A mare flies to the sky too early

If there is a paradise for harness racing horses anywhere, then Potenza OM (Yankee Slide) is there. Indeed, in recent weeks, one of the most important mares of the last twenty years for the Italian trot, capable of incursions into French land with important victories that we will analyze below.

The cause of her death dating back to the end of February, were the problems that arose after Potenza OM gave life to what will forever remain her last daughter on this earth, had by the stallion Vivid Wise AS.

Fortunately, in the misfortune of the incident, her filly didn’t have any repercussions and her good health allowed her not to be affected by a birth whose consequences necessarily led the veterinary team to make the difficult and painful decision. together with the property, to subject Potenza OM to euthanasia.

Having given a brief overview of the unfolding of the painfully occurring events, it is necessary to retrace what was the earthly existence of Potenza OM. Born in 2009 in one of the most important historical breeding farms of the Italian trot, Orsi Mangelli, an excellent blood flowed in the veins of Potenza OM coming from the paternal line and, equally excellent, was her female pedigree.

Potenza OM’s sire was the American Yankee Slide, himself a son of Self Possessed and So So Chic (Sir Taurus). Therefore, it is easy to understand that the paternal line was already one of the fundamental ones thanks to the presence of valiant stallions that have contributed to making the trot great all over the world: Valley Victory and Speedy Crown.

Even the maternal line of Potenza OM, wanting to dwell on it from a genealogical point of view, is one of those worthy of great consideration: in fact, her mother was Fiancee Di Jesolo and despite a low technical agonistic career which saw her record a record of 1.18 .6 and nearly 2,000 euros in winnings, she was able to pass on the goodness of her pedigree to her daughter.

Potenza OM is the only real success in breeding of her dam who besides her has not produced horses capable of distinguishing themselves in the race. Potenza OM’s maternal grandfather was in fact Kramer Boy while her maternal grandmother was that Neve Di Jesolo daughter of Bion Di Jesolo who dated back to the indispensable Sharif Di Jesolo.

Having analyzed Potenza OM’s pedigree, it is right now to open a short magnifying glass for reasons of space on her competitive career. It may seem strange but to better understand the athletic feats of this mare, it’s a good thing to start from the end: 1.10.9 of records and around 300,000 euros in sums won.

At the end of its racing career, these are the numbers that Potenza OM was able to achieve: important values both from the point of view of speed and the economic aspect. In fact, there must necessarily be a reason, and the reason is immediately found. Potenza OM has been competitive throughout her racing career in classic contests winning for example the City of Naples, the Milan Cup, the Prix D’Avenches in the beautiful setting of the Vincennes black track and the Royal Mares, one of the most important races for the females concerning the Italian circuit.

The words reported in the Italian press by Alberto Forti, the historic owner of Potenza OM, are very beautiful and are indicative of the fact that, very often, a lot of luck is needed with horses.

Making a brief summary of her testimony, Potenza OM was presented at Italian auctions when she was a yearling but nobody wanted her. She was small in size and evidently did not fill the eyes of the possible customer, so her breeder brought her home and put her back in the paddock until Mr. Forti, together with his other friends, went to the stable and being the last one left disposition of her age, he bought it.

Her first relationship with the track wasn’t the best, she didn’t like the trot but it was her pace that was her favorite gait. At a certain point however, in her preparation as a young mare an important man of horses took over, capable of establishing something particular especially with foals: Hennie Grift.

He was the first to realize that, even if Potenza OM didn’t seem to want to commit, in reality she was hiding qualities which according to him would have led her to become an important mare.

Grift was not wrong and after a few coaching changes motivated by various reasons on which it is not appropriate to stop here, the mare achieved her most important racing results with Holger Ehlert and then with the Rantanen-Gubellini team.

The transition to breeding was signed for Potenza OM, its owners and for all the people who have followed her athletic deeds, a new beginning in a new version full of expectations.

When a mare manages to become a champion on the track, she is obviously expected to take the new path in the dam version and, usually, it is expected that the results obtained on the track will be the same as she will be able to give in the stud farm.

Unfortunately, this was not the case for Potenza OM. With the exception of the last daughter by Vivid Wise AS. who at the moment cannot be evaluated, her other three daughters currently in the running (she only gave birth to females) have distinguished themselves but with results far from their mother.

The first of these is Champagne Dream (Maharajah) which up to now has recorded a record of 1.13.4 and around 20,000 euros in winnings. His second daughter is called Don Perignon (Maharajah) and also with a record of 1.13 wins around 10,000 euros she was able to honor the memory of her mother by winning a few days after her death in Florence in the hands of Pietro Gubellini.

The youngest however, Enjoy Dream (Owen’s Club) wrote her record in 1.18 and won around 2,000 euros.

It is hopeful that one of Potenza OM’s daughters may one day produce perhaps a champion as good as their dam was on the racetrack and carry her legacy forward.

by Filippo Lago, for Harnesslink