Ole's Miss, Arabella's Muse clash again in Emerald Downs Handicap

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The $50,000 Ross McLeod Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on May 3 was the most exciting race at the meet, with Ole’s Miss edging Arabella’s Muse at the finish following a thrilling stretch duel. After battling through extreme fractions, Arabella’s Muse gamely fought back when Ole’s Miss collared her mid-stretch but came up a neck short. They are expected to renew acquaintances June 7 in the $50,000 Emerald Downs Handicap at Hastings.

Interestingly, both horses will be saddled by different trainers in the Emerald Downs.

Ole’s Miss will be coming out of the same barn, though. Her trainer, Tracy McCarthy, underwent surgery on her neck last Monday and is out of action for possibly three months. Her assistant, Christine Loseth, will be managing the barn in her absence.

McCarthy wasn’t concerned that she won’t be there to oversee Ole’s Miss’s preparations leading up to the Emerald Downs.

“I have great help,” said McCarthy from her home in North Vancouver, where she is recovering from the surgery. “Christine is like a daughter to me and has extensive experience with horses. We’re like a family at the barn. Our exercise rider, Edgar Mendoza, has been working for us for nine years.”

The biggest cog in the wheel is McCarthy’s husband, former jockey Chris Loseth. He is the all-time leading rider in British Columbia and was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2007.

“Chris has been a big part of our operation since he retired,” McCarthy said. “He taught Edgar how to ride, plus he’s Christine’s uncle, and we obviously have a great relationship with her. We knew this was coming, so we were well prepared for it.”

Christine Loseth, 29, seems very comfortable in her new role. Her parents, Jim and Sandra Loseth, bred, own, and previously trained horses, so she’s been around Thoroughbreds her whole life. She also spent many years as the unofficial assistant trainer to Dino Condilenios.

“I wouldn’t worry about Tracy’s barn,” Condilenios said. “Christine ran my stable when I wasn’t able to be there. She’s not only a great exercise rider, but she’s very well organized and knows her way around a horse. She worked for me for about five years, and we really miss her.”

As for Ole’s Miss, Christine is pleased with how she has been training. Ole’s Miss couldn’t have been more impressive when she worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds last Saturday. She went the first three furlongs in 35.20 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.60.

“We’re planning to work her again this weekend,” Loseth said. “She really couldn’t be doing any better.”

It was surprising to see Arabella’s Muse move from trainer Toni Cloutier’s barn to trainer Mike Anderson. After all, she completely dominated her opponents in both of her starts as a 2-year-old, and she probably ran the best race of her short career when she lost by a neck to Ole’s Miss in the Ross McLeod.

The homebred daughter of Finality is owned by Leif Nordahl and his daughter, Karen Nordahl, who didn’t want to comment on the change.

“It was tough to take losing her,” Cloutier said. “She ran a big race in her first start this year, and I was confident she was going to run a better race when she came back in the Emerald. I was very surprised.”

Arabella’s Muse moved to Anderson’s barn Monday, and he said he was just getting to know her Thursday morning.

“We’re just trying to feel her out,” Anderson said. “She trained Wednesday and today. We’re going to work her Saturday and go from there.”