The Opposition is back

Loyal Opposition, the Pacing Mare of the Year in both 2004 and 2005, makes her seasonal debut in Friday night's 10th race at the Meadowlands, the second round of the Cape & Cutter Series.



Coupled in the wagering with Restive Hanover and Young's Tower, Loyal Opposition is rated 6-5 in the morning line, leaving from post six in the field of 10 mares.



Carrying a seven-race winning streak that began on Sept. 3 with a victory in the $331,500 Breeders Crown Mare Pace at Mohawk, Loyal Opposition will be making her 74th career start and seeking her 45th career victory in Friday night's Cape & Cutter. Andy Miller will be in the sulky behind the 6-year-old daughter of Cole Muffler.



The three-week Cape & Cutter Series concludes with an $88,610 final on Feb. 24.



"She has to race herself into shape and that's probably why she's lasted as long as she has," said owner Daniel Waxman. "It took her a few weeks last year to get going. It always takes her some time to get to the top of her game. She's also not real hard on herself."



With $2,522,388 banked and 64 of 73 in-the-money finishes, Loyal Opposition has few things to prove. In addition to her last two divisional titles, she was the Dan Patch Award winner as Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year in 2002. She has been honored as Illinois Horse of the Year for the past two seasons and also captured Canada's O'Brien Award in 2005.



"She doesn't owe us a cent, so if she doesn't want to race anymore she won't," said Waxman. "At the same time, there's a lot of money to be made and horses like this don't come around that often. I'm in this to have fun and race horses. There's nothing wrong with her and the second there is, then she's done."



Loyal Opposition prepped for her 2006 return with a pair of qualifiers at Balmoral Park in Chicago.



"She was good in her qualifiers, but I have no real huge expectations coming back," noted Waxman, who took over ownership of the mare from his father, Robert, in May of 2004. "Like I said, it takes her a couple of start. We tried to get her in at Balmoral Park last week."



Although home for Waxman is Ancaster, Ontario, he is now a transplanted Kentuckian.



"I'm attending law school at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, and I live right across the road from The Red Mile," he explained. "They have equine law here, plus I figured if I could be near a racetrack that would be nice, too. Plus, when I get a real job, I hope it'll be something to do with horses. I have spent time down here for the sales and racing, and I like the area. The Red Mile simulcasts so many tracks, except they can't show Thoroughbreds. The horses are what I like to be involved in."



In 2005, Loyal Opposition won 14 of 20 starts, including a pair of stakes at the Meadowlands – the $122,520 Overbid Final and the $100,000 Strada Memorial. In addition to the Breeders Crown, her stakes wins last year included the $316,910 Milton Stakes, $80,000 Allerage Farm and $70,000 Fairy Godmother, helping to lift her 2005 earnings to $673,525.



"The highlight last year was obviously winning the Breeders Crown (over Glowing Report and Burning Point in 1:51) at Mohawk," Waxman said. "My dad (Robert) had never managed to win one. He was second or third 11 times, and it was my first, so we were quite happy. She has won a lot of races, but the Breeders Crown is still a big deal.



"There was about a month last year when she just wasn't herself, just wasn't quite right," he noted. "She had a tough trip in the Golden Girls (Aug. 6), going to the half in :53.4 and three quarters in 1:21.4 before finishing sixth. But Erv (trainer Erv Miller) managed to get her back in form, and she finished the year as strong as she started.



"She'll have her breaks this season," he added. "The Classic Series is later this year, so they can get all of the top horses to race in it. After the Overbid, she won't have anything until the Lady Liberty (eliminations on June 9). We'll see what Erv tells us. I listen to him.



"Restive Hanover has been very sharp, and we know you have to be respectful of these mares," Waxman said. "Rainbow Blue and Cabrini Hanover are both coming back. Burning Point is a tough mare, so they never give away the money." (Meadowlands release)

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