Woodbine Mohawk Park: Lather Up a Father’s Day special in NA Cup

Sunday June 17 is Father’s Day. The night prior, the Father-Son tandem of George Teague Jr. and Montrell Teague hope to begin the celebration early with a victory by Lather Up in the C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The Teagues are the human side of the equation, but as interesting is the surprise appearance of Lather Up, whose sire (dad) was also racing last Saturday. I’m Gorgeous, now 11 and no longer breeding, finished third in an overnight event at Northfield Park on the same night that his most notable foal decimated his rivals in the fastest (1:49 2/5) of three North America Cup eliminations.

The senior Teague trained I’m Gorgeous and eventually bred some mares to him when the son of Bettor’s Delight tried to get in on the action in Ohio during the sport’s rebirth following slot legislation.

“There just aren’t enough mares to go around,” said Teague of the lack of support afforded I’m Gorgeous, a horse that won a heat of the Little Brown Jug and then finished second in the final of Ohio’s most famed standardbred race.

“He got a bout of pneumonia following the Jug,” Teague said. “After that he was never the same kind of racehorse.”

With limited number of mares bred and limited number of registered foals, the odds are most definitely stacked against a stallion, but in Pocket Comb, the dam of Lather Up, I’m Gorgeous was able to step up to create a potential superstar.

“She’s a great mare. She was never bred to any top stallions. The only time she missed was when she was bred to Western Hanover,” said Teague.

I’m Gorgeous was the first time the daughter of In The Pocket was bred to the Bettor’s Delight line. Despite the impressive longevity Bettor’s Delight has shown as a stallion, none of his sons have made a major impact on the breeding business as of yet, with the book still open on Betting Line, who made over $1.8 million before beginning his stallion career in 2017.

While to some the pedigree of Lather Up was lacking, to the contrary there was enough genetically passed along to make him a top horse and Teague liked what he had as a 2-year-old.

“He had a great gait. He was smart and had great lungs,” said Teague. “The only thing that he didn’t do right was go straight all of the time.”

The last note was the one that curtailed what could have been a brilliant freshman season, but it didn’t dissuade Teague or owner-bred Gary Iles from staking the colt to some of bigger events on the calendar.

“You know me,” Teague said. “I don’t fool around when it comes to staking. If I put them in I think we can win.”

Thus Lather Up returned this year and after some equipment adjustments was suddenly able to go straight around the track. “We made a change and it seems to have done the trick,’ Teague said.

While the elder Teague has put Lather Up on the right path, associate Clyde Francis took the colt to Canada with a plan to have him acclimated before the major stakes events.

“I’ve had a lot of horses get sick on me going up to Canada, so when we sent Daiymir up for the Confederation Cup we sent Lather Up earlier so that he’d have plenty of time,” said Teague.

In the back of Teague’s mind was to give Lather Up some experience but at the same time serve notice to those in the 3-year-old ranks that his horse was a player and deserved some of the respect afforded to the previously top-rated horses.

On May 26 Lather Up debuted at the newly christened Woodbine Mohawk Park and strutted a 1:49 1/5 mile getting the attention of local horsemen and those throughout North America who had yet to see the colt. Since then there have been impressive victories in the Somebeachsomewhere and then last Saturday’s three-move effort in the North America Cup trials.

“That St Lads Neptune horse was closing on him pretty good in the Somebeachsomewhere,” said Teague. “When I saw him come wide on Saturday I thought he was going to pace right by us. Then I looked up and Montrell pulled the plugs and he just took off again.”

Montrell has done what his father was unable to do, though it wasn’t for lack of trying. “When I started out driving I was 170 pounds and I actually won my first five races,” said Teague. “But I didn’t have the temperament for it. Montrell is just so cool-headed out there.”

Indeed the younger Teague has made the most of his experience and that included some criticism for drives behind Wiggle It Jiggleit. Those came from others in the racing community. “I don’t tell Montrell how to drive and I don’t tell any other driver how to drive,” said Teague.

That the pair is back in the North America Cup some three years after Wiggle It Jiggleit was upset in that event is incredible. That they have returned with a horse that may prove to be just as good is astounding.

“I think Lather Up is a better gaited horse than Wiggle It Jiggleit,” said Teague. “Wiggle It Jiggleit could go out on the track and give it his all no matter how he was feeling. I think this horse (Lather Up) has a chance to be as good as him.”

There’s no question George is quite proud of how Montrell has handled the spotlight. “He’s quiet and composed,” said Teague.

There’s certainly a lot to be proud of and on Saturday (June 16) night with valuable experience gained, Montrell Teague will get his chance for some redemption. Lather Up even surprised his driver with his most recent victory. “When I pulled the plugs he just took off. Even faster than he did when he was on the lead,” said Montrell Teague.

With that in mind, the pressure may be on Lather Up’s nine rivals when they race for seven figures this Saturday night.

George Teague takes no credit for his son’s driving ability.

“He gets that from his mom,” Teague said.

Happy Father’s Day.