Godolphin’s It's Tricky has been named the Aiken Trained Horse of the Year for 2011
The four-year-old filly, It’s Tricky of Mineshaft out of Catboat, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, has been named the Aiken Trained Horse of the Year for 2011, followed by the commendable efforts of the four-year-old filly to get the award.
The prerequisite for winning the award include that the horse must have spent some time of his/her career while being trained at Aiken County, and must have won at least one Grade 1 Stakes race or the award is given to a horse whose career earnings
have surpassed $1million.
The previous seven winners of the Aiken Award are, Quality Road in 2009, and 2010, while Midshipman was the winner in 2008, Country Star won it in 2007, Bob and John was presented the award in 2006 while, Limehouse, took away the honour in 2005. Wando
was recognized for the award in 2003, and Congaree was found worthy in 2002.
It's Tricky has raced through the 2011 season seven times out of which she has won thrice, two being Grade 1 victories, and placed as a runner-up three times.
She broke her maiden on 20th February, 2011, at Aqueduct, and it was during her third attempt that she won the Grade 1 TVG Acorn Stakes on 11th June 2011, at Belmont Park, that also against two entries
of trainer, Todd Pletcher, including the 13 to 20 favourite, Turbulent Descent, who was second in the race.
Next It's Tricky won the Grade 1 TVG Coaching Club American Oaks on 23rd July, 2011, at Saratoga, against Bob Baffert’s 9 to 5 favourite entry, Plum Pretty, who finished closest to the winner.
In all the last three races of the previous season that she participated in, It's Tricky was placed second and was entered as a favourite in two of those races.
The highlight among the three races was the second placing in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, where she finished 2 ½ lengths behind the winner, Royal Delta.
It's Tricky was trained and started off her career at Aiken County, and did not just win one Grade 1 race, rather bagged two in a row, qualifying her for the 2011 Aiken Award for the Horse of the Year.
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