Perhaps one of the most fascinating parts of the standardbred sport is that opinions vary on the ability of our horses to such a degree. Mixed horse sales are generally locations where owners look to move on for one reason or another and let the market decide the current value. What’s fascinating to me is the idea that sellers in this marketplace must believe that they have gotten everything they can from these horses and for one reason or another haven’t been able to make things work out to their liking. Often expectations are different and that comes many times with the purchase price and the cost of an operation. While most mixed sales find buyers with optimism, results over the long term suggest the sellers perhaps knew much more about the habits and abilities of their horses and the buyers purchased and learned the same lessons in the aftermath. Then steps in Yinson Quezada, a horse shipper with minimal ownership experience that wants to get involved. Quezada, a native of Ecuador, purchases Perfect Stick for $19,500 at the November Blooded Horse Sale in Delaware, Ohio then in January picks up Andy Ray at The Meadowlands sale for $47,000. As to anyone that has witnessed this sport for a period of time, trotters can be a tricky purchase and often leave new owners more frustrated than prior ones. Fortunately for Quezada, the boyfriend of Anna Lorentzon, his two purchases have advanced in rather rapid fashion and appear well on their way to more than earning out. “He picked out Perfect Stick by himself,” said Anette Lorentzon from Kentucky, where she supervises much of the stable. Her sister and Quezada help out in the East while Anette handles Kentucky and the Midwest until stakes season approaches. “Of course we did some research. I talked to Mike (Hollenback) about her and they were looking for between $15,000 and $20,000 for her.” Perfect Stick had earned about $52K racing in Indiana as a 3-year-old and with stakes races out of the picture, she would have to be a regular race horse to earn her keep. A lackluster debut at the end of 2017 may have left some with the feeling that Perfect Stick wasn’t worth the asking price, but after two second-place finishes in her first five starts this year, Perfect Stick shipped from Yonkers to The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono to compete at pretty high company for a purse of $17,000. “We changed the bridle,” said Lorentzon, who also thought that perhaps the five-eighths track suited the daughter of Big Stick Lindy. Perhaps it was the move to the big track or perhaps it was time for Perfect Stick to get an opportunity to show her talent, but George Napolitano Jr. gave her the cue this past Sunday and Perfect Stick picked up the bit and drew off to a 1:54 4/5 career best effort leaving her rivals gasping. “She was very good,” said Lorentzon, “He never pulled the plugs.” The pedigree roots of Perfect Stick can be obscure on face value, with her dam Ackbro Ms Perfect far from a household name. Nonetheless, that daughter of Credit Winner was a high caliber NYSS performer as a freshman and sophomore and went on to race until the age of 9. Perfect Stick may not have had the same early ability as her dam but judging from her most recent effort, there is certainly enough talent for her to move up the class ladder at Pocono. Considering that Quezada spent $47,000 for Andy Ray, it’s clear much more was expected of him. The 6-year-old gelding earned $90K in 2017 racing at Harrah’s Philadelphia primarily along with Yonkers and Pocono. A night before Perfect Stick’s breakout mile at Pocono, Andy Ray was perhaps as impressive with a 1:56 4/5 first-over victory with Tim Tetrick in the bike. “We tried him with pull down blinds,” said Lorentzon. “He went a big mile. I’m not sure how he will do against tougher company but we’ll find out.” One horse that wasn’t doing well in the northeast for Lorentzon and has since moved on is Ultimate Shopper. “As a 2-year-old we thought a lot of her. She almost beat Broadway Donna (second by a head at The Red Mile), but she has had liver issues,” said Lorentzon. After some spotty performances this winter at Yonkers, Lorentzon decided to bring Ultimate Shopper, now a 5-year-old, back to Kentucky. The move appears to have done wonders for Ultimate Shopper, who won for the second time in her last three starts this past Sunday at Miami Valley in 1:54 3/5. Anette is gearing up for stakes season and was hoping for a change of fortune for one of her stable’s potential stars. “We had a lot of disappointment with Guardian Angel As last year,” said Lorentzon. “He’s training back very well and I hope to have him qualified by the end of the month or early May.” Perhaps remembered more for being the horse that What The Hill interfered with in the Hambletonian Final than anything else in 2017, Guardian Angel As also won his elimination to the Yonkers Trot only to break in the final. “We have him staked to pretty much everything,” said Lorentzon of her plans for the now-4-year-old. While her 2-year-olds in training are still a few months from sorting out, Lorentzon has reasonable expectations for a very well-bred sophomore son of Chapter Seven purchased at Harrisburg last fall. Chapter And Ruth, the eighth foal of the $1.1 million winning Housethatruthbuilt, was a bit player on the New York Sire Stakes Excelsior circuit as a juvenile. “I really like the way he’s training back,” said Lorentzon. “Hopefully he’ll turn out to be a nice New York Sire Stakes horse.” Considering what Lorentzon’s purchases have done thus far in 2018 it won’t be a surprise to see Chapter And Ruth rise later this season.