Seaford, DE --- Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.
The line, heard in a Mary Chapin Carpenter song, has become something of a catchphrase at Les Givens’ farm in Seaford, Del. The current star of the Givens stable, the trotter registered simply as Windshield, has been unstoppable in the First State, where he has dominated Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund competition.
The 3-year-old son of Political Briefing-CR Mimosa boasts 13 consecutive wins heading into this Thursday’s Maryland Standardbred Race Fund event at Ocean Downs. He is six for six in 2012.
“He’s been good all year,” said Deshawn Sample, who takes care of the strapping colt for Givens. Teresa Givens’ Nanticoke Racing owns the colt with well-known Delaware driver Ross Wolfenden.
Wolfenden said he and Givens bought the colt at the Winbak yearling sale in 2010. They noticed they’d been bidding against each other on one yearling and when Windshield, who even at a year old was strong and good sized, showed up Wolfenden joked with Givens that there was a horse he’d settle for half of. They went partners on the colt, purchasing him for $9,000. Entering the second half of his sophomore year, the colt boasts earnings of $285,299.
“He’s been good the whole time,” Wolfenden said.
Although Givens, who broke the colt, steered Windshield to his first career win in July of 2011, Wolfenden has piloted the colt since then. The talent the trotter showed Givens training down quickly became apparent to Wolfenden.
“He never wants to quit,” Wolfenden said.
While Windshield does tend to look rough at times during the mile, Wolfenden said he does not typically make breaks. He said the trotter made one break the second time he sat behind him but has had no trouble staying flat since then.
"From then on he hasn't put a foot wrong," Wolfenden said.As a 2-year-old, Windshield dominated the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund competition, winning all of his eliminations and a $100,000 final at both Harrington Raceway and Dover Downs. He picked right back up as a 3-year-old, again winning all of his eliminations and both finals.
Sample, who has been caring for the colt since Septemeber, said Windshield’s win in the $100,000 final at Dover in April was his most impressive start so far. From the eight hole, he got off third and made an early move to the lead, holding off I’m So Striking in the stretch to win in a lifetime best 1:56.2.
“That was the first time he really had competition,” Sample said.
Facing roughly the same field July 26 at Harrington, Windshield held onto his status as the state’s top 3-year-old trotter with a 13-1/2 length win in 1:59.
Wolfenden said that after this week's race at Ocean Downs, the colt will be given a well deserved vacation before heading to Dover this winter.