid July, Misty Girl dominated the dirt track by an astonishing nine lengths to pick up her first purse of $21,851 and in less than two weeks she has now pocketed earnings totalling $28,271. Given the potential on show, future races will be eagerly awaited.
Having already tasted massive success, with total earnings now in the millions, the Hall’s remain grounded and thankful for how they have been blessed.
“The Lord has blessed us, we have been able to make a living racing horses and without traveling, which not very many people can do. We cannot take the credit. It has to be divine intervention, no doubt. There have been a few people come up since the race and say, ‘Oh, congratulations, you deserve this because you work so hard.’ It’s true that we work hard, but a lot of times, we work hard and don’t have the same success, and a lot of other people work just as hard and are not so blessed. It’s undoubtedly a blessing from the Lord that we’ve been given this filly, and we can’t take all that much credit.”
