Failed racehorse has big lead in OTTB hunters

OTTB Feather has a major point lead in the ongoing TAKE2 Thoroughbred shows. Ridden by owner Scotty Sherman, the pair will be hard to catch before the end of the competition season Oct. 2. Photo courtesy TAKE2

Scotty Sherman’s Feather has soared to a commanding lead in the TAKE2 Hunter Division with 4,648 points, more than double that of Cree Sauer’s Cooperstown now in second place.

Feather, who raced under the name She’s From Money, was bred in Maryland and sold for $1,000 as a yearling. She was unsuccessful in four starts at the track, earning just $1,980, but has blossomed since changing careers. (Please see earlier story in Off-Track Thoroughbreds.com).

The 7-year-old mare was reserve champion hunter in the TAKE2 Thoroughbred League last year, and she will be tough to catch this season. The Thoroughbred League’s second season concludes Oct. 2.

She’s From Money
Show name: Feather
Sire: Love of Money
Dam: Alvinia, by Horatius
Foal date: Feb. 28, 2009“Feather came from a racing background, not a jumping back ground like so many of the horses today, but she had a very special ability that a lot of horses do not have,” said owner/trainer/rider Sherman.

“Her biggest attribute is that she absolutely loves to jump; so teaching her how was very easy and fun. I think the most special thing about Feather is the way she glides across the ground, and the jump is just an extension of her canter.”

The veteran horsewoman added, “I have to give credit to Lynn Richardson, who found Feather on the racetrack and recognized her potential and brought her to me to train. Upon riding her, I knew I had to have her.

Feather and owner/rider Scotty Sherman have been winning hunter championships against talented Warmbloods in the Mid-Atlantic region, and are currently in the lead in Thoroughbred shows presented by TAKE2.

“Feather also has a full staff of people who wait on her hand and foot. Mary Wintz is her wonderful caretaker who has spoiled her rotten; Don Dressel, farrier to the stars, has made her little Thoroughbred feet beautiful; Dr. Roger Scullin, the most talented vet in the world, has kept her athletic body in prime condition.  It has taken an army who all love her to make her so consistently great!”

Sherman had high praise for TAKE2 as well.

“The TAKE2 Program is the best thing that has happened to racehorses ever,” she said. “It is a wonderful chance for these talented animals to have a life and bring pleasure to so many people that could not afford a Warm Blood. It is also rewarding to see the Thoroughbreds get recognition for their accomplishments.”

Grace Allen’s Bowie leads the TAKE2 Jumper Division with 989.67 points, and Alexandra Talmage’s Endimeous Triumph is second with 799. Click here for current TAKE2 Thoroughbred League Standings

The prestigious Capital Challenge Horse Show will host the presentation of the TAKE2 Thoroughbred League’s 2015 High-Score Hunter and Jumper Awards. The ceremony will be held Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016 at the Prince George Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD.

“We are very proud of the success that the TAKE2 Program has enjoyed in such a short period of time, and very grateful for all the support we have received from the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry and the horse show community as well,” said TAKE2 President Rick Violette Jr. “By working together, we have created something special that opens doors for racehorses after they leave the track and helps provide them with the happy and secure retirements they so richly deserve.”

— This blog is made possible by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF,Inc.), the county’s oldest and largest sanctuary of its kind. There are nearly 900 ex-racehorse Thoroughbreds in the TRF herd.