A lot of factors go into winning a race and sometimes it takes getting over hurdles to get there. A bad trip, parked the mile, traffic, thrown shoe or lost equipment, and whatever else can happen in a race. All of it happens on the big screen in front of the cameras and under the lights for everyone to see. But what about the hurdles that are overcome that no one sees? For Hunting For Kisses, her path to the track, let alone to victory, was lined with obstacles. Bred by Crawford Farms, Hunting For Kisses is a 4-year-old daughter of Huntsville and the Pro Bono Best mare All About Kisses. The mare made her first start as a sophomore in February of 2024, appearing in a qualifying session at The Meadows, finishing second in 2:01 4/5 with Ron Burke holding the lines for trainer Michael Burke. She had been unraced to that point due to a fracture in her knee, leading to a blank 2-year-old campaign and time training back as a 3-year-old. Two weeks after that first qualifier, she competed in her first career race, a $9,000 conditioned distaff pace, which she won by 13-1/2 lengths in 1:54 4/5 with Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. in the bike for Michael Burke. Another two weeks went by and she was back in-to-go in that same $9,000 conditioned distaff pace at The Meadows. She won wire-to-wire by a half-length in 1:57 with the same driver/trainer combo. Hunting For Kisses was quickly showing promise as a young filly, but then she faced a hurdle that stopped her in her tracks. “I worked for Ron Burke and we were training her down as a 3-year-old and she was one of the best 3-year-olds that we were training down, as one of 79 horses there, and we were looking forward to her sire stakes and everything,” trainer/driver Dan Rawlings explained. “I had taken her to Dr. Brown because she had come up a little sore after her first lifetime start that she won and Dr. Brown did some work on her. The second time she won, we brought her back up to Brown’s again and she basically had two broken knees. “She had to have a bunch of time off, then was put into the Harrisburg Sale,” Rawlings continued. “I talked to owner Cliff Grundy because I liked her so much. We paid $20,000 for her. I took my time with her. I took my time bringing her back because I thought she could be something more than just your everyday horse in the barn. I thought she had some serious talent and she just keeps winning.” And “just keeps winning” is the truth for Hunting For Kisses. Rawlings brought her back in mid-February of 2025 in a qualifier at Pocono Downs, a race she won in 1:57 2/5. “The first time I qualified her I wanted to take her off the gate. She’s a Huntsville so they are known to get a little hot. So I said I was going to race her from off the pace.” From that point on, Hunting For Kisses has raced at Saratoga in conditioned classes. Each race she reeled in the lion’s share of the purse by 3 lengths, 4 1/2 lengths, 3 lengths again, and 4 1/4 lengths with a season’s best time of 1:56 2/5. “The first time I raced her at Saratoga, I put her behind the car and she was absolutely a loose cannon. She was really, really tough behind the car and I ended up quarter-poling her to the front and she relaxed on the front,” said Rawlings. “She just does it easy. I don’t think she’s had to put any effort in yet. That being said, since then, I have left with her. I get her to the front but I just kind of let her ease her way there.” To date, Hunting For Kisses’ career record stands at six-for-six with a little over $25,000 in her bankroll. “She’s just learning to race and now she relaxes behind the car and is great in the post parade. She’s great to train; two fingers to train. Anybody could train her, but they aren’t allowed to because she’s mine. Honestly nobody has sat on her in a training mile yet. I just think she has a lot of talent. I think she is the type of horse that can go sub-1:50. Right now she hasn’t had to do that. Right now, it’s just educating.” In the barn, she reads as a typical mare with a strong personality and the role of the boss. “She bites every horse that goes by in the barn, she really doesn’t like women that much. She’s the boss, she’s the queen and she lets everyone know it,” laughed Rawlings. “She does love getting turned out with other horses, though. She’s submissive even in the field with other horses. But everything is always her way, all the way. “I get along with her,” Rawlings continued. “She’s my baby. I do everything that needs to be done, like I have to catch her in the stall. Wendy, who is one of the grooms, has got her now on her softer side. She gives her treats every time she’s there. And that’s how she catches her and gets her ready. “You can put a horse in front of her stall on cross ties, but she’s going to bite them. She lets everybody know when it’s time to eat. She’s a dinosaur, a huge horse. On the racetrack, anybody could jog her; two fingers, so professional. As far as driving her, she’s just learning how to become a racehorse. Anything I’ve asked her to do, she’s done.” Rawlings emphasizes the key to education with the young mare. “Right now, I’m trying to educate her and teach her how to race. I don’t know what her talent level is. I will honestly say I don’t think she’s tried yet. She just does it that easy. Everything you ask, she does.” And it seems no matter what hurdles the mare faces, she keeps on climbing. “Unfortunately, she just popped a curb. We just had that froze and she’s sounder than ever,” said Rawlings. “Her knees are holding up great. We put flip flops on her to train her down because of her knees and she still has them on today.” Rawlings is unsure of what the future will hold for her, but he has many plans to get there. “She’s only had six lifetime starts and now that she’s popped her curb, I’d like to get one or two more starts into her and then I’d like to bring her to a big track because she’s the biggest horse I’ve ever had in the barn,” he said. “I’d like to try her at Meadowlands or even a 5/8ths mile track. I brought her to Pocono to qualify her and she won the qualifier against some relatively nice mares in against her. Everything she’s done, she’s done it easy. “I’m just taking my time with her. I more than took my time bringing her back. I almost brought her back like a 2-year-old instead of a 4-year-old. We got her in November and she just had her first start [in February]. I think it’s going to pay dividends in the end. I wanted to put her in the [current] series at Saratoga, but I didn’t have 10 starts as a trainer last year so I couldn’t, otherwise she would have been in there. But if there are any early/late closers, I’m going to test her out at some point. I just don’t know when. I think I’m going to try her a couple more starts at Saratoga and see if I can race her at Meadowlands or maybe even take her to Plainridge. It’s hard to get into Pocono or Chester because she’s not PA-sired, PA-owned, and not PA-trained. She’s young, green, fresh, and she’s full of talent.” Rawlings even said that her former connections still check in and follow her career. And her personality is a match for her mothers, All About Kisses. “Heather Reese-Marshall and Michelle Crawford still inquire about her and watch her race. That’s one of their favorite mares, her mom. The mom has the same attitude and they put that attitude on the track and it’s tough to beat. Not to hurt anybody, but they aren’t going to let anyone push them around. “Honestly, she’s just a sweetheart. She ships good. She does everything in the barn is pretty good. She doesn’t kick or anything, she’s easy to walk and likes to be turned out. She’s nice to be around, but in her stall that’s her domain so watch yourself as you’re walking by because she might get a taste of you,” Rawlings laughed. “We had a small setback with the curb. She’s jogging right now and will train tomorrow and we’ll assess it then. She just seems like she’s going to go to the next level and be the horse you’re looking for. She’s had her adversities, but her talent was shown when I worked for Ronnie. The last start I asked her to a little bit more than I needed to and she just responds. She’s fun. “I’m excited for her future. I don’t think I’ve touched near where her ability is,” Rawlings concluded.