Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Stylish Solutions wins Big M Open

December 8, 2007

Stylish Solution made it eight straight wins in the $46,500 featured mares open on Friday night at the Meadowlands.

Stylish Solutions & driver Brian Sears Trainer Nat Varty

She popped off the cover of the leader, Miss Galvinator, in the stretch and rolled to a 1 1/4-length win in 1:51.2. Free finished third after a first-over bid for the lead. Stylish Solution, driven by Brian Sears, paid $6.20 to win.

A recent addition to Nat Varty’s barn, Stylish Solution made her Meadowlands debut on Nov. 23 and quickly rose to the open ranks. David Schneider of Coral Springs, FL purchased the 4-year-old daughter of Artiscape from Sid Korn and Alvin Jacobson in June, after watching her race at Yonkers. Although she made only five starts as a freshman and sophomore, Stylish Solution has blossomed at four and has now won 10 of 27 races.

Schneider sent her to William Daumit’s barn over the summer and she raced without much success in the following months at The Meadows, Northfield and Scioto Downs. She reached a turning point when she was shipped to Colonial Downs in September.

“She didn’t handle the smaller tracks as well,” Varty noted. “She ended up at Colonial Downs and it just broke her loose. The one turn and easier racing made her go and she just worked her way up. When they closed up, [David] wanted to try her here [at the Meadowlands]. I don’t know why she didn’t race much as a 2- and 3-year-old, but she’s sound enough, big, strong and willing.”

"It's a pretty stiff jump to the open and it's hard enough to win at the Meadowlands, but we'll see," Varty said.

Varty, a 36-year-old Ontario native, recently moved to the Mt. Hope Training Center in Middletown, NY.

"It's been a nice rebuilding year for me," he said. "I relocated and won over 100 races and $1.6 million. Saturday night horses like Extender and Allstar Blue Jean didn't hurt. I also had nice mares like Flibbertigibbet and Ulrica Bromac. Ulrica Bromac [a1:49.3 winner at the Meadowlands] is six-for-six. Right now, she's two-for-two in a series at Chester, and she's in the Cape and Cutter and Overbid. I think she's pretty special."

Varty has 25 horses in training and is looking to add to that number.

"We're selling a couple and looking to buy a few at the upcoming January Sale [Tattersalls Mixed Sale at the Meadowlands]. I don't have any yearlings, but I have some 2-year olds coming three. I've got a 3-year-old Western Hanover filly, Vaudeville Margie, we bought at Harrisburg, who made a break in the Breeders Crown. We did a throat operation on her and we think a lot of her.

The conditioner plans to be active in the claiming ranks this winter.

"You have to claim a horse now knowing you're renting it for a week," he noted. "There are certain ones that come along that you can have a long-term objective with. Maybe a hot, runaway type you might want to try to baby it along and turn it into a closer. There are obviously different things to think about when you're claiming one. Someone else's problem can be someone else's jewel. You just have to watch and trust your experienced eye.

"To get those few that come from humble beginnings like the Iowa fairs you have to be pretty lucky," he added. "You have to have somebody there scouting for you. If they can show some speed and ability on those bullring tracks then you've got a shot."