By JIM WELLS
Somebody wanted to know how many Blumin’ horses Dan and Bev Mjolsness own.
Well, Dan said, there is Bloom of Gold, Lefty Luke and, oh yeah, Colonel Joe, who had just demonstrated that sometimes second place isn’t so bad after all. All three of the horses count Blumin Sue as their dam.
The conversation ensued because Colonel Joe was second to the winner of Saturday’s Minnesota Thoroughbred Association Stallion Auction Stakes in the colts and geldings division _ Hesablumin by Blumin Affair from the Meadowlake mare Bay Symphony.
In the paddock before the race, Mjolsness made the following comment. “The No. 3 horse (Hesablumin) is favored.”
“Yeah, but he’s never run on this track before,” Bev countered.
“Well, Colonel Joe is from Blumin Sue who is by Blumin Affair, so our horse and that one are related,” Dan added.
Hesablumin is owned by William Gessmann and Ed Casady of Grimes Iowa. Gessmann was on hand to receive the winner’s trophy in the $40,000-guaranteed stakes race. He bought the winner at the Iowa Yearling Sale in Des Moines for $16,000.
Hesablumin, trained by Chris Richard, pulled away to an easy win under Richard Monterrey, to collect another $24,000 or so for his bankroll. The three-year-old gelding returned his purchase price long ago, however. He came into the race with earnings of $127,043 and as the winner of a $50,000 stakes race at Arlington Park his last out, on Aug. 15.
Blumin Affair, by the way, is out of Sue’s my Beau, who was a full sister to Hoist Her Flag, the only two-time Horse of the Year at Canterbury. Hoist Her Flag was owned and race by Dan and Bev Mjolsness.
STALLION AUCTION FILLIES
Everybody’s chances improved Saturday when Jayana was scratched after refusing to leave the paddock before the race. Try as they might, jockey Dean Butler and the pony rider couldn’t get this filly to budge.
Trainer Franciso Bravo, for one, was wondering if the filly might be scratched. He saddled Bump’ ndazzle.but didn’t like his chances as much with the 8-5 Jayana in the field.
Only she and Bump’ndazzle had as many as two wins in the original field of six, and Jayana had the most earnings, nearly $35,000.
Without her to temper their plans, rider Jesse Garcia sent this filly to a wire to wire victory, finishing 12 ¼ lengths in front of Fancy for Ghazi.
The winner is owned by Ann and Sunil Sachdev of Eden Prairie. Sunil accepted the trophy and dedicated it to his wife, who had undergone surgery and was unable to attend Sunday’s race.
With Jayana out of the race, the winner was sent off as the even-money favorite and picked up a check for $24,000 to go with previous earnings of $26,000.
WHEN AN OWNER’S EYES ARE SMILING
Derek Allen won’t be there Sunday to see his horse run. He’s stuck up north with his mom and sister, fishing and tubing and everything else a seven-year-old likes to do when a late summer vacation takes him to Lake Mille Lacs.
This is the culmination of a story that started two years ago when Derek was just five and on vacation in Cancun, Mexico. Derek had a perpetual smile on his face during his Mexican getaway and the locals started referring to him as Senor Smiley.
His dad, by the way, is Paul Allen, the track announcer at Canterbury Park, who upon his return to the racetrack applied the nickname to jockey Juan Rivera for similar reasons.
Then, trainer Bryan Porter surprised Rivera by naming a horse Senor Smiley, creating an interesting verbal juggling act for Allen: Now riding Senor Smiley is Senor Smiley.
Then Allen decided to surprise his son and make him a part owner in Senor Smiley. Allen worked out an agreement with Porter for a 7 ½ percent ownership stake for 7 ½-year-old Derek.
Derek filled out the ownership papers at the racing commission office and was presented with a badge identifying him as a horse owner. The badge allows him access to such wonderful places as the paddock, where he has been before, and the stables, where he has been before.
Derek didn’t remove the badge for several days, even sleeping with it on. “Yeah, for three nights in a row,” his father said.
Senor Smiley will run in Sunday’s third race as a 3-1 choice, and Derek will be able to watch via Netjams from his fishing location.
Maybe his father will even surprise him with an introduction along these lines:
Now riding Senor Smiley, owned in part by the original Senor Smiley, is Senor Smiley.
