Meadowlands: Norman sending out pair with Down Under roots

Trainer Richard "Nifty" Norman will send out a pair of high-class mares in Saturday's $22,000 featured pace at the Meadowlands with Southern Hemisphere roots. Dougs Babe A (post three) has been a fixture in the Norman stable for years, but newcomer Millwood Bliss N (post eight) may be a horse we'll be talking about following her U.S. debut.

"We paid a lot for her," said Norman when asked about Millwood Bliss N, a mare that's listed as a 5-year-old by American standards. "She's actually a 4-year-old and we gave $180,000. That's the most I've ever paid, but that's what's necessary to get a quality horse."

Referring to her as a 4-year-old would be very close to true given that she was foaled in December in New Zealand in 2020, and thus raced in 2024 in Australia as a 3-year-old, completing a solid campaign at the highest level with five wins in eight starts.

"We were looking at other horses and not her," said Norman of the journey that finally led to the purchase. "We were set to buy another horse and the deal fell through. Tom Pollack (Pollack Racing) was shopping as well, and he'd bought about six horses before he was offered Millwood Bliss N."

When Pollack passed on the filly, Norman did some work investigating her quality with others. "I spoke with Luke McCarthy, and he told me that there might have been one or two others that were better than her, but you couldn't buy those," said Norman.

A look at the program lines on Millwood Bliss N show a winning mile in 1:50 3/5 last June. "That was over a seven-eighths track like the old Woodbine," said Norman. "It's not that big a deal a lot of races go faster now."

While the time in and of itself may no longer be that impressive, it did put Millwood Bliss N in against the best horses in her final three races in Australia, with all of them raced at the mile and five-eighths distance. In reviewing those miles, the filly was responsible for setting the fractions and raced with pressure against large and talented fields.

"We bought her to race in the Blue Chip Matchmaker, and we'll stake her to some other races as well," said Norman about the likely future for the daughter of Sweet Lou from a Bettor's Delight-sired dam. "She's got a good gait and great manners."

With nine wins in 15 lifetime starts, she also arrives as a fresh horse. "We've had her since last September and fortunately she got a little sick when she first came, so we're over that."

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Millwood Bliss N made her first appearance in East Rutherford, New Jersey, last Saturday (February 15) in a qualifier and did everything that Norman wanted in the mile. David Miller drove her from the back of the pack, and she paced home strongly while timed in 1:55 1/5. "David liked her," said Norman.

Just getting Millwood Bliss N some racing experience here before her stakes campaign begins wasn't going to be easy. "She's got $38,000 made in her last four starts, so there weren't many options. I'm glad they were able to find that spot on Saturday," Norman said.

With some handicapping necessary, Millwood Bliss N was assigned post eight in Saturday's tenth race with the conditions clearly calling for non-winners of $12,500 last four. "We'll be racing her from behind," said Norman.

Dougs Babe A will be embarking on her third season under Norman's care on Saturday. The 8-year-old daughter of Western Terror has 13 wins and $357K bankrolled since her arrival. "She's getting a little older and is probably not as good as when she first came over, but she fits with these," said Norman.

Saturday's contest should have Norman's mares feeling somewhat at home given three of the other six mares in the field have Down Under roots. Trainer Jeff Cullipher has a pair in Elegant A (post two) and Blood Moon A (post five). Elegant A returns to the mile track after having raced at Yonkers and Dover over the last month. Blood Moon A (post five) has been racing against tougher company than her stablemate, winning three consecutive races at Dover prior to her third-place finish in the $25,0090 Open Handicap on February 12 at the Delaware five-eighths-mile track.

Leading trainer Ron Burke has two in the field as well with Dixie Dream (post one) and Intothemysticmoon (post seven) having North American roots. Madrid A (post four) and Tony's Mom (post six) round out the field of eight.

The 14-race Saturday night program at the Meadowlands begins at 6:20 p.m.