Sometimes it’s the quiet, non-unassuming types that make the most noise.
Artie is a 3-year-old gelding owned and bred by Winnipeggers Ken Lee, Dennis Mitchell and Don and Gaye Bell. He looks like your everyday Thoroughbred with just plain brown colouring, one small dot of white on his forehead. He is a friendly fellow who hangs out in his stall in the barn of trainer Martin Drexler at Woodbine and was considered a nice little future racing prospect.
That is, until the Kentucky-bred son of Artie Schiller – Copenhagen Cowgirl by More Than Ready started more serious workouts this year.
“He started working in 59 (for five furlongs and 46 (half a mile),” said Ken Lee, who raced horses for a couple of decades with his late wife Sandra Lepard and friends Mitchell and the Bells.
“Last year as a two-year-old he was very awkward and uncoordinated. But when he started working this year Marty called us and said he could really run.”
Drexler entered Artie in a $77,000 maiden allowance on September 4 and watched the gelding break sloppily from the gate, losing several lengths. But with jockey Kazushi Kimura sitting patiently aboard the laid-back horse, Artie made his way past rivals before breezing to a 9 1/2 length win, speeding 6 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:13 1/5 for an 89 Beyer Figure.
Less than a month later, Artie met winners in an allowance race that came off the turf, rated just off the pace early in the six-furlong sprint before taking off to win by four lengths in 1:08 4/5 for a staggering 97 Beyer.
“We are astounded, shocked,” said Lee. “We have never had a horse like this.”
The partners have had some nice success racing their horses at Woodbine with Drexler, who also hails from Winnipeg. Their mare Blurricane, by Rebellion, won the 2017 Ballade Stakes and earned over $500,000. Blurricane recently had her first foal, a filly by Silent Name (Jpn) and she resides at Ballycroy Training Centre in Loretto. Casablanca Kiss, also in the partner’s broodmare band, won some $300,000 and horses like Pugsley and Brass Compass were multiple winners.
Lee, Lepard, and Mitchell had their first big hit as breeders with their stakes winner Witch’s Coven, a foal of 2007, who won two editions of the Winnipeg Sun Stakes and placed third in the Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes. The mare’s weanling by Violence sold for $180,000 (USD) at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale (later selling for $500,000 to John Oxley). That colt, Combative, raced modestly for Oxley and a year ago, Lee and friends claimed the gelding for themselves to race for $23,500. Lee and his friends are also very conscious of their horses post-racing, always making sure they have a good home after their racing careers.
“Marty is just the perfect trainer for us,” said Lee, a charted accountant who was also chief financial officer for the Progressive Conservative party for the past 12 years. “The health of the horse comes first and he would never take a chance with a horse. He’s also a very good person.”
Artie was one of the last horses who was a product of Sandy Lepard’s keen sense of mating mares with stallions. The gelding’s dam, COPENHAGEN COWGIRL was obtained privately by Lee and Lepard, Mitchell, the Bells, and Drexler following her 2013 season. She had won a handful of races at route distances on Tapeta and turf for Mark Mesic and Formula One Racing. She raced nine times for her new owners and won once at the $8,000 claiming range.
“She was beautifully bred and had a lot of turf breeding,’ said Lee. “So we decided to breed her.” The mare’s first foal, Denmark, by Shanghai Bobby, is a one-time winner but a barn favourite. Copenhagen Cowgirl was sent to Kentucky to be bred to Artie Schiller and it was there she produced Artie.
Lepard passed away in October of Artie’s yearling season. Copenhagen Cowgirl has a 2-year-old by Lea named Colonel Mustard, a yearling by Temple City and a weanling by Mor Spirit.
As for Artie, Lee and their partners have yet to see their fast fellow in person and hope to in 2022.
There have been offers come through to Drexler to sell Artie – $300,000 and higher – but the partners are not selling.
“We are never going to sell him!” said Lee. “He is all I think about 24/7. And all of us are of retirement age, we love horses and we want to have fun with them. I just wish Sandy was here to see this guy, she would have loved it.”
Top Beyer Speed Figures from Canadian Winners Sept. 30 – October 3, 2021
courtesy Daily Racing Form
ARTIE – 97
BRITISH ROYALTY 92
MALIBU MAMBO – 91
AMALFI COAST – 89
COURTLY MANNER – 88
HICKSY – 85
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
