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Lisa's Booby Trap, blind in one eye and wearing a hind shoe on one of her front feet to correct an ankle problem, remained undefeated in four starts when she romped to a six-length victory as the 3-2 favorite in the $68,600 Loudonville Stakes at Saratoga Race Course Aug.6 (VIDEO).
The 3-year-old filly is trained and owned by Timothy Snyder, who named her for his wife who died of cancer of 2003. Snyder said he is considering the Victory Ride Stakes (gr. III) Aug. 28 at Saratoga as the next target for his fast-improving charge.
Snyder, who has a one-horse stable, purchased the filly privately in January, putting down $2,000 on her $4,500 price tag and promising the rest if she won. The ankle issue was corrected with some rest and a change in shoes, and the blindness doesn’t seem to bother her.
Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Lisa's Booby Trap broke last in the six-furlong Loudonville before circling the field four wide around the turn to get the lead approaching mid-stretch. She drew away smartly under right-handed urging to handily defeat four sophomore filly rivals in a time of 1:09.64 over a fast track.
Nonna Mia, the second choice, finished second with John Velazquez aboard. Stormandaprayer set sizzling fractions (:21.53, :44.54) for Rajiv Maragh before weakening in the lane to finish third.
“I knew I had a smart rider and there was a lot of speed in the race,” said Snyder, “So I figured they’d run down the speed. She’s a big, long-striding horse and he had a lot of horse underneath. I was thinking of my wife all day. This story hasn’t ended yet – we have a long ways to go. We’re going to wait it out, but we’re thinking about the Victory Ride.”
It was the first stakes start for the Florida-bred daughter of Drewman--Ennuhway, by Notebook. She was scratched out of the Betfair TVG Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) July 24.
Lisa’s Booby Trap made her first start at Finger Lakes on May 24, leading from gate to wire in a six-furlong maiden race that she won by 17 ¾ lengths. She then wired a pair of Finger Lakes allowances by a combined margin of 19 lengths, setting herself up for a start at Saratoga.
“His late wife told him that she wanted to come back as a racehorse, and here she is, living vicariously through Lisa’s Booby Trap,” said winning jockey Kent Desormeaux. “As far as we believe, she’s inside – they have the same heart, and she’s carrying this horse. I know how fast she is, and for them to clear her, I knew they had to be smoking.’ Still and all though, she came and got them while they were running, so she’s of great talent, there’s no doubt.”
Bred by Ocala Stud, Lisa's Booby Trapp paid $5 to win while earning $42,000 for her owner.
