After long journey, “Harry Scary” rewards Day

Riversdream (Il Sogno Dream) started late, suffered bone chips and stress lines, and frequently attacks passersby, but harness racing trainer/driver Natasha Day has kept the faith.

On Friday (Jan. 20) at The Raceway at the Western Fair District, off a four-month layoff, the gelding cruised to victory by three-and-a-half lengths with Day at the lines to break his maiden at five years old. But while his 10-1 odds reflected his ostensibly poor past performances, the betting public saw nothing of his long path to victory.

Day broke him in at three in 2021 at the behest of owner/breeder Michel Lariviere, who prefers to give horses time to develop before starting their racing careers. While training down, the gelding suffered bone chips in one hock and required surgery and an extended rest. Lariviere made the call to shut him down that winter, and Day put him back to work in Spring 2022. He qualified thrice before debuting in August and breaking stride in back-to-back starts, prompting Day to send him for another checkup. There, they discovered stress lines in his knee bones, prompting another layoff. He returned to training late last fall and successfully qualified on Jan. 12, 2023.

On Friday, he rocketed from third to the front and rocketed four lengths away in the third quarter. He extended his gap further on the final turn and coasted to the wire to take his first career mark of 2:03.

RIVERSDREAM REPLAY

His big win took a load off Day’s shoulders.

“It was a sigh of relief, I tell you, it was – I finally just let the breath out,” Day said of her feelings at the finish. “Because, basically, every time I’ve raced him, it’s like ‘just don’t run, don’t run, don’t run.’ It’s kind of like as soon as you get on the track, it’s just ‘hold your breath.’ As soon as we got over the line, I was like, ‘oh, thank God, you just didn’t run.’ That’s all I wanted.

“So yeah, for him to win, I was kind of like ‘what the hell just happened?’”

Through the ups and downs of their journey though, Day has expected the gelding to reach this point.

“I always knew he had the ability. It’s just – he basically needed the stars, the heavens, the universe to all align for him to actually go and win (on Friday),” said the 44-year-old horsewoman. “It was just like ‘how did all of this come together finally?’ He’s always been a true professional on the track – I can’t fault him on the track. Him running was him trying to tell me something and I just had to listen to what he was saying. But as far as anytime I work him at home, even just taking him to the track to race, he’s always been a true professional.

“He’s always given me that feeling from the word ‘go’ that this horse can be a very handy little horse.”

But “Harry Scary” has also made his mark in another way – on the skin and clothes of barn workers. The gelding is known for his mean streak. He will lunge at people over gates and while in the crossties, and he has gotten a strong hold on a few unfortunate victims. Once, he used his hoof to tear a groom’s new jeans. Day said her gaze keeps him behaved, but when her back is turned, the horse will return to his usual antics. But, Day said, “he’s like a big pussycat.” He will sink his teeth into someone if he can, but “if you call his bluff on it, he will pout really badly.”

Day said that the temperament is something you can condone more when the horse has potential.

“You know what, I deal with him,” the native of Gold Coast, Australia said. “He’s got such a great attitude, he really does. He wants to do everything and because he goes on the track and he goes forward, you put up with those sorts of little things in the barn. You tolerate it, you do your best to work around it. You kind of put up with it when they’ve got a little bit of ability.

“He’s got character, that’s all I put it down to.”

Day gives a lot of credit to Lariviere, who has been patient and caring with the horse. When she asked for time off with Riversdream, Lariviere was in full agreement. He has always let Day do what she thought was best for the horse and has been supportive the whole way. Another horse he brought to the trainer has required even more patience, and Lariviere has been happy to oblige.

“Mike’s been great,” Day said. “Mike is one of those guys, you know, his horses pretty much have a home for life with him when he breeds them. So we probably need more people like him in the sport that are that way inclined with their horses, that are willing to give them time.

“A lot of kudos has to go to Mike as an owner and the breeder. He’s taken a long time and been very patient and hasn’t minded too much with what I’ve said with trying to manage the horse. […] I can’t compliment him enough for being that sort of owner that’s just let me do what I want with the horse and take the time I’ve needed to take with him.”

Day said, regarding Riversdream’s attitude, that she “just wants him to string two races together and not run.” The gelding will get his chance to do that on Jan. 27, when he’s entered in the 4:50 p.m. EST opener in London. “Harry” will race under the same condition as Friday’s win and will start from post six.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink