The horse that changed my life
Barry Wood figures he has trained over 1,000 horses in his years in the Ontario Quarter Horse racing industry. The 66-year-old from Port Perry is one of few originals from the early days of the former Picov Downs and he has been around a lot of special horses.
When you ask Wood about one who made a difference in his carer, however, one in particular comes to mind:: Latest Miss Priss.
“I bought her at the [1991] Heritage Yearling Sale in Oklahoma for about $5,000,” said Wood. “She was 16.2 hands high and she was gorgeous and well bred.”
A sorrel mare foaled in 1990, the daughter of Digging for Gold won her very first start for Wood, who conditioned the youngster for owner Sandra Watson. That 250-yard dash, a trial for the Picov Futurity, was the beginning of a career that took the mare from Ontario to various tracks in the U.S. where she competed well in stakes events and allowance races.
It was her final start of her career In October, 1993, however, that was certainly her most impressive.
Latest Miss Priss (see photo below) had just returned from a successful stint at Mt. Pleasant Meadows in Michigan and was competing in a 250-yard allowance race against a 1-5 favourite in Arrogant Voices. Partnered with her regular rider Ramon Dominguez, the flashy filly romped by an impressive two lengths in track record time of :13.180, good for a 108 speed index.
“That was unheard of back then,” said Wood. “That record stood for about 12 years.”
Sadly, Latest Miss Priss, while preparing for her 4-year-old campaign, became very ill with salmonella poisoning the following winter and had to be euthanized.
“It was very sad,” said Wood. “But she helped me go back and buy more horses.”
Since then, Wood has perennially been one of Ajax Downs’ most prominent conditioners, a hands-on horseman who has a 24-stall barn and track on his farm in Port Perry.
“Of all the horses I have I trained, I think about 10 stand out in my memory. Latest Miss Priss was more than 20 years ago, but I still have her photos.”
(PHOTO BELOW - The win picture from LATEST MISS PRISS' track record setting win in 1993, a mark for 250-yards that would stand for a dozen years)
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