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The first foal produced by Burning Memories, Fonner Park's 2003 horse of the meeting, is due within five weeks.
And co-trainers Jim and Deanna Cranwell are anxious to welcome a new arrival to their farm in St. Paul.
"We'll be excited," Jim Cranwell said.
The foal was sired by Blumin Affair, who stands for$2,000 at Roger's Ranch in Mead. Jim Cranwell and his wife can only hope that the foal will be as talented as Burning Memories, a career earner of $237,625 who was retiredto broodmare duty in 2006.
Burning Memories made 57 starts during a seven-year racing career that included 16 wins, six of which were earned in stakes races.The Cranwells bred andraced the Verzy mare out of Envy MeFool, by Epic Journey, who was unbeaten in four starts at three different distances during the 2003 Fonner season.
Burning Memories opened her '03 campaign by winning the four-furlong Bold Accent Handicap. That victory was followed by two wins at six furlongs, including a victory in the Runza Handicap. The bay mare was voted horse of the meeting after winning the Al Swihart Memorial Handicap, a6 1/2-furlong race.
"She won four in a row," Jim Cranwell said. "She could do it all."
Feeding time allows Jim Cranwell to see the 10-year-old Burning Memories on a daily basis. The veteran trainer said that even though he would like to see Burning Memories back in his shedrow again, he has no plans to return the mare to racing.
"I told her that she'd be retired," Jim Cranwell said. "So I better leave it that way."
Jim Cranwell said future breeding plans for Burning Memories are undetermined. He is in the process of choosing from several options in terms of stallions.
"I haven't decided yet," Jim Cranwell said. "I talked to a couple people in Kentucky. But I haven't made any decisions yet."
Handicapping hints
Simulcasting fans may want to take note when Jamie Ness starts a horse at Tampa Bay Downs.
The former Fonner trainer isearning a reputation as a king of the claimers while trying to lead allTampaBay trainers in terms of wins for the second-straight meeting. He currently leads the Tampa Bay trainer standings with 27 wins through Saturday.
"I make my living out of the claiming box," Ness said. "I do my homework and study the horses on and off the track, and I look at the trainer's tendencies.
"I don't have 2-year-olds and I don't have stakes horses. It's a blue-collar barn, so I need to know whatI've got."
Ness' ability to win with horses he just claimed makes his barn a must play in some races. Another tip off is jockey Daniel Centeno, Ness' go-to rider.
Ness, 33, was born in Huron, S.D., and is the son of trainer John Ness. Family influence played a big role in getting the younger Ness into the racing industry.
"My grandfather took me to the track when I was four-years-old, and I've been hooked ever since," Ness said. "My father was a trainer, and I grew up in the summers going to tracks with him to work. Racing got into my blood at an early age.
"My father is a very good horsemen and he showed me how to do it the hard way, without any big owners or big horses."
Ness' ability to earn seemingly improbable wins recently caught the attention of Todd Schrupp, a host/racing analyst for Television Games Network (TVG) who provided the trainer with on-air praise.
"Jamie Ness is a genius," Schrupp said. "Outstanding Jamie Ness another winner."
Ness' claim to fame is Lookinforthesecret. Since being claimed for $12,500 In January 2007 by Ness, Lookinforasecret has posted nine wins, five of which were earned in stakes races.
Jock talk
Jockeys Mike Ziegler and Luis Ranilla are among the riders planning to return to Grand Island.
Ziegler is a former Fonner regular who recently competed on the New Mexico and Minnesota circuits. Since beginning his riding career in 1987, Ziegler has compiled 1,987 wins, 80 of which were earned in stakes races.
Ranilla's ability to light up the toteboard by winning with horses at big odds earned the Peru native the nickname "Louie Longshot." Ranilla has been a regular rider for trainer Dan Coughlin in the past.
Other jockeys expected to join the colony include Terry Houghton, Jesus Ponce, and Wilfredo Arroyo.
Houghton has never ridden at Fonner during a 20-year career that includes 4,038 wins/ He is expected to ride in Grand Island for the first two weeks of the meet, then depart for Hawthorne Race Course in suburban Chicago.
Arroyo has previously ridden in Peru and at two Florida tracks Calder Race Course and Gulfstream Park. Ponce made his North American debut in 2006, and earned 43 wins while riding at a list of tracks that includes Churchill Downs,Saratoga RaceCourse, Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Bay Meadows RaceCourse.
"He comes highly recommended," agent Chuck Costanzo said. "He's never stepped back and tried the smaller tracks. He's kind of turning back in class a little bit.
"From what I can tell from watching him in the mornings hecan ride a little bit."
Costanzo expects Ponce and Arroyo tomake an immediate impact on the Fonner riding colony.
"It shouldn't be much of an adjustment,"Costanzo said. "These boys are hungry. They come in here wanting to make a living for themselves. They want to build themselves up. They usually come in trying really hard. They want to impress everybody."
Costanzo spoke shortly after buying lunch for trainer Marv Johnson. The agent hopes Johnson returns the favor by naming Arroyo and Ponce on live mounts when Fonner Park opens its live meet Friday.
"I'm hoping to ride quite a bit for Marv," Costanzo said. "I can't say for sure. You know how Marv is."
Costanzo jokingly added that Johnson "might get mad and fire me tomorrow."
Miss Macy Sue update
Veteran jockey Eusebio Razo Jr. has high hopes for Miss Macy Sue, a Grade 3 winner trained by former Grand Island resident Kelly Von Hemel.
Razo earned four stakes wins, including a victory in the 2007 Winning Colors Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs, aboard the five-year-old mare last season. Razo also guided the Trippi mare to a third-place finish in the inauguarl Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint onOct. 26 at Monmouth Park.
"The older she gets, the better she's getting," Razo told Daily RacingForm. "So hopefully, she'll give usmore excitement and more good racing."
Von Hemel has penciled in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which this year will be contested at Santa AnitaPark in Arcadia,Calif., as a long-range goal for Miss Macy Sue, who may make her seasonal debut at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs,Ark.
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