https:\/\/www.thoroughbredracing.com\/articles\/monumental-force-linda-rice-about-scale-even-greater-heights<\/a>
\nAfter a stellar body of work over the course of 29 years, Linda Rice has compiled a resume that would evoke envy among most trainers \u2013 regardless of their sex.<\/p>\nShe\u2019s saddled the winners of 1,425 races through March 31, most of them in New York, while competing against a wide array of the industry\u2019s most famous trainers on the nation\u2019s premier year-round circuit.<\/p>\n
Her horses have earned $54,291, 483, a figure that places her 50th on the all-time North American earnings list.<\/p>\n
A third-generation trainer and daughter of former trainer\/owner Clyde Rice, she campaigned her first Eclipse Award winner last year as the New York State-bred La Verdad won five of eight starts. The multiple graded stakes winner also finished second in the Breeders\u2019 Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, earning honors as the champion female sprinter of 2015.<\/p>\n
The native of Racine, Wisconsin, is also the last person other than Todd Pletcher to win a training title at Saratoga.<\/p>\n
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Since 2014, she\u2019s won 10 graded stakes, including Grade 1 victories with Princess Violet (2015 Madison at Keeneland) and Palace (2014 Forego and Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga), and has ranked among the top 25 nationally in earnings in 2013-15.<\/p>\n
Once, in the 2008 Mechanicville Stakes at Saratoga, she trained not only the victorious Ahvee\u2019s Destiny, but turned the race into a personal superfecta by saddling the first four finishers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has not been a quick path to success for Linda,\u201d said Sheila Rosenblum, who owned La Verdad under the banner of Lady Sheila Stable. \u201cShe has paid her dues. She\u2019s done it slowly, methodically, and has worked quite hard and diligently. Wonderful things have happened to me because I listened to her advice.\u201d<\/p>\n
And yet, while her accomplishments are impressive by any standard, they take on even more glitter since she defied the odds stacked against her for being a female in a profession dominated by males.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a hard industry for anyone, but it\u2019s especially hard for a female,\u201d Rosenblum said. \u201cThe challenges are even more rigid and tougher for a woman than they are for a man. We go to Saratoga and it\u2019s a little bit of an old men\u2019s club, but I see the respect they have for Linda, and she deserves it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The trailblazer<\/strong><\/p>\nIn her career, she has blazed a path for women to follow, helping to open doors that were closed when she started training in 1987 at the age of 23.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think she is making an impact on horse racing,\u201d Rosenblum said. \u201cWhen I come out in the morning to watch horses exercise, I don\u2019t see many female owners at the track, but I\u2019m seeing more and more female trainers and assistants. It\u2019s coming around. Women are realizing they can do what the guys are doing. They can find excitement at the racetrack.<\/p>\n
\u201cLinda was ahead of her time, and now there are more females involved in racing because of her.\u201d<\/p>\n
To put Rice\u2019s accomplishments in a better perspective, when she won the 2009 Saratoga title by one victory, she became the first woman to capture a training title at a major track.<\/p>\n
She is also the only female among the top 50 on North America\u2019s all-time earnings list.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe should be in the Hall of Fame because she truly belongs there,\u201d said Avram Freedberg, whose horses in the Everything\u2019s Cricket Racing\u2019s stable, including Avhee\u2019s Destiny, have been trained by Rice for nearly 10 years. \u201cShe\u2019s devoted her life to the game and she has achieved a lot of firsts. Her record stacks up well with anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rice is eligible for the Hall of Fame but has not advanced very far in the process. Part of the reasoning probably involves a lack of involvement in the sport\u2019s spring classics, though that could be ending soon.<\/p>\n
The contender<\/strong><\/p>\nThe 52-year-old trainer has started only two horses in Triple Crown races: Kid Cruz, a $50,000 claim by Rice, who was eighth in the 2014 Preakness, and Supervisor, who was fifth in the 2003 Belmont Stakes.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s yet to run a horse in the Kentucky Derby.<\/p>\n
Yet, in a year that has already seen her capture her first Eclipse Award, she\u2019s taking long strides toward making it to Churchill Downs on the famed first Saturday in May.<\/p>\n
This Saturday, Rice will send out Lady Sheila Stable\u2019s Matt King Coal in the $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, and a top-three finish there could punch a ticket to Louisville for an inexperienced colt who has started just four times and won his last two races.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an exciting time,\u201d Rice said. \u201cAnyone would be excited to be at the end of March and have a horse who has a chance to be in the Triple Crown races.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve done a lot of things in my career. I\u2019ve won some training titles, broken some barriers, but the one thing I haven\u2019t participated in is the Kentucky Derby.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mile-and-an-eighth Wood promises to be a litmus test for Matt King Coal, who will be making his stakes debut in a field headed by Shadwell Stables\u2019 undefeated Gotham winner Shagaf.<\/p>\n
The daunting jump<\/strong><\/p>\nWith no points in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, Matt King Coal will need to collect some of the 100-40-20-10 points allotted to the top four finishers in New York\u2019s definitive Derby prep to remain in contention for the Run for Roses. At the same time, he will also have to prove he can make a daunting jump from the allowance ranks to Grade 1 competition in order to prove that he belongs on the Triple Crown trail.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot depends on the Wood. He has to run well or the Derby is not an option,\u201d Rice said. \u201cThe Preakness might be a terrific spot. It usually is a better spot than the Derby. But if you win the Wood, nobody passes up the Derby, unless they have to.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis speed figures were exceptional at two and, if we can get him to improve on them at three, like people expect him to, that would make him Triple Crown material. But that\u2019s a lot of ifs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Best known early in her career for her work with New York State-breds and sprinters, Rice arrived at last year\u2019s Ocala 2-year-old sale in search of a horse that would thrive at a two-turn distance. What she found, at a cost of $250,000, was a tall son of Cool Coal Man out of the Came Home mare Donna Marie that Rosenblum named Matt King Coal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we purchased Matt King Coal, he had a modest pedigree but he was brilliant on the racetrack. His racetrack performance was phenomenal,\u201d Rice said. \u201cHe was a big and leggy and looked like a two-turn horse. I was hoping he could carry that speed two turns, which he has.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rice\u2019s firm belief that the bay colt could handle route distances explains why he made his career debut at Saratoga in an Aug. 8 race on the turf.<\/p>\n
The tricky winter<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cI really didn\u2019t want to run him (around) one turn in his debut. I really felt he was a true route horse and I thought if I ran him around two turns first time out it would be kinder to his soundness and be easier on him,\u201d Rice said. \u201cHe was young and immature and I was trying to find the path of less resistance and felt two turns was the right way to go.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately at Saratoga the only way to go two turns was to start him out on the turf, so I took that avenue. When we purchased him, he had breezed very well on a synthetic surface at Ocala so I felt he would be all right on turf. He finished third and, at that point, moving forward, my intention was to get him on the dirt at Belmont for a mile race. That was the goal at the time. It wasn\u2019t to make him a turf horse.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt King Coal\u2019s chance to run long on dirt came in his second start, when he was entered in an Oct. 3 maiden race at Belmont that was washed off the turf course and moved to the sloppy main track at a mile and a sixteenth. Sent off at 7-2, Matt King Coal set the pace and engaged in a fierce stretch duel with Gift Box, only to lose by a nose while finishing 18 lengths ahead of the third.<\/p>\n
Gift Box, in his next race, ran third behind the undefeated Mohaymen in the Grade 2 Remsen.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Matt King Coal closed out his 2-year-old season with a front-running 5 \u00be-length maiden victory at a flat mile under regular rider Jose Ortiz at Belmont on Oct. 29. But then problems set in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe pointed to the Aqueduct winter stakes, the Withers, the Jerome, the Gotham, then we had a little hiccup along the way. He spiked a fever and we had to send him to the farm for six weeks,\u201d Rice said. \u201cAt that point we were behind schedule. I got him back and put three workouts into him, but I didn\u2019t want run in the Gotham (on March 5) off just that out of fear of running a short horse.\u201d<\/p>\n
The excitement<\/strong><\/p>\nInstead, Rice opted for a March 6 allowance race at Aqueduct, where the colt scored by a length in his 3-year-old debut and lone prep for the Wood.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a tougher race than I expected but he performed beautifully in the allowance race and that gave us the luxury of staying home and running in the Wood, which is the natural spot for him,\u201d Rice said. \u201cI\u2019d like to think he\u2019s improved since that race. He\u2019s a fitter horse. He\u2019s put in his best breezes ever since then and we\u2019re very excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Rosenblum, even after accepting an Eclipse Award in January, simply talking about the Kentucky Derby has brought her involvement in racing to a new level.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe concept of having a horse on the Derby trail and running in the Wood Memorial is as intense and exciting as it sounds,\u201d she said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t get any better than the Kentucky Derby.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Rosenblum was the sole owner of La Verdad, she has plenty of company for her ride with Matt King Coal. The colt is owned by a partnership Rosenblum formed under the banner of Lady Sheila Stable Two and built with the help of some powerful female investors, who, like their trainer, made a name for themselves by smashing the infamous \u201cglass ceiling\u201d.<\/p>\n
A former Wilhelmina and Ford model, Rosenblum teamed with Douglas Elliman CEO Dottie Herman, philanthropist Iris Smith, Real Housewives of New York star Jill Zarin, and equine artist Donna Bernstein, among others, to form her new venture.<\/p>\n
The hard worker<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cPrejudice against women might be why Linda hasn\u2019t had a classic winner yet,\u201d the 68-year-old Freedberg said. \u201cShe has only recently brought in the kind of owners who are willing to spend money on horses with the better pedigrees, and that\u2019s giving her a chance to get into the classic races.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ironically, Rosenblum said when she first entered racing and searched for a trainer, she focused on finding the best man for the job.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I started in 2010, I didn\u2019t always like the idea of using Linda as a trainer,\u201d Rosenblum said. \u201cI think I liked the concept of a male trainer, but in spite of that I decided on her and was totally impressed by her hard work. She\u2019s one of the hardest working females I know, and sometimes females have to work harder to prove themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aside from the skills acquired during a lifetime in the racing industry, Rice also brings to the table a business savvy few trainers posses. While the backstretch offices of some trainers have the kind of clutter and mess only an Oscar Madison clone could love, Rice constructed a highly modern and efficient office at Belmont Park.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve embraced modern technology. It\u2019s a huge part of our business and I wouldn\u2019t have it any other way,\u201d said Rice, who studied Computer Science at Penn State University. \u201cI built an office and set it up so we can handle the business of training horses better. We have accounts receivable in one area, communications in another, daily operations in another. It helped with my business and communication, which is key. I found we could not keep up with everything until I expanded my office.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Hall of Fame question<\/strong><\/p>\nExpansion, of course, could not come without the kind of success that has made Rice both one of New York\u2019s top trainers and a role model as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I started out, it was an uphill climb for female trainers,\u201d Rice said, \u201cbut the way I see it at this point is that is becoming a non-issue, and that\u2019s the way I\u2019d like it to be, a non-issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
And now that climb could be reaching new heights, depending on what happens when Matt King Coal breaks from the starting gate in the Wood.<\/p>\n
\u201cLinda is one of the movers and shakers among females in the industry,\u201d Rosenblum said. \u201cShe\u2019s done so much for women to encourage them to branch out in this sport. She\u2019s been a monumental force for females without really realizing it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am 100 percent convinced she belongs in the Hall of Fame and believe one day it will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
To date, there\u2019s only one female trainer in the National Museum of Racing\u2019s Hall of Fame. Janet Elliot, a superb steeplechase trainer, was enshrined in 2009. How long will it be before another woman joins her? Don\u2019t be surprised if this year\u2019s spring classics play a role in that answer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Date: April 5, 2016 By: Bob Ehalt\u00a0 Original Article –\u00a0https:\/\/www.thoroughbredracing.com\/articles\/monumental-force-linda-rice-about-scale-even-greater-heights After a stellar body of work over the course of 29 years, Linda Rice has compiled a resume that would evoke envy among most trainers \u2013 regardless of their sex.… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-recent-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/lindarice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/lindarice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/lindarice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lindarice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lindarice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1499"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/lindarice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1502,"href":"http:\/\/lindarice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1499\/revisions\/1502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/lindarice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lindarice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lindarice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}