How good does it feel to win something when you’re not expected to?
Owner-fitness instructor Victoria Morse understands.
The 57-year-old previous groom for a few of the very best fitness instructors on the premises won Tuesday’s 2nd race at Assiniboia Downs with longshot Captive Kitten, who wasn’t even expected to live after a mishap in 2015, not to mention win a race.
Mike Thiessen / Winnipeg Free Press
Owner-fitness instructor Victoria Morse with Captive Kitten, who recuperated from an injury to go on to win as longshot.
The eight-year-old chestnut gelding lost an argument with a fence at complete speed last September and went flying side-first into a ditch. Covered in gravel-filled leak injuries, he started the long roadway to healing at Morse’s Harstone Stables in St. Andrews and surprisingly made it back to the racetrack this spring.
“The whole thing was just to get him back to health,” said Morse. “He was still in recovery mode when we put him back into training in February. We got rid of most of the scar tissue.”
Sent off at 8-1 in the six-horse field, Captive Kitten made the most of the disaster that constantly appears to occur in a horse race. Favourite Lucky Luke didn’t measure up to his name, breaking gradually and advancing to form among 3 various battles in the race that Captive Kitten had the satisfaction of stalking under leading rider Antonio Whitehall, and when it came time for the “Kitten” to attack, it was over rapidly. He opened into the stretch and there was no chance he was quiting the lead. He paid $18.60 to win.
Any concern of whether Morse believed she might in fact win the race, prior to it took place, were rapidly addressed in the psychological scene outside the winner’s circle when her child Beth Penton got the horse. It was absolutely an “Oh my God! We won!” minute for Morse and her group, that included her retired hubby, workout rider Douglas Badaloo, and Taegen Lippoway, who assists Morse on the farm.
“The reason we were so excited when he won is because he should have died,” said Morse. “I mean, the whole thing was to just get him back. To get him to run. Now it’s, I don’t know, it just…”
The popular ASD Twitterverse neighborhood likewise bore in mind with one Tweeter writing, “Anthony Whitehall can do no wrong.” And they were right. Whitehall is in the best form of his career right now and Captive Kitten received a perfect ride from the two-time riding champion.
Whitehall now has 18 victories, 10 more than Prayven Badrie (eight), and 11 more than 2021-2022 champ Jorge Carreno, who is tied for third in the standings with Damario Bynoe and Ronald Ali. Badrie won five races on the week, including three for four-time leading trainer Jerry Gourneau, who is now tied for second in the standings with six-time leading trainer Tom Gardipy, Jr. Lise Pruitt and Wendy Anderson top the trainer standings with seven wins a piece, and Anderson was the first to congratulate Morse on her win.
“I love the racing community,” said Morse, who has been around horses all her life. “I love the camraderie. I beat Wendy Anderson’s horse, and she came up to me in the kitchen to congratulate me. You know, it’s like Gary Danelson said in his tribute at the awards banquet. You can beat somebody, but they’re going to be in your barn having a beer with you after the races.”
Morse credited Danelson and Gardipy for offering advice that helped her get Captive Kitten back into the winner’s circle. “They’ve got a hundred years of experience between them,” said Morse, who likewise mentioned jockey agent Shane Ball.
“I have to give credit where credit is due,” said Morse. “Shane Ball said something to me last year, that every trainer should be sitting on the front of their horse’s stall trying to figure out how they can make their horse run better. I took that to heart and spent a lot of time thinking about how I could make this horse better.”
Combining the suggestions of the pros with all the love you can imagine is what got Captive Kitten home on Tuesday night. Not only does Morse spend time with her horse, but he likewise gets preventative medicine in the form of cold-water hosing, leg soakers, an electronic blanket and massage. He’s also had treatments from an osteopath and a chiropractor.
It’s amazing how much work goes into a single horse at the racetrack, especially when it’s the just horse in your barn. Captive Kitten is not only physically fit and healthy, he’s also mentally charged up, not only from his care, however from his win. You might see it in his spirited character Thursday early morning in the barn.
“He’s tolerated all my mistakes with good humour,” said Morse. “If love makes a horse run, this horse will run for a long time. He’s earned the right to have nothing but the best of care for the rest of his life.”
