Rambling Sets Race on Fire in Midsummer Classic

Original article written by Marzy Dotes posted 10 years 4 weeks ago

The two flashy colts recognized each other from across the saddling area. Save for their coloring, they could almost stand together as the Wonder twins since they share the same height and the same stripe streamed down the middle of their faces.

Doc Halliday and Ice and Fire had been separated by many miles as they parted onto separate paths after their adventures in this year’s Triple Crown. Doc went up north to the Queen’s Derby which he won impressively while Ice stormed up to take the El Rival Decade Stakes at The Spa.

Now they were both facing each other and a small group of other horses in the $1 million Grade I Midsummer Classic.

The two steeds both bred and owned by Eric Nalbone had cleared missed each other. Doc Halliday had the faded red roses that he’d earned in the Louisville Derby to comfort him while Ice and Fire had the memories of a race almost won.
Renowned jockey and model David Faulkner had ridden them both but had opted to ride Doc Halliday when the two horses faced off against each other. Edgar LeBlanc previously picked up the assignment on Ice and Fire but curiously enough, he was a no show at the Spa.

Showing up in the paddock instead was Glenn Sykes who deferred questions about his status from the media to his agent.

The reunion between the two horses touched the hearts of many who watched as they trotted up to each other whinnying and nuzzling each other. But as mighty and talented as these runners are, neither would reach the winner’s circle that day.

Instead, a dark bay colt who looked an awful lot like one of them would seize the race at the start and never give it up to defeat Ice and Fire by 3 ½ lengths. Rambling who is as regally bred as any other colt in this race simply owned it showing that his prior win in the Puerto Rico Cup could be the beginning of something very special.

What’s not to like about this Susie Rydell homebred?

He’s by North American Champion Three Year Old Colt Flames who nearly won the Triple Crown himself and beat out Wow and War Daddy in a nail biting performance in his own Midsummer Classic 10 years ago. Flames proved to be quite the stallion siring two Louisville Derby winners in Fire and Smoke and Ball of Fire who won last year’s Classic.

Flames is pretty hot though his fertility could be snuffed out as early as next year. Still, it’s the broodmare Clearly Best who wears the best name in this relationship. She’s a two time North American champion older mare, two time Steward’s Cup Ladies Route winner and more recently, broodmare of the year. She earned that huge honor by doing what appears to come naturally to her siring awesome horses including four millionaires so far.

The best known Amber, often dominated the male runners in such races as the Steward’s Cup Classic and the Baltimore Special which earned her the North American horse of the year title. Another female runner, Valiantly won the Steward’s Cup Ladies Route herself and her first foal, Poetic by Awake As I Am will soon be making his debut.

With bloodlines like that inside you, it can weigh heavily on a young horse to deliver on that promise. Rambling stumbled at first, struggling to find the right equipment while doing his early training including timed workouts.

He clicked with blinkers but what of that elusive second piece?

The first two starts he finished fourth using Lasix which didn’t quite seem to fit but when he switched to a tongue tie to help his breathing, he broke his maiden by a length over Maryland. He won a conditional stepping stone before a very close second place finish in the St. Louis Derby where he showed some impressive speed.

He jetted down to the Caribbean and soared in the Puerto Rico Cup by five lengths stamping himself at last as a horse to watch.

The two Nalbone horses had it in their hearts to win themselves. Doc Halliday is by the sensational War Daddy whose success on dirt has stunned and his flirtation with all weather has intrigued. That little devil Flames slipped into this family tree too when he met up with Hall of Famer Wonder to create Sleep Soundly who cost as much as the annual output of some corporations at $58.5 million.

This colt dashed to wins in his first two starts before a fourth place finish in the Steward’s Cup Juvenile just behind Ice and Fire. He won both his Triple Crown preps and then the first jewel itself. His trip to the Baltimore Crown proved a disappointment as he finished fourth but it didn’t take him long to get on the winning track.

Ice and Fire is by who else, but Flames and is out of another stellar daughter of Wonder named Asleep As I Am who’s of course the full sister to a Triple Crown winner. This stunner of a colt won his first race before finishing second in the Buckingham Stakes before that Juvenile where he edged out his stable mate to hit the board. He then finished behind Doc Halliday at Louisville Downs before crashing to seventh in that bummer of a Baltimore Crown.

They both looked sharp and ready to try to dominate the race like they did with their one-two finish in the Louisville Derby. Too tough to call, some said during their reunion in the saddling paddock.

Word liked to keep things simple including his name and the black colt who’s by Who I Am had won three of his seven starts coming into this race. Bred and owned by Jolene Danner, he’d grown up with tales of how his half brothers Adage and Long Island Classic winner Literature had both won the Midsummer Classic with the former doing the naughty by defeating Harry Potter.

Like them, he’s out of Broodmare of the Year Lore whose life was once saved in an incredible turn of events to the tune of $16 million. So far Word had won three out of seven starts including a couple of stakes. More recently he struggled in the Triple Crown finishing off the board in two of its jewels but he impressed quite a few people when he reached The Spa.

Cleo Patra brought her handsomely built chestnut colt Cruising Speed into the race after a third place finish in the Queen’s Derby. She picked up this nice son of Steward’s Cup Marathon winner High Esteem at auction for $1.55 million and he’s out of Shindo Falls who’s by Stay Awake. This year he’d won his first two stakes starts before finishing 10th in the Louisville Derby.

Josh Lamp picked up Raceway for $1.5 million and he’s a bold son of Father’s Day who’s better known for siring classy fillies in the shed. Broodmare Whistling’s a stakes winning daughter of East and Raceway’s her first foal to hit the racetrack. He’d won four starts including both the Clearwater Derby and the Puerto Rico Crown earlier this year.

The horses warmed up before entering the starting gate with Doc Halliday and Ice and Fire cantering together while Rambling checked out the scenery around him.
When the gates opened, Rambling had the jump on everyone but Ice and Fire sat chilly just a half length behind him followed by Doc Halliday. Cruising Speed and Raceway settled in behind them with Word picking up the rear early on.

As they traveled into the backstretch, Rambling zoomed out to a 2 ½ lead surprising the others with Ice and Fire trying to keep pace in front of Cruising Speed who nosed out Doc Halliday for the third spot. Raceway fell further behind him and Word was last by over five lengths.

Into the far turn, Rambling still enjoyed a nice lead of 2 ¼ lengths over Ice and Fire with Cruising Speed fighting to keep Doc Halliday from passing him while Raceway and Word closed on the rest of them.

The people in the grandstand stood up on their feet anticipating a big grueling stretch battle to the wire but it never emerged as Rambling simply shook his competition off to win by 3 ½ lengths over Ice and Fire. That horse held off a closing Word who finished third, by a neck. Not much distance separated the horses that finished behind the winner who completed the 1 ¼ miles distance on the dirt oval in 1:59.46.

Rambling headed back to the barn, to rest up and await the decision on where he’ll be sent next and what his future holds. He certainly showed that he’s one to watch in the dirt routing wars which are as brutal as ever this season taking place on battlegrounds all over the world.

The two Nalbone horses were a bit dejected in defeat but skipped joyously back to their adjoining stalls together to enjoy their time together.

Cruising Speed was sold not long after to Lauren Haggerty for $3.5 million.
But long after the racehorses had warmed down and headed back to the barns, people talked about the stallion who’d firmly stamped this year’s rendition with his bloodlines.

Flames who’s not only handsome and successful but probably one of the best bargains on the dirt routing scene is still shining brightly but it remains to be seen for how much longer before he flickers out. So you better get him while he's still hot!

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