2023 Race Season Recap

All About Faith’s inaugural racing season brought to life our two-year-old filly’s fiery spirit. Her competitive and stubborn personality helped push her through a season of sore throats, sinus infections and a sore knee. Throughout the season, All About Faith’s fan club grew. Whether the race was near or far, she had fans in the stands decked out in their bright colored shirts, while others cheered from the comfort of their home.

Faith’s community followed her rookie season and experienced the highs of several first placed races, along with the disappointment of some losses and one night of terror when Faith was involved in a racetrack wreck leaving her spooked and her driver with a broken arm.

Faith’s first race was June 18th, 2023 at the Pickaway County Fair in Circleville, Ohio. The owners were nervous for their newest baby to compete in her first real race. The excitement was palpable. Faith raced fast and well and ended up in second place. She quite literally lost by a nose. But Faith was now an official racehorse and brought home her first purse winnings. The season was off to a promising start.

Faith’s second race was a qualifier at Scioto Downs in Columbus Ohio. In order to be eligible to race in the larger purse races, a horse must first run a qualifying time. Faith ran a strong race and took home her first win. With her time, she also qualified for both the Ohio Sires Stakes and the Buckeye Stallion Series.

Shortly after a strong qualifying race, Faith was back in Columbus for her first Buckeye Stallion Series race. She took home 2nd with a time of 1:59.4 and was right on track with her training schedule. Faith became sick a few days after this race with a sinus infection. This caused her to miss the next leg of the Ohio Sire Stakes and instead race in the Warren County Fair. Faith had the advantage of being at her home track with a crowd there to support her. In a nail biter, Faith came from behind on “the Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and beat Flip Five Stones by a nose. The following week Faith took home first place at the Fayette County Fair in Washington Court House, Ohio. She shaved 4 seconds off her time at the Warren County Fair.

After her success in Washington Court House, the team was optimistic for her next Buckeye Stallion Series race at the end of July. Unfortunately, Faith started with a fever the morning of the race and was scratched from the race. She had a throat infection. Faith’s team did everything they could to prepare her for the next Buckeye Stallion Series race just two weeks later at Northfield Park just south of Cleveland. In Cleveland, Faith’s driver took her the first quarter mile of the race too quick at a trot she could not maintain. The performance was disheartening watching Faith fight for 5th place.

Following the loss in Cleveland, Faith and her fans headed to Troy, Ohio to race in the Miami County Fair. It was an unseasonably cold and rainy August night. During the warmup prior to the race, another driver and horse locked wheels with Faith ripping her harness off, disconnecting her from the sulky and knocking the driver to the ground. The stands went eerily silent, and everyone waited anxiously not knowing if the drivers or horses were seriously injured. Thirty minutes later it was announced the race would continue. Everyone appeared to be okay. Faith’s harness and the driver’s sulky were not so lucky, but in good horseman fashion, everyone rallied behind her to find equipment and a cart for the team to borrow. With a near photo finish, All About Faith won the race. Our spirits were lifted as we saw hope in what appeared to be a career ending night.

Faith appeared to be in good spirits and we decided to race the following week at the infamous Darke County Fair, the home of the Parshall Memorial. Starting the race, we knew it would be a tough one, but not too tough for All About Faith to come down the stretch in the fastest 2 year old trotting filly time EVER in Greenville, Ohio. Faith took home another first place victory.

Faith returned to Greenville, Ohio four days later for the Parshall Memorial. The Parshall Memorial is open to any 2-yr old trotter in the USA and Canada. Faith ran faster than the previous week but ended up in 4th place, losing to several out of state horses.

Following the Parshall Memorial, Faith did not act like her feisty self. The wreck a few weeks prior started to take its toll even though Faith was racing well. After a visit to the vet and some rest at Trotter’s Run Farm, Faith raced her final race of the year in Delaware Ohio. It was clear Faith’s recovery was still ongoing as she finished in 5th place. With Faith’s best interest in mind, it was decided to cut Faith’s season short. Faith is settled in at Trotter’s Run Farm for a well-deserved holiday. She will start training again after Thanksgiving and the team is hoping to start her 3yr old season early at Miami Valley in Monroe, Ohio.