Many people will recall the strange story of Bold and Bossy (Strong Mandate), the unlucky girl was fired prior to her juvenile debut at Ellis Park last summer and arrested more than 30 minutes later after arriving at the interstate and crossing the state line just to participate. involved in a barn fire the next morning. Now, her coach Michael Ann Ewing hopes that it won’t be long before people remember Bold and Bossy for something more.
Nearly a year after that bad weekend in Henderson, Kentucky, Bold and Bossy are not only back in optimal health, but she recently got off to her first start at her exceptional maiden weight. worth $17,000 at Belterra Park. Long-legged tired and finished in third place, but for Ewing and those credited with bringing her back to health, the race was sure to be a big win.
“It’s like being a parent and you have a child who has a big problem or is sick or traumatized,” explains Ewing. “You nurture them and you don’t know what the outcome will be and then when it’s really positive, I guess great pride. There’s a lot of commitment there, a lot of time and a lot of energy. I am just happy to see her healthy and happy.”
Graduating from a $15,000 Fasig-Tipton in October, Bold and Bossy were one of three children purchased by Ewing in hopes of succeeding in the lucrative 2-year-old summer races. As the trio went through their break at The Thoroughbred Center, Bold and Bossy were by far the toughest interns.
“She was weird,” Ewing recalls. “Even after six weeks when they started galloping across the field, she would still throw in some money. The other two would go through the gate, but she just wanted to run through. “
Despite her stubborn personality, the chubby girl proved to be the most progressive of the three and was the first to enter the race in August. Ewing stepped in for her at Ellis Park, but the dirty girl was taken. Panic along with the horse in the following parade. She lost her balance and fell on her side, racer Miguel Mena could not see, and soon she was running away.
“I went back to Lexington and thought how we got her there and now we’re going to have to start from scratch,” Ewing recalls. “My assistant Kelsey called me and told me she was gone. I said, ‘What do you mean, she’s gone?’ and Kelsey told me she was gone.”
Exiting the suburbs, Bold and Bossy sped to US 41 N, Interstate 69, and Veterans Memorial Parkway. She crossed the state line to get to Indiana before she began to tire and was arrested by a cop and trainer Jack Hancock. She returned to Ellis in the horse ambulance and was immediately given an infusion.
Ewing chose to keep the chubby little girl in Ellis overnight so she could rehydrate and relax before moving home in the cool morning rather than loading her up in a three-hour car ride home in the heat of the morning. afternoon of that day. It was a good idea in theory, but early the next morning the receiving depot was on fire.
“She was actually saved by one of our groom’s brothers,” Ewing noted. “I think there were five horses in the receiving barn and she was the last. She had burns and we were worried about the smoke inhalation.”
Bold and Bossy returned to Lexington at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital at 9 a.m. that morning and spent three days in an air-conditioned booth there. Although the little girl suffered no lung damage, the burns on her upper body eventually caused her to lose her hair and skin from her shoulders to her hind legs. She also lost two shoes when she loosened and severely damaged her nails from running on the hot pavement of the highway.
When Bold and Bossy returned home to the Thoroughbred Center, additional fans were brought into the stall to prevent fly injuries. She was given daily manual walks until November and then to Ewing’s veterinarian Joe Morgan’s ranch, where she enjoyed daily walks and continued healing.
Earlier this year, Bold and Bossy returned to the Purebred Center once again. Her foot is healthy and although she has scars along her upper line, the burns have completely healed. Ewing isn’t sure if the 3-year-old is interested in returning to training, but she thinks it’s worth a shot.
“Since we’re a racehorse and I bought her to race, I thought we’d just watch,” Ewing explained. “We saddled her and we put in a few extra pads to protect her. Our number one concern is whether the scar bothers her, but it doesn’t. She’s back in training and there’s never been a day where she didn’t want to go on a track or that she’d ditched her food. She is very looking forward and happy.”
As a member of the Secretariat’s board of directors, Ewing is quick to add that if the girl doesn’t enjoy racing or feels uncomfortable in any way, she’ll find a second career.
For now, Ewing says they’re pointing Bold and Bossy towards a second start at Belterra Park in the coming weeks. She admits that the filth will probably never fall down the ranks of claims.
“It’s a business, but there’s so much time and energy and possibly so much interest in her that I’m not sure I want to put her on the list. There is an added aspect of making sure she has a really good outcome. “
Looking back at everything that has happened to the appropriately named cat since she first came to Ewing’s cage as a wish, the trainer said she’s proud of all that her team has done. she finished in getting Bold and Bossy back to the starting gate.
“[When the fire happened], I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I thought this unclean horse was an unlucky horse. But now, I think maybe she is a lucky horse because she survived. When I look at her now, almost a year since this happened, she is healthy and she has grown up and is truly unbelievable. I think she will still improve. She could be the winner next time. I am always confident. If you’re not confident, you’re not going to be a coach.”
