Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Tetrick Scores in Rooney Pace

June 2, 2007

Southwind Lynx swept down the outside of the track to win the $1 million Art Rooney Pace final for 3-year-olds by a half length on Saturday night (June 2) at Yonkers Raceway. Driven by Tim Tetrick, Southwind Lynx raced well off the pace to win in 1:52.3 over Forensic Z Tam (Pat Lachance) and Home Bed Advantage (Tony Morgan) third.

Southwind Lynx is trained by George Teague of Houston, Delaware and co-owned by him with K and R Racing Stable. With the win on Saturday, he brought his lifetime earnings to $588,401 for a colt who cost $42,000 as a yearling.

Teague was not too surprised by his late-flying colt.

"Not really, I thought we had a good shot coming in if he raced liked he did last week (the colt made up 6-1/2 lengths in the homestretch in last week's Rooney elimination race). This colt can fly through the stretch. He still didn't get the turns like I'd like him to, but he flew in the stretch."

Teague made it clear he gave no instructions to Tetrick on the late closing colt.

"I make a common habit, I never tell a driver how to drive. I say 'Here's the lines.' I tell him how he's trained, how he's doing, but I never tell a driver how to drive. Zero, whether it's Harrington or The Meadowlands.

"We staked him to everything. He's always a little rolly-gaited, not lame, just a little rolly-gaited. He's very talented, he's out of a talented family (Real Artist-Luxury Class-Jate Lobell). I have a lot of confidence in him. He was third in the Breeders Crown eliminations last year, flying at the wire, he just got trapped in. He's a very talented colt. The North America Cup is next for him."

Tetrick admitted to some anxious moments down the backstretch.

"I was third-over and going down the back. I said, 'I'm too far out of it,' but it worked out. He picked up what I messed up on. I'm just so fortunate to do this on a high level. It hasn't hit me yet (that he won a million dollar race), but it will. I've worked a long time to get to where I'm at. A lot of work on the farm, training babies, messing with the cheap horses."

Tetrick noted that the key to the race was in the final strides.

"I knew the only way to win was to get them late. The horse doesn't have a lot of gate speed. I just hope they messed it up up- front and I could get money late. Going in to the half, I thought I was a little out of position but my horse overcame that."

$1 Million Rooney Memorial Pace Yonkers Raceway, Race Eight Sat, June 2, 2007
PP Horse                          Driver
6 Southwind Lynx                Tim Tetrick
8 Forensic Z Tam                Pat Lachance
5 Home Bed Advantage        Tony Morgan
4 Mattdultery                       Yannick Gingras
3 Tivoli Hanover                  Eric Goodell
7 Glass Pack                      George Brennan
2 Takeshigemichi                Tim Tetrick
1 Poker Hat                        James Morrill
27.3      56.1      1:24.      1:52.3