Hoover hopes the magic continues with Zuzanna

DEL MAR, Calif. – Kurt Hoover has picked plenty of winners over the years, first as a simulcast host at Santa Anita, then for HRTV, and, for the past 4 1/2 years, for TVG. None, though, can compare with Zuzanna.

Hoover and his close friend Brian Ferguson – he answers to “Ferg” – claimed Zuzanna as part of a partnership last September for $8,000 in concert with trainer Bob Hess Jr., who has been one of Hoover’s best friends for 30 years. In the months since, Zuzanna has won three times in four starts.

They are hoping the joyride continues on Thursday, when Zuzanna, a 5-year-old mare, races against six males in the day’s feature race, a 1 1/16-mile starter-allowance on the turf that goes as race 6 on the seven-race card.

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Zuzanna is facing males because a similar race for females earlier in the meet failed to go; it drew just two entries. On current form, though, she fits. The top contenders are Builder, a Northern California shipper who was second in the Grade 3 All American two starts back, and Zestful, who has won four straight and is making his first start since being claimed by Mark Glatt.

“Handicapping the race, it looks like she’ll be the second or third choice,” Hoover said. “This wasn’t what we originally planned, but she’s doing so good, Bob said she’s got to run, and this is the most logical spot.”

Hoover and his partners are being rewarded for taking the long approach with what was a low-level claimer. Zuzanna did not race for more than six months following the claim, and there were a couple of hiccups along the way.

“We claimed her knowing she needed throat surgery and she needed time off,” Hoover said. “The day we claimed her I almost called Ferg and told him we might have made a mistake. And over the next few months there were a lot of things Bob had to nurse her through.”

The patience paid off. Zuzanna won her return at Golden Gate, taking advantage of having the $8,000 claiming price waived as it had been more than six months since her last start. She then won for $25,000, was second in an optional claimer, and won a starter allowance, all on turf at Santa Anita, all with Kent Desormeaux up. She’s made $68,600 this year.

“Making money is the goal. But more important is doing it with friends,” Hoover said. “This is Ferg’s first horse. We met in seventh grade. I’ve known him more than 45 years. Bob I met in the late 1980s. I told him I wanted to claim a horse with him one day. It only took 30 years.”

As with their management of Zuzanna, the wait has been worth it.