Carlspur wins qualifier

It took over eight months but Carlspur has “made it through the rain.” He’s back and on Friday, trainer Tony Salerno vanned Carlspur to Freehold Raceway to attempt to qualify the $882,000 career earner and handed the lines to Steve Smith, and it paid off with a victory.

The veteran pacer started from post five and Smith had him on the lead almost immediately and he was little more than a passenger  as the ole campaigner rumbled through fractions of :28.4; :58.3 and 1:28.3 and then finished in a time of 1:58 some 14 lengths ahead of his nearest competitor.

Two weeks after being named Monticello Raceway’s Horse of the Year last Oct. 28 the veteran pacer was stricken with an extremely bad case of colic and was rushed to New Bolton Center in greater Philadelphia for emergency surgery. After a 2-plus hour surgery where a good portion of the horses intestines were removed the pacer began a long road back. Progress was slow and deliberate and unrushed but the “ole campaigner” continually made progress.

First there was a long stall rest; then weeks of  hand walking followed by a month of slow jogging. Then came slow training miles and then more serious conditioning. Seven weeks ago the pacer trained a mile in 2:12 but something just wasn’t right.

Co-owner Tom Trezza --of the Salerno-Trezza Partners 25—for one, certainly had his heart in his is mouth after Carlspur came up gaseous and fear set in that the pacer was again colicky.

“It only mounted to a minor setback due to gas pockets and thankfully turned out to be nothing serious,” Trezza related, much relieved..

Training at the Sky View Farm--co-partner and trainer Tony Salerno’s spread in New Jersey-- continued and Carlspur was honed down to a mile in 2:05  and then one in 2:03.

Someone “up there” must like the Carlspur connections or maybe it just that their love and dedication, not even counting the money invested, has paid off.

Not a dry eye could be seen in the Salerno-Trezza connection on hand to witness Carlspur’s return.

“Now a minor decision must be made whether to qualify Carlspur one more time or enter him to race,” Trezza said. “But this is the most pleasant decision that we’ll have to make with the old guy since last November.”                  

Though the pacer is yet to compete for money he’s back from oblivion. And Carlspur’s connections are certainly to be congratulated. It took plenty of money, love  and strong wear and tear on many heart-strings but mostly it was a determination that they weren’t going to let Carlspur die and they would do anything they needed to try to bring their “pride and joy” back to the races.  

The Carlspur saga brings to mind the Barbaro story but unlike that one this has a happy ending and Carlspur’s connections should be commended for never giving up in spite of tremendous odds. (Monticello)

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