One on one interview with It’s My Show

In a historical first for harness racing—or any racing breed, for that matter—Harnesslink has collared an exclusive interview with the Little Brown Jug winner, It’s My Show.

(The opinions stated by the horse, It’s My Show, are his alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the interviewer)

JB: We appreciate you, It’s My Show, agreeing to be the first equine interview in racing history.

IMS: Of course, you’re welcome. “Hay,” I am happy to be able tp speak my “pace.” It’s an honor to be the first horse doing something like this but, actually, I have to give credit to Mr. Ed and Francis the Talking Mule, who really were the first ones that were pioneers doing this 50 or 60 years ago.

JB: Before we get into your sensational win in The Little Brown Jug, let me go back to your infancy, if you don’t mind.

IMS: Sure!

JB: You were foaled March 20, 2020…

IMS: Yes, in Paris!

JB: Wait a minute, I didn’t know you were French bred.

IMS: Paris, KENTUCKY, you fool!

JB: That was just a joke, Show…just a joke. Have you no sense of humor?

IMS: OK, sorry. I am pretty serious when it comes to my racing career.

JB: You come from a large, well-bred family.

IMS: Yes, I am told I have several hundred brothers, sisters, half-brothers, half-sisters and so on down the line. I never personally met my dad, but I did spend a few months with my mom before I was kind of weaned away to begin training.

JB: Did your mom say anything about you leaving?

IMS: Yes, she sure did. She was kind of crass about. She said, “it’s about time you got out of this stable and start to earn a living. Parents send their kids on their way after college, and this is no different. You have a chance to make the family proud of you.

JB: Well, you’ve got the genes to do it!!

IMS: Jeans, did you say “jeans?” I have never seen a horse wear jeans before…that’s stupid, JB, and I’ve seen a lot of them. I romp and play with them in the field sometimes. Never have I seen one with jeans!

JB: Not THOSE kind of jeans…GENES…Gee—EEE—EN—EE—ESS…Genes! Bloodlines!…the basic unit of heredity.

IMS: Yeah, but just remember, I ain’t no college student. I am a racehorse right now…and now that I had my,…well, you know, cut off, I’ll always be a racehorse!!!

JB: But you do have some wonderful owners.

IMS: I sure do. My “young” owners make sure I am well cared for and I love them!

JB: Back to your family for a second…Your dad is Sweet Lou, and your mom is Put On A Show.

IMS: Yes, I’m told that they, too, were both in the racing business and worked on racetracks until they went on to greener pastures, so to speak, in the industry, if you know what I mean. Everyone knows dad…and my mom was almost as fast as dad was.

JB: Yes, I see your dad won around $3.5 million and mom around $2.5 million so I guess the Youngs had high hopes for you.

IMS: In racing, hopes are all you have. So many things can happen to you when your training down. You know, I trained down with a lot of horses…three minutes wasn’t a problem and I loved picking up speed week-after-week. But when you get down to 2:10 or 2:15 before you’re ACTUALLY a two-year-old, it’s there that the men are separated from the boys and the women are separated from the girls.

JB: So, tell me about your career on the track.

IMS: Well, to tell you the truth, I know I may have disappointed my “young” owners as a two-year-old. I mean, I was OK but I never won a single race although I did pace a mile in 1:50…but only finished second. Funny, I was told that, in the old days, 2:10 might get you a good check and, today, 1:55 might not be worth a plugged nickel.

JB: That 1:50 last season was against Confederate at The Red Mile.

IMS: Yes, it was…and he’s a—excuse my French—DAMN good horse. Heck I paced my last quarter in :26.1 that day and couldn’t dent into him. I did get some checks, but I never got the share I wanted for my great trainer and young owners.

JB: Well, that all changed this year, didn’t it?

IMS: Yeah, it sure did. I had a great winter and, after a few months off, I really matured and took things a bit—get it? bit—more seriously and qualified in 1:50.

JB: 1:50 to kick off your campaign.

IMS: Yes, but the highlight of that was my last quarter in :25.3!

JB: Thoroughbred time!

IMS: Couldn’t you just see me going by a thoroughbred in the final quarter of a mile?

JB: So, you came into 2023 with a positive attitude.

IMS: Yes, I did…I know I was a little ‘flighty’ in my early days and a scissors took care of that and you can credit my trainer and caretaker. I love them. Let me tell you about Linda (Toscano). Nobody could ask for a better person when learning the trade and staying healthy. She makes dreams come true.

JB: So, tell me about this season.

IMS: Well, I remembered my mom telling me about the family with a long history of great horses with many winning a million dollars or more. It was the kind of pep talk you need when you go out on your own.

JB: You won your first start in a NW2 race.

IMS: Yes, It was wet, dark, damp, cold and lonesome and the track was a couple of seconds off, if I recall. I wanted to keep the mud out of our eyes—Scott Zeron’s and mine—and we quarter moved and won in 1:51.1 with a last quarter in :26. I then won another…and another…and another. Then I went up to Canada.

JB: Yeah, the North America Cup.

IMS: Yes, I won the elimination in (1):48 and then was tested pretty hard going for $760,000 and I thought it would be a tough go. And I was right, and they threw the kitchen sink at me, but I got there first in 1:47.4 and did most of the work myself.

JB: Then, a bit of time off.

IMS: Yes, bless Linda (Toscano) for letting me have a bit of time to myself and, I admit, this was a tough trip for me.

JB: Then, you went to for The Adios.

IMS: I won the elimination from off the pace (but first up) and, the next week for the final, I had to cut some very difficult fractions and they got me in the final stages. Scott patted me on my neck with love and he had the confidence in my but…they got me…three of ‘em got me.

JB: You then went to the Red Mile for the Sire Stakes in Kentucky.

IMS: Yes, I love The Red Mile. From the track to the competition, it’s just a great place to race. And my first start down there was quite memorable for all of us.

JB: Yes, that was your mile in 1:46.4.

IMS: Yeah, but this time, before the race, I asked Scott to, maybe, keep me off the pace a bit so I could be the one to do the catching. When I peeked at the timer and saw 1:19.3, I started drooling and we got by a very tough Cannibal. Our class is very deep, you know…

JB: Yes, I know.

IMS: Excuse me, let me finish…the next week, I paced the fastest final quarter in my life—:25.1—but just could get to Cannibal, who was mighty tough that race. That last half was :52.4 and mine was :52.3, I think, and no disgrace to finish second there.

JB: You got a good chunk of the PASS final in Philly and, some say, you wanted to stay away from Confederate for the KYSS Final.

IMS: Let me tell you something, JB, and you can quote me, “Confederate is a great horse, yes, but I do not shy away from ANY competition. The Jug, with the eliminations, was worth a million dollars and the final would be something like $850,000 or so. I told everyone to go for the gusto.” Confederate’s dad his the same as mine…yes, kind of a “brudder” from another “mudder’…kind of a play on words when we hit an off track.

JB: Yes, that’s pretty funny..but let’s get back to the richest Jug ever!

IMS: Yes, I love the prestige of the Jug where every champion of note competed over their great half-mile track. I had never raced on a half miler before but certainly wasn’t afraid. Confederate was in Lexington…and that was his choice. The competition at Delaware was just as tough. What made it even more special was the fact that that track favors speed and the inside posts. I was solid behind the winner in the first heat and the only thing wrong with that is that I wouldn’t have any inside post advantage for a second heat. You know what? Coming from where I came from in the final was even better for my resume. Not many of my brothers and sisters over the years have done that! And in 1:49!

JB: Great for Linda and Scottie.

IMS: Yes, but great for me, too! That have done right by me and I’ll do anything for them! The only thing missing now are my…well, I’ll let you figure that one out!

by John Berry, for Harnesslink