Julie's plans for Jim in Sweden

“I don’t usually get emotional about these things,” said trainer Julie Miller. “But when the doors to the van closed and Lucky Jim left for the Elitlopp, I felt like I was sending my first-born off to his first day of kindergarten by himself. I’ve never been one to get really emotional about that kind of thing and I’ve always prided myself on raising independent kids, but when Jim left we all got a little emotional.”

Like many a first-class traveler, Miller said that Lucky Jim traveled with a personal assistant – temporary caretaker Jenny Melander – and a lot of luggage, mostly in the form of his own bottled water and a special request for bedding.

“They told me the water in Amsterdam might be a little suspect so I went to Sam’s and bought him a lot of bottled water,” said Miller. “They looked at me like I was crazy, but I said it’s for my horse, just don’t ask. I told Jenny to use bagged shavings when they got there, but I also told her to use her judgment and if what they’re using looks good to go ahead and use that.”

Sending a horse overseas to race is always a huge undertaking and Miller sent Melander, a native of Sweden, with Lucky Jim and is confident he’s getting the best possible care while staying at Glen Norman’s farm.

“Jenny actually picked the farm where he’s staying, Glen Norman’s, after looking on the Internet. It’s got a lot of turnout and it’s close to the track so we can go and train there.”

The easygoing SJ’s Photo gelding has settled in, Miller said. “Jenny said he’s adapted well. The truck got lost so they got in really late at night, but he ate right away and they slept in, turned him out for a couple of hours and  then he jogged Thursday morning. She said he was a little tucked up and a little more lazy than usual but that’s to be expected after a long trip.”

Miller said Lucky Jim was an excellent traveler. “Remember it took three days to get there.  Once he gets acclimated he’ll be fine. That’s why we went so early. He has the time he needs to recover and by the time we get there next Wednesday, he should be ready to rock.”

The trip overseas was not the first tough trip Lucky Jim has had recently. He finished second to Arch Madness in the Cutler memorial on May 15 at the Meadowlands, but Miller said she, and everyone else, should keep that race in perspective.

“I was really happy with his race in the Cutler,” she said. “Andy (husband and driver Andy Miller) and I are huge believers in one race does not make or break a horse. I believe that if we manage him correctly he can have a long and successful career which is what we want, When the gate folded and he got away four-wide and didn’t get away as well as I would have liked, what was Andy supposed to do? Leave a hundred or tuck behind a gapping horse? Once that happened and Arch Madness got the jump on us, it was obvious we weren’t going to be able to catch him, so why should Andy have abused him?”

Miller is also quick to credit the quality of Lucky Jim’s competition “Let’s not forget Arch Madness is a very good horse, an amazing animal, just like Enough Talk and In Focus, I mean they all are and sometimes a race is going to go more advantageously for one horse than another,” she said.

Now that her trotter is settled in and ready to go international, the Millers are, too.

“We fly out Monday and get there Tuesday,” she explained. “I’ll jog him Tuesday and Andy will go the last trip with him on Wednesday to make sure everything is good. I’m excited.” (harnessracing.com)

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