14-year-old Missing Sefa to race again

Missing Sefa, who will turn 14 on Jan. 1, will be pointed to another race in the starter-allowance ranks after beating just one opponent and finishing 20 lengths behind the winner last Sunday at Turfway.

Owner-trainer Jamie Grubbs said this week that Missing Sefa, a winner of 28 races from 112 career starts, “came out of her race great.”

“She loves her job and wants to keep doing it,” Grubbs said. “As long as she’s sound and happy, we’ll be looking for a race.”

Grubbs claimed Missing Sefa for $15,000 on Dec. 3, 2004 from her 10th start. The mare has a career bankroll of $352,539. She has gone winless in 13 starts since winning on May 2014 at Belterra Park,
Grubbs acknowledged Missing Sefa would be more competitive if matched against bottom-level conditioned-claiming company, but after being warned via social media that the mare would be claimed – on the premise the horse needs to be “rescued” – she is reluctant to make such an entry.

“I can’t risk losing her,” she said.

Kentucky does not have an age limit for racing a horse other than for maidens, although like all entries, Missing Sefa is subject to a pre-race examination by the state veterinarian.

◗ Two 1 1/16-mile allowances anchor a nine-race Sunday card at Turfway, with race 6 worth up to $22,300 and race 8 up to $24,300. Purses for all allowance and maiden-special races at Turfway include substantial bonuses from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

The lone stakes remaining at the Holiday meet, which runs through Dec. 31, is the $50,000 Prairie Bayou next Saturday (Dec. 19). Eight stakes will be run at the winter-spring meet, which runs Jan. 1 to April 3.

First post Sundays is 2:30 p.m. Eastern, while all other programs (Thursdays through Saturdays) start at 6:15.