Parimutuels

Gelding has trainer on winning track

Ronnie Allen Sr. did some of his best work the past 15 months thanks in part to Above the Wind.

By DON JENSEN
Published February 19, 2005

OLDSMAR - Tampa Bay Downs trainer Ronnie Allen Sr. has worked with thousands of horses. There are stories behind many of them.

There was the talented Post It. As a 2-year-old, the Jerry Campbell entry competed in the 1994 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs, finishing sixth in the race won by D. Wayne Lukas trainee Flanders.

Sealegs was a fan favorite at Tampa Bay Downs. The gray horse was known for his late charges from well off the pace.

"Post It and Sealegs were a couple of my best horses," Allen said. "But this one ranks right up there with them."

He's referring to Above the Wind, an 8-year-old Michigan-bred gelding performing like a young colt. In two starts this year at Tampa Bay Downs, Above the Wind won the Pelican Stakes and Super Stakes in record fashion.

Today, Above the Wind goes for his 20th career win in Tampa Bay Downs' richest race to date this year, the $100,000 Tampa Bay Breeders' Cup. Post time for the race is about 3 p.m.

"It's a definite step up in class for him," Allen said. "But he deserves the opportunity. He's running as well as an 8-year-old can run, something you just don't see every day."

Allen has trained Above the Wind in all 45 starts, producing $398,422 in earnings for owner Hamco Group LLC. Five of his 10 stakes victories (three Supers and two Pelicans) have come at Tampa Bay Downs. In the past two seasons, Above the Wind has been voted Michigan's older horse of the year by the Michigan Thoroughbred and Owners Association.

Above the Wind has exceeded expectations recently. On Jan. 1, he established a Pelican record of 1 minute, 10.04 seconds for six furlongs. Four weeks later in the seven-furlong Super, he set another stakes standard and equaled the track record of 1:22.60 set by Oh So Striking in 1997.

"He does whatever you ask of him," Allen said.

The Breeders' Cup will present a challenge to Above the Wind, who'll be ridden by Federico Mata. The 1 1/16th-mile race is on turf, a surface he never has won on. In the 2004 Breeders' Cup, the bay-colored veteran ran fourth to Burning Roma.

Above the Wind has overcome hurdles before. His dam, Farther Faster, died after giving birth to him and the son of Island Whirl had to be bottle fed for three weeks until a nursing mare was used.

Meanwhile, Allen has been on a roll for 15 months. During last year's meet at Tampa Bay Downs, he led all conditioners with four stakes victories and finished tied for second in the track's training standings behind Lynne Scace. Allen also ranked fifth among trainers at the Great Lakes (Mich.) Downs summer meet. He had 69 victories in 301 starts at the two tracks.

This year at Tampa Bay Downs, the Louisville, Ky., native has 12 wins in 64 tries, one behind leader Don Rice. Allen is first in earnings with $177,737.

"I've got some quality horses, which helps a lot," said Allen, 62, who never has won a training championship.

Allen, a former caddie in Kentucky, was introduced to horse racing by his brother, Larry Allen, a valet at Tampa Bay Downs. Allen came to Tampa in 1960 with trainer Jimmy Pitt. His four children also have been involved in the sport. Son Ronnie Allen Jr. was a two-time riding champion at Tampa Bay Downs.

"Today will be like a lot of other days, full of excitement," Allen said. "That's what horse racing is all about."

[Last modified February 19, 2005, 00:57:17]