**Please see the attached photo of The Lumber Guy. Credit NYRA,
Friday, April 6, 2012
Contact: Jon Forbes
UNDEFEATED THE LUMBER GUY BRANCHES OUT IN WOOD
The Lumber Guy’s potential may make up for his lack of seasoning as the Barry Schwartz color-bearer enters the Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial with a 2-for-2 record.
The Lumber Guy’s name was inspired by thoroughbred owner Aaron Jones, who with
with his wife, Marie, has campaigned horses like Tiffany Lass and Riboletta and bred Ashado and Speightstown. Jones, who founded the Seneca Sawmill Company and Seneca Jones Timber Company in
Schwartz and Jones entered Half Ours – an undefeated sophomore who at that time had won a maiden special weight at Keeneland and the Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs during his 2-year-old season – in the 2006 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Jones bought out Schwartz for $6.1 million, with the price setting a Keeneland auction record for a horse in training.
For Jones, Half Ours went on to win the 2007 Grade 2 Richter Scale Handicap at
“I dropped out [of the bidding] around $3 million,” recalled Schwartz. “After that, we began saying that I had been bidding against ‘The Lumber Guy.’”
The nickname for Jones stuck, and Schwartz decided to lend the moniker to the fifth foal out of Boltono, an Unbridled’s Song mare whom he had purchased for $77,000 at the 2003 Keeneland November sale.
Unfortunately, The Lumber Guy would be the final foal out of Boltono, who died after complications from the birth.
“It was a normal foaling, but what happens is that [the birthing process] leaves such a void,” said Peter Moore, farm manager for Schwartz’s Stonewall Farm. “The spleen can swing either way. There’s so much room for things to move around. It was twisted, and we got her to the clinic and saw she had a lot of dead tissue.”
Boltono’s death, however, had minimal impact on The Lumber Guy, who was placed with a nurse mare.
“The nurse mare was a small pony, about 14 hands,” said
Following her death, two of Boltono’s foals became stakes winners, with Magical Solution winning the 2010 Niagara Stakes at
The Lumber Guy, who debuted a 9 ¼-length winner on January 28, emulated his siblings when he became a stakes winner on February 25 by taking, appropriately, the Miracle Wood at Laurel Park. Despite the colt’s inexperience, Schwartz and Hushion did not hesitate to enter their colt in the Wood Memorial.
“I’d rather take a mini-step first time two turns, but we’re talking about the Wood so sometimes you do things you wouldn’t ordinarily do,” said Hushion, who has never had a starter in the Wood or in any Triple Crown race. “His race in
Schwartz concurred.
“[Going to the Wood] is not something you’d usually do, but you only get one shot with 3-year-olds,” said Schwartz.
With The Lumber Guy having already demonstrated the ability to seize the lead in sprints, Hushion expects his colt to be the one to catch in the Wood Memorial.
“I don’t know if we’re going to have much of a choice other than to be on the lead,” said Hushion. “But I love the way he’s been acting. I’m very happy with the way he’s coming into the race.”
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